Between passion and algorithm: sports betting, algorithmic personalization and the Brazilian fan in the era of next-generation sports fandom

Purpose This article investigates how the integrated experience on sports betting platforms and real-time data applications reconfigures the Brazilian fan’s perception of algorithmic personalization, emotional engagement, perception of obsession and loyalty intention, repositioning betting as an experience infrastructure within the context of next-generation sports fandom. Design/methodology/approach An exploratory sequential mixed-methods approach was adopted. In the qualitative phase, 18 semi-structured online interviews were conducted with Brazilian fan-bettors, exploring meanings, rituals and moral tensions associated with the use of betting platforms and real-time data. In the quantitative phase, an online survey was conducted with 352 respondents, analysed using structural equation modelling with partial least squares estimation, to test the relationships between perceived personalization, emotional engagement, perception of obsession, loyalty, frequency of use and perceived control. Findings The results indicate that perceived personalization has a significant positive effect on emotional engagement, which in turn strongly impacts loyalty intention, with partial mediation of engagement. The perception of obsession is positively associated with both engagement and loyalty, albeit with smaller magnitudes, while frequency of use moderates the emotion–loyalty relationship and perceived control amplifies the effect of personalization on engagement. Originality/value The study integrates literature on algorithmic personalization, sports fandom theory, bettor psychology and digital services retail, engaging with recent debates on algorithmic fandom and generative artificial intelligence in sports marketing. It represents the first Brazilian empirical study to jointly model perceived personalization, emotional engagement, obsession, loyalty, frequency and control within sports betting platforms.