Fifa World Cup Qatar 2022: Many football fans anxious about betting losses, poll suggests

More than a quarter of football fans say they feel anxious about how much they might lose while betting during the World Cup, a survey has revealed.

Six in ten said they agreed there were too many gambling adverts during international tournaments, the research for charity GambleAware suggested.

The organisation said 43 per cent of football fans plan to bet during this year’s World Cup, and among those 39 per cent admitted financial pressures might drive them to gamble more than intended.

GambleAware has launched a new campaign to help fans who gamble to avoid what they called “Bet Regret” in the coming weeks as betting promotions on social media and TV ramp up.

A man walks past a World Cup trophy replica outside the Education City Stadium in Al-Rayyan ahead of the Qatar 2022 World Cup football tournament. Picture: Kirill Kudryavtsev/AFP via Getty Images

The campaign, backed by the Football Supporters Association (FSA) and former players including Peter Shilton, Shaun Wright-Phillips and Lee Hendrie, encourages people who bet to manage their behaviour by deleting apps and setting a spending limit.

Shilton, who struggled with gambling addiction for 45 years, delivers a team talk as part of a new film for the campaign.

He said his addiction took a “massive toll” financially and on his mental health, and credited his wife for her support throughout the ordeal.

Urging others to ask for help if they need it, he said: “I’ve seen first-hand how easy it can be to get carried away and place an impulsive bet, especially when betting promotions are all around you.

“I’d urge everyone to stop and think, is my gambling out of control? If so, reach out for support.”

More than half of people (56 per cent) said it is easy to lose more money than expected, the survey from Opinium of 2,000 fans showed.

The results suggested that 28 per cent of supporters said they felt anxious about how much they might lose in bets during the tournament, which begins in Qatar on Sunday.

GambleAware defined “Bet Regret” as the universal “sinking feeling” that people can experience after making an impulsive bet, often when drunk, bored or chasing losses.

Zoe Osmond, the charity’ chief executive, warned that cost-of-living pressures, as Christmas approaches, could lead to the “perfect storm” as people are tempted to gamble more.

She said: “This should be an enjoyable time for all football fans, but with the sheer volume of football and the amount of betting ads, it can be easy to get carried away with betting – and we can see that many fans are already feeling anxious about this.

“As the cost of living-crisis bites and people feel the pinch in the run-up to Christmas, this could create a ‘perfect storm’ where fans resort to gambling as a way to cope.

“This can have the opposite effect, both financially and in terms of mental health.”

Gambling minister Paul Scully welcomed the campaign “to help raise awareness of practical actions people can take to avoid gambling-related harms”.

He said the Government was undertaking a “comprehensive review” of current gambling laws “to ensure they are fit for the digital age, including considering the evidence on gambling advertising and marketing”.