Following on from a successful seedcorn research and networking day in May 2024, Dr Carolyn Plateau and Dr Jamie Barker, from the School of Sport, Exericse and Health Sciences, have been awarded further funding to explore gambling risks and harms within the context of cricket.
This novel research project aims to explore social influences on gambling culture, attitudes and behaviours and related harms across elite cricket teams.
Research to date has identified an elevated risk of gambling and gambling related harms in elite sports people, and particularly among (male) cricketers. However, the risks and consequences of gambling among players within elite cricket are poorly understood. A key next step is to understand the role of group dynamics (e.g., social and peer influences) on gambling attitudes, behaviours and consequences within elite cricket.
If you are interested in finding out more about this project, or in supporting this research, please contact Rebecca Brooker.
Across two studies, elite cricket teams, individual elite cricket players, and cricketer support staff are being recruited to take part.
Study 1:
The project team are recruiting elite players and athlete support personnel from elite female and male cricket teams to take part in a one-to-one interview exploring gambling culture. Through this, they hope to gain an understanding of the landscape of gambling attitudes, behaviours and potential harms amongst staff and players.
Inclusion criteria:
- Cricket players must be over the age of 18 years, playing high level cricket (e.g., county, franchise); all genders.
- Athlete support personnel must be over the age of 18 years, supporting high level cricket players in any capacity (e.g., coach, physio, strength and conditioning, nutritionist, psychologist); all genders.
Participants will be reimbursed with a £10 amazon voucher for their time.
Study 2:
The project team are recruiting elite female and male cricket teams (e.g., county, franchise) to complete a survey exploring the relationship between teammate social networks and gambling risk (e.g., behaviours, attitudes), mental health and social support. For participating teams, they are offering an optional accompanying psychoeducational workshop to help athletes to understand their social networks and consider connections outside of cricket to protect mental health.
Inclusion criteria:
- Cricket teams must be classified as elite, defined as county level or above.
- Team members involved in this research must be over the age of 18 and can participate in the survey, without attending the workshop.
Please note that individuals with a diagnosed gambling disorder will not be able to participate in this research.
This research has been approved by the Loughborough University Ethics Review Sub Committee (Project IDs: 20068 and 20069).
If you or your team might be interested in taking part, please contact Rebecca Brooker for more information.
Alternatively, you can express your interest by completing the form below.