Second, the gambling behaviour of those who already bet on sports regularly may worsen, and they may not notice that they are spending huge amounts of time and money on betting. In some cases, people experience serious harm as a result of excessive gambling – ruining social and family relationships, losing one’s job or dropping out of studies, lying to cover up gambling activities, craving and obsessing over gambling experiences and wins (or near-wins), becoming restless when trying to cut down on gambling, betting more to achieve the old excitement or to chase lost money.

The strong social bonding and peer pressure surrounding the World Cup is not seen in other forms of betting. For instance, a young person will wager with their peers to show solidarity or their undivided support for a team. This does not happen in horse racing or card or casino games.

Clinical experience reveals that between five and 15 people, such as colleagues or relatives, are negatively affected by just one person’s gambling problem. When people find themselves experiencing an uncontrollable urge to bet or harm themselves, they should seek professional help. If we suspect someone needs help, we could accompany them to places where free, professional and confidential services for problem gambling are provided.

Samson Tse, professor, Department of Social Work and Social Administration, the University of Hong Kong, and Alfred Chan, supervisor, Caritas AG Counselling Centre