The Psychology of Sports Betting

「体彩」背后的心理学

壹心理翻译社 ◎ 荣誉出品

原作 | Jill Kapinus

翻译 | 宋艾米

校编 | 张真Derek

注：为方便具有英文阅读习惯和需求的读者，我们在译文发表的同时，附上了英文原文。在部分译文的处理上，我们进行了二次编辑，以求更接地气、更容易理解的表达，因此并非所有译文都和英文原文100%对应。原文链接可在文末找到，提醒有需要的读者留意。

Chances are you’ve been around people betting on sports or may have even placed a bet yourself! Sports betting can be as harmless as a being part of a playoff game pool at work or playing the odds of a horse race.

可能你周围就有体育彩迷，也可能你自己就参加过体育博彩。就像投注加时赛或赌马那样，体育博彩本身并没有多大害处。

We get excited from the risk of betting and possibly losing our hard earned money, and sometimes the payoff is thrilling! There’s the monetary upside to sports betting but there can also be a danger when—for some people—sports betting turns into a gambling addiction.

我们从博彩的刺激中体会到兴奋感，但却有可能输掉辛苦赚来的钱，甚至有时赔掉的赌注，数目十分惊人。博彩可以让钱财增值，但当一些人的体育博彩行为演变成赌瘾时，体育博彩便展现出它危险的一面。

First of all, what is sports betting? Well, it’s basically a pool of people gambling on the outcome of a sports event—a boxing match, the Super Bowl, basketball playoffs, horse racing—and the bets are typically dictated by the odds calculated from how many times that athlete or team has won or lost.

首先，什么是体育博彩？从根本上讲，体育博彩是人们在体育赛事的比赛结果上进行投注，比如拳击、篮球加时赛、赛马等。体育博彩的赌注一般由赔率决定，赔率由运动员或参赛队伍以往参赛的胜负计算得出。

Keep in mind that outside of regulated, approved venues, sports betting is illegal. That doesn’t necessarily mean that the police will bust down your door to haul you in for your hockey playoff pool with friends. But people who run underground gambling groups might be subjected to criminal prosecution.

我们需要明白的是，博彩需要在规定的、通过审批的场所进行，其他场所开设的体育赌博都是违法的。虽然，警察并不会因为你和朋友们自己开设的曲棍球赌局而破门而入，把你带到警局里；但那些经营地下赌场的人，可能会遭到刑事起诉。

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制图：Spencer / 来源：eLearners.com

If you made a bet that men are more likely to participate on sports betting than women, you’d win! Men are twice as likely as women to gamble on sports.

如果你打赌说男人比女人更愿意参与体育博彩，那么你赢了！男人参加体育博彩的可能性是女人的两倍。

The age range with the highest percentage of gamblers is 18-24 year olds (26% of reported gamblers), followed by 35-45 year olds (18%), and gamblers aged 55 and older (11%).

按年龄段来看，18-24 岁的人群参与赌博的比率最高（记录显示 26％ 的人是赌徒），其次是 35-45 岁的人群（18％），然后是年龄在 55 岁甚至更年长的人群（11％）。

Another interesting statistic is that college graduates are 24% more likely to gamble on sports than people who don’t have a college degree. Perhaps it has to do with college graduate typically earning more with a degree [i] and that translates to more expendable income with which to bet.

另一项有意思的统计数据表明：受过大学教育的人参与赌博的比率，比没上过大学的人高出  24％。原因也许是：大学毕业生因为拥有高学历，因而收入更高、所以他们能用于赌博的可支配收入也就更高。

People bet for a few different reasons. The risk of betting produces adrenaline in the body and the payoff of money could mean taking a great vacation or settling financial debt.

人们参与赌博出于几个不同的原因。赌博的惊险刺激可以促进人体分泌肾上腺素，赌博赢钱意味着可以去美美地度假或者偿还金融债务。

Sometimes gambling can distract someone from worries, or it can bring out their competitive spirit in their desire to beat other players, the dealer, or the casino itself. While the thrill can be great, some people become addicted to the rush that comes with the risk associated with a bet.

有时候，赌博可以把人从焦虑中转移出来，或者可以激发人们内心深处的好胜心理，驱使他们去打败其他对家、庄家甚至赌场。虽然如此强烈的兴奋感本不是什么坏事，但有些人就这样对赌博带来的风险和刺激感开始上瘾。

An estimated 2 to 3% of Americans suffer from a gambling addiction and 6% of American college students are said to be grappling with this addiction. People with a gambling addition have a higher likelihood of developing a mental health disorder, and unfortunately, families of those suffering from gambling addiction are more likely to experience domestic violence.

