Legislative changes in various countries have allowed for considerable growth in the online sports betting industry. While impacts for financial well-being and health have been considered, the same attention has not been paid to careers. This is an oversight, as theoretical framings related to the gendered nature of work posit the workplace is rooted in, and rewards shows of, masculinity, while gambling is a prescribed masculine behavior. Thus, engaging in sports betting and having discussions of sports betting while at work may be a pathway to burnish masculinity and yield workplace rewards.
A conceptual pathway is provided based on the gendered nature of work frameworks.
Relationships and related boundary conditions are posited linking sports betting behavior to masculine displays, social network development and career outcomes.
The framework extends the gendered nature of work frameworks to consider how masculinity may be enacted in the workplace and yield rewards. This complements research suggesting gambling behavior can harm careers. Through these advances, sports betting is highlighted as a construct of interest within the workplace with wide reaching implications for careers.
