Sports betting has become increasingly difficult to separate from sports themselves. Betting advertisements appear throughout broadcasts, gambling companies sponsor teams and leagues, and discussions about odds and wagers have become a routine part of sports media.
Most conversations about gambling risk in sports have focused on athletes. But what about coaches?
A new Rutgers study conducted by Dr. Jackie F. Stanmyre, Assistant Director of the Rutgers Center for Gambling Studies, and Dr. Lia Nower, Director of the Center, and published in International Gambling Studies suggests that current coaches may represent an important and largely overlooked group in gambling prevention efforts.
Looking Beyond Athletes
Coaches play an influential role in sports. They shape team culture, guide athletes’ behavior, and often serve as trusted role models, particularly for younger players.
Previous research has shown that coaches can influence athletes’ attitudes toward alcohol use, aggression, sportsmanship, mental health support, and other behaviors. Because people often learn by observing those around them, coaches’ attitudes and actions may also affect how athletes view gambling.
Despite this influence, relatively little research has examined coaches’ own gambling behavior.
To address that gap, the Rutgers researchers analyzed data from 1,778 adults with meaningful athletic backgrounds. Participants had taken part in organized sports and identified as current or former athletes.
The group included:
- 161 current coaches
- 595 former coaches
- 1,022 individuals who had never coached
The researchers compared gambling frequency, types of gambling, problem gambling risk, and other behavioral and mental health factors across these groups.
Current Coaches Reported the Most Gambling
Current coaches stood out across several measures.
Approximately 83% of current coaches reported gambling during the previous year, compared with about 72% of former coaches and 67% of people who had never coached.
More than half of current coaches reported gambling at least weekly. Current coaches also participated in more types of gambling and were more likely to use both online and in-person gambling venues.
Sports-related gambling was especially common. Among current coaches:
- More than half reported sports betting
- More than half participated in season-long fantasy sports
- Nearly half participated in daily fantasy sports
On average, current coaches reported gambling across nine different activities, compared with fewer than five among former coaches and fewer than four among non-coaches.
Problem Gambling Risk Was Also Higher
The study found substantial differences in problem gambling risk.
Among current coaches who gambled, nearly half scored within the high-risk range on the Problem Gambling Severity Index, a screening tool used to assess gambling-related harms. Current coaches also had significantly higher average problem gambling scores than former coaches and people who had never coached.
After the researchers accounted for differences in age, athletic history, substance use, mental health, and other factors, current coaching status remained associated with higher problem gambling scores. Former coaches, however, did not differ significantly from people who had never coached.
This pattern suggests that active involvement in contemporary sports environments may be particularly relevant. Current coaches may experience frequent exposure to betting advertisements, online gambling platforms, fantasy sports, and gambling-related conversations.
However, because the study collected information at one point in time, it cannot establish that coaching causes gambling problems.
Gambling Risk Did Not Occur in Isolation
Among current coaches, higher problem gambling scores were associated with several other factors, including:
- Current or previous participation as an NCAA athlete
- Continued participation in sports
- Perceptions that family and friends regularly bet on sports
- Alcohol- and drug-related problems
- Depression
- Risky sexual behavior
- Excessive video or internet gaming
These findings suggest that gambling problems may sometimes be part of a broader pattern of behavioral or emotional difficulties rather than a stand-alone concern.
They also reinforce the importance of screening for gambling alongside mental health and substance use concerns.
Why Coaches Matter for Prevention
Coaches do more than organize practices and develop game plans. Their behavior can help establish what feels normal or acceptable within a team.
If gambling is regularly discussed, encouraged, or treated as harmless, athletes may come to view betting as a routine part of sports participation. Coaches who gamble themselves may influence players even when they do not intentionally promote it.
This does not mean that every coach who gambles has a problem or negatively influences athletes. It does mean that prevention programs should recognize coaches as both potential role models and individuals who may need support themselves.
Most gambling education initiatives in sports currently focus on athletes. The researchers argue that coaches should also be included in education, screening, and intervention efforts.
Programs could help coaches:
- Recognize signs of gambling-related harm
- Understand how their attitudes may influence athletes
- Set appropriate boundaries around gambling discussions
- Identify confidential treatment and support resources
- Respond when an athlete may be struggling
Important Limitations
The researchers note several limitations.
Participants reported their own behaviors, which may be affected by memory or reluctance to disclose sensitive information. Coaching status was measured using a single question, so the study could not examine differences based on the type of sport, athletes’ ages, competition level, or length of coaching experience.
The current coach group was also relatively small, and the findings should be confirmed in larger studies.
Future research could examine whether gambling risk differs among youth, high school, college, professional, and recreational coaches. Researchers could also explore how team culture, betting conversations, and exposure to gambling marketing shape both coaches’ and athletes’ behavior.
Expanding the Conversation
As sports betting continues to expand, gambling prevention efforts must keep pace with the changing environment.
Athletes remain an important focus, but they are not the only people affected by the growing presence of gambling in sports. Coaches are deeply embedded in these environments and may face risks of their own.
By including coaches in prevention and support efforts, sports organizations may be better positioned to reduce gambling-related harm while also creating healthier team cultures for athletes.
Date: July 22, 2026
By: Ricki Arvesen