约有 2％-3％ 的美国人患有赌博成瘾症，6％ 的美国人声称自己在同赌瘾作斗争。有赌瘾的人罹患精神障碍的可能性更大，而更为不幸的是，饱受赌瘾折磨的家庭更容易遭遇家庭暴力。

Clinical studies show that sports betting has higher addiction potential than playing the lottery, so if your grandmother buys a lottery ticket every afternoon, it doesn’t necessarily mean she has a gambling addiction.

临床研究表明，体育博彩比玩大乐透更容易让人上瘾，所以如果你的老祖母每天下午都会买一注大乐透彩票，那并不意味着她患有赌博上瘾症。

With the University of North Carolina Greensboro’s research connecting a higher incidence of some mental health disorders (like depression, anxiety, and substance abuse disorders) in those who suffer from gambling addiction, it’s important to recognize this problem in ourselves and in others to avoid the possible damage it can cause.

北卡罗来纳大学 Greensboro 分校的研究表明：赌博成瘾症和一些精神疾病的高发病率息息相关（比如抑郁、焦虑、药物滥用障碍）。因此，认清我们自己和他人身上的赌瘾问题是极其重要的，这样可以避免它们可能对我们造成的损害。

Once an addiction to sports or casino betting has been identified by the individual or their family members, it is a good idea to seek out treatment. Getting treatment might mean seeking support through a professional psychologist or counselor, or through a friend or family member.

一但体育博彩或者赌博上瘾这件事被患者本人或其家庭成员确认，寻求治疗是很好的解决方法。接受治疗也许意味着向专业心理医生、心理专家或心理咨询师寻求支持，或者意味着向朋友和家人寻求帮助。

Discussing the problem could be the first step towards someone’s recovery. Steering clear of places and situations where sports gambling takes place can be a good idea. A popular treatment of gambling addiction is cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), which is administered by a therapist.

对问题的讨论，是康复的第一步。远离举办体育博彩的地点和场合，是一个很不错的办法。目前，认知行为疗法（CBT）是采用较多的赌瘾治疗方法，其治疗过程通常由治疗师管理。

It’s a form of treatment that has the potential to help gambling addicts, as the aim is to change the thoughts that compel someone to gamble compulsively and attempts to send those thoughts on a different path. Medication prescribed by a psychiatrist may also be a good way to curb compulsive gambling and the depression that can come with it.

认知行为疗法是很一种非常有可能帮助到赌博成瘾者的治疗形式，因为这种疗法的目在于改变那些迫使人们产生强迫性赌博行为的思维，并且能让人们学会如何够控制和摆脱这些想法的影响。精神科医生给出的药物治疗方案，也是控制强迫性赌博及抑郁症状的好方法。

If you’re interested in learning more about what turns an occasional sports bet into a gambling addiction, as well as the treatment that goes along with battling that addiction, consider pursuing a career in psychology or counseling psychology. Psychology is a fascinating field for the inquisitive mind to enter into—that you can bet on!

如果你想知道 “小赌怡情” 是怎样一步步演变成 “大赌伤身” 的，或者你想了解治疗赌瘾的相关方式，那么你可以考虑在心理学行业谋职、或是成为一名心理咨询师。对于你们这些大脑中满是好奇的人来说，心理学是一个极具吸引力的领域 —— 在心理学上下赌注，你输不了的！

References / 参考资料：

[i] bls.gov/emp/ep_chart_001.htm | Additional Sources: gallup.com/poll/104086/One-Six-Americans-Gamble-Sports.aspx?utm_source=sports%20gambling&utm_medium=search&utm_campaign=tiles | mentalhealth.org.uk/help-information/mental-health-a-z/g/gambling/ | gamblingaddiction.org/poker/79-gambling-addiction-the-stats-tells-it-all | addictions.com/gambling/5-alarming-gambling-addiction-statistics/ | mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/compulsive-gambling/basics/treatment/con-20023242

英文原作：The Psychology of Sports Betting by Jill Kapinus (eLearners.com)

译者简介：宋艾米，壹心理翻译社 | 译员。心理咨询师，心理专栏撰稿人。英语专八，留英访美，爱学习的书虫。

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