How Betting App Push Notifications Fuel Addiction
Having a betting app on your phone is risky, especially if you enable push notifications from the sportsbook. This article will help explain why you should be wary of sports gambling apps.
Sports betting apps are designed to be addictive, and one of the ways they encourage habitual gambling is through what are known as push notifications.
Sports betting apps usually send notifications about so-called trending bets or news in the sports world with the ploy of having you make a bet. Let’s look at one recent example of a problematic push notification.
In June 2024, DraftKings sent its app users the following notification:
"The NYM [New York Mets] are 6-0 since Grimace threw out the first pitch!” the notification read. “They're -125 to make it 7 tonight. [Money bag emoji] Let's go."
Why Gambling Apps Send Push Notifications
Let’s note that Grimace, the McDonald’s mascot, has no relevance for game results. It was merely coincidence that the Mets went on a winning streak since Grimace threw out the first pitch. The information about Grimace is irrelevant, but it’s designed to make users think there’s something at work here, that Grimace’s first pitch was good luck for the Mets.
The notification was a desperate attempt to grab user attention for opening the DraftKings app.
Other examples of push notifications include alerting users when the odds for a game change. However, the “improved” line that the app lets you know about doesn't mean the bet is good. You’ll often find dishonest sports betting content creators telling you that push notifications are necessary to have turned on if you’re looking to make money betting on sports. It’s a lie.
Sportsbooks never lose, while customers always lose in the long run.
Another reason for push notifications is to send “mobile-specific offers which are not available elsewhere” (as one predatory gambling content site put it). The betting apps want to create a sense of FOMO, which we’ll talk about in more detail below.
How Push Notifications Work
Push notifications from many types of apps, but especially gambling apps, can create a cycle of addiction to the app through several psychological mechanisms:
Intermittent Reinforcement: Push notifications often come at unpredictable times, similar to how slot machines operate. This randomness creates a sense of anticipation and excitement, making users more likely to check the app frequently.
Dopamine Release: Each notification can trigger a release of dopamine, the brain's "feel-good" neurotransmitter. This reward system reinforces the behavior of checking the app, as users seek a dopamine hit.
Fear of Missing Out (FOMO): Notifications can create a sense of urgency or fear of missing out on important information, promotions, events or social interactions. This drives users to check the app immediately to stay up-to-date.
Habit Formation: Over time, frequent notifications can condition users to develop a habit of checking the app regularly, even without conscious thought. The more often a behavior is reinforced, the more automatic it becomes.
Engagement Metrics: App developers design notifications to maximize user engagement. They analyze data to understand what types of notifications keep users coming back, making them more effective over time.
Personalization: Personalized notifications, tailored to the user's interests and behavior, make the app feel more relevant and engaging. This increases the likelihood of users responding to notifications.
By leveraging these psychological principles, push notifications can significantly boost user engagement and create addictive behavior patterns.
Minnesota Considers Betting App Push Notification Ban
As of mid-2024, Minnesota was in the minority of states regarding online sports betting. Minnesota had yet to legalize the industry despite numerous legislative proposals and hearings.
In the 2024 legislative session, Minnesota policymakers briefly considered a sports betting bill that proposed banning push notifications. The provision could be incorporated in future betting bills, but it would be vigorously opposed by the gambling industry.
Here was the text of the push notification ban:
“Mobile sports betting operators and mobile sports betting platform providers are prohibited from sending a message from a mobile sports betting application or website that appears on a user's device while the application or website is inactive unless the message is sent to notify the user of potentially fraudulent activity associated with the user's mobile sports betting account.”
It’s a good idea to prohibit these notifications. However, legalizing online sports betting is never a good idea because 30-45% of online sports bettors experience problems.