A Segmentation Analysis of American Sports Bettors by Involvement

in Journal of Sport Management

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Brendan DwyerVirginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA

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https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8823-7787*
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Stephen L. ShapiroUniversity of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA

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https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9056-7689
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Joris DrayerTemple University, Philadelphia, PA, USA

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https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3125-2123
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1123/jsm.2021-0335
Keywords:
marketing; consumer behavior; gambling; fan behavior
First Published Online:
17 Jan 2023
In Print:
Volume 37: Issue 3
Page Range:
203–216
Restricted access

Sports betting in the United States is exploding in popularity and has the potential to change the way sports fans interact with sports properties and sports content. However, not all sports bettors are the same, and market segmentation research provides a resource for more targeted communication and marketing strategies. Utilizing behavioral and psychographic data, the current study segmented 1,077 sports bettors by involvement. The segments were then contrasted on a number of factors within the framework of Mowen’s 3M model of motivation and personality. A sample of 513 nonbetting sports fans was also included as a segment within the analyses. Statistically significant differences were found at the motivational, elemental, compound, and surface trait levels between the betting segments and between the betting and the nonbetting sports fans. The findings point to a strong emotional draw regardless of involvement yet a clear need for the betting industry to educate on issues related to jurisdictional legality and common language.

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