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Young adults in the US are betting on sports in large numbers, including those who aren’t old enough to place a legal wager in most jurisdictions.
That’s according to an NCAA-commissioned survey conducted in April, which found that 58 percent of 18- to 22-year-olds have engaged in sports betting activities despite many being too young to gamble legally. About 15 percent of those surveyed are betting on sports at least once a month.
While the legal betting age in most jurisdictions in the US is 21, it’s important to note that not all types of betting included in the survey are illegal across all states or jurisdictions.
Of those surveyed, 27.5 percent have bet on sports by mobile app or website. But “sports betting activities” as defined by the survey also include fantasy sports leagues and horse race betting, which is legal for individuals under the age of 21 in some states. Of those surveyed, 24.5 percent say they played DFS on an app or website for money in the previous six months, with 18.3 percent having participated in a season-long fantasy sports league. Those who said they had placed a bet at a racetrack totaled 12.5 percent.
Other sports betting activities in which bettors ages 18-22 say they have engaged include season-long DFS, betting on sports with a bookie, betting on sports at a retail sportsbook, and betting at a racetrack.
Only 12.2 percent of those surveyed said they had bet on a sports event or league using an illegal sportsbook outside the US.
The typical amount wagered per bet by many 18- to 22-year-olds (29.9 percent) is between $10 and $20, per the survey, with 27.5 percent of respondents wagering between a dollar and $10, and 39.5 percent of respondents wagering over $20. Only 4.5% risk more than $100 at a time.
Advertising’s Impact on College Students’ Sports Betting Habits
Sports betting advertisements apparently play a role in betting by young adults.
“Advertisements have a major influence on betting activity,” according to the survey. “63% of on-campus students recall seeing betting ads. This is a higher rate than that found in the general population or those that commute/virtually attend college, and 58% of those students indicate they are more likely to bet after seeing the ads.”
According to the survey, ”67% of individuals that live on a college campus while pursuing a degree are bettors, and they also tend to bet at a higher frequency. However, those on campus tend to wager smaller amounts and suffer smaller losses than their peers.”
That said, young people pursuing associate’s and master’s degrees are betting at an 8-10 percent higher rate than other bettors – including students pursuing a four-year bachelor’s degree, the survey reports.
Betting on the Home Team
When they do bet, college students are not necessarily betting on their own school’s team. Of those students who do bet on sports, 58.8 percent surveyed said they have never placed a bet on a collegiate sports team that represents their institution. Conversely, 41 percent say they have bet on their school’s teams.
Most (65.3 percent) also said they have never placed a sports bet with a local bookmaker who is a fellow student at their institution, but 34.7 percent say they have used a student bookie.
Of all 18- to 22-year-olds surveyed who are betting on sports, 61.1 percent said their betting activities over the past six months have included the Super Bowl, followed by the NCAA Basketball Tournament (29.5 percent), FIFA World Cup (28.4 percent), and College Football National Championship (22.9).
NCAA Tracking Sports Betting Impact on Young Bettors
The NCAA commissioned the April survey from market research firm Opinion Diagnostics to establish what NCAA President Charlie Baker calls a “baseline” of sports betting among young people.
In a press release on Wednesday, Baