The sports gambling novice experience: an autoethnography of a woman bettor

Guided by scholarship on fandom, gendered leisure, and sports gambling, this study examines a woman’s novice experience with legalized sports betting in North America. Employing an analytic autoethnography, the study documents the lead author’s first-time engagement with sports betting during the 2024–2025 National Football League season and playoffs. Data were collected through structured, reflexive journaling across weekly wagers placed on two major online sportsbooks, and an iterative coding analysis led to five interrelated themes: (1) emotional volatility across wins, losses, and near-misses; (2) platform design as both an enabler and barrier to participation; (3) shifting social dynamics and inclusion within a male-dominated betting culture; (4) a learning trajectory from hesitant newcomer to confident participant; and (5) financial decision-making as an ongoing negotiation of risk, responsibility, and confidence. Findings demonstrate that while novice sports betting exposes women to emotional strain and escalating risk, it can also function as a mechanism for legitimacy and inclusion within contemporary sport fandom. The study extends gendered understandings of sports betting beyond male-centric narratives and offers empirical insight into how novice bettors navigate sports betting. Practically, the findings suggest that sportsbooks should implement novice-oriented onboarding programs that combine betting education with emotional regulation and financial risk-management tools to reduce harm while fostering sustainable engagement.