Sports Betting in Malawi: a pilot interview study of male bettors

In recent years Malawi has experienced a significant growth in the availability of gambling products and services. As Malawi is one of the poorest countries in the world, there are concerns that this trend will have negative effects on development and health.

The gambling industry is growing in Malawi. Researchers have yet to explore the impact this industry is having on host communities and, specifically, on bettors and their social networks. Research in other parts of the world has demonstrated that gambling can have deleterious impacts in some bettors’ lives. It can lead to compulsive behaviour, impoverishment, relationship breakdown, a range of mental health problems and, in some cases, suicide.

Sports betting is of particular interest, as it is a globally expanding market and is heavily promoted through popular sports coverage e.g. English Premier League Football. Young men are the focal targets of many of these adverts, which often encourage risking money to enhance the experience of watching sports or to demonstrate their prowess as a man. The intention of this research is to explore sports betting among a small group of Malawian men, to inform a research agenda that addresses any impacts that it is having on them, their social networks, and on Malawian communities at large.

Researchers

Dr. Christopher Bunn (IHW, University of Glasgow)

Prof. Gerda Reith (SPS, University of Glasgow)

Dr. John Lwanda (IHW, University of Glasgow)

Project Dates

June 2019 – March 2020

Funder

Internal seedcornDr Christopher Bunn

Publications

Shirt sponsorship by gambling companies in the English and Scottish Premier Leagues: global reach and public health concerns. Bunn, C.,  Ireland, R., Minton, J., Holdman, D., Philpott, M. and Chambers,S. (2019) Shirt sponsorship by gambling companies in the English and Scottish Premier Leagues: global reach and public health concerns. Soccer and Society, 20(6), pp. 824-835. 

Contact

Dr. Chris Bunn