In-play betting may be a relatively popular form of sports betting, with previous studies suggesting that 25–45% of sports bettors place in-play bets ( Gainsbury, Abarbanel, & Blaszczynski, 2020 Gambling Commission, 2016).

In-play betting encompasses the placement of any bet once a sporting event has started in other words, bets can be placed while the event is ongoing (e.g., which team will score the next point) rather than only on its outcome ( Killick & Griffiths, 2019). In contrast, in-play betting is a continuous form of sports betting given that it presents up to hundreds of opportunities to place wagers throughout the duration of a sporting event ( Newall, Russell, & Hing, 2021). These two activities can be considered discrete forms of sports betting. Conversely, single event or fixed odds sports betting simply involves selecting one specific outcome to bet on prior to the start of the event (e.g., which team will win the soccer game) ( Hartmann, Keen, Dawczyk, & Blaszcznski, 2016). Parlay betting, for example, involves selecting multiple picks as part of one single wager and requires the bettor to correctly select all their picks to win, presenting low odds of winning but high payout ( De Saro, 2022). Several types of betting are subsumed under the overarching category of sports gambling, each possessing discrete rules and characteristics. Unfortunately, while many people consider sports gambling to be a less harmful form of gambling ( Nyemcsok, Pitt, Kremer, & Thomas, 2022 Seal et al., 2022), studies have identified numerous harms associated with sports betting, including heightened problem gambling severity ( Nyemcsok et al., 2022), mental distress ( Hing, Li, Vitartas, & Russell, 2017 Mestre-Bach et al., 2022 Nower, Caler, Pickering, & Blaszczynski, 2018), and financial consequences ( Gathoni, Munayi, Wanjira, & Inyega, 2021). To illustrate, a 2021 report revealed that the proportion of United States citizens who regularly bet on sports increased by 80% from the beginning to end of the year ( Silverman, 2022). The proliferation of modern technology and expanding legalization efforts ( Bengel & McCarriston, 2022 Evans, 2021) have facilitated a marked increase in sports betting engagement among North Americans in recent years ( Lopez-Gonzalez & Perez, 2022 Statista, 2018).

Difference between bet and gambling