An examination of online gambling through users’ perceptions: A qualitative analysis of YouTube comments on the “BET” documentary

This research explores perceptions of online gambling expressed in comments on the “BET” documentary on YouTube. It examines how these perceptions relate to social decay, identifies potential risks, and proposes solutions. This qualitative study analyses user comments posted on YouTube following the release of the “BET” documentary. A total of 4,120 comments were collected using MAXQDA, of which 2,873 were included in the analysis. An inductive coding process was used to identify themes emerging from the comments, and intercoder agreement was calculated at 81.5%. The findings indicate that commenters associate online gambling with social decay through interconnected themes of erosion of trust, the gambling cycle, institutional and normative gaps, digital cultural hybridisation, identity fragmentation and digital self, and situational and instrumental morality. The findings also reflect concerns regarding financial losses, loss of social status, changes in social norms, and potential risks to younger generations. The study recommends strengthening preventive and regulatory measures, including digital financial monitoring, safeguards and transaction limits for high-risk gambling-related activities, digital media literacy, and the incorporating future risks associated with online gambling into the strategic documents of public institutions and organisations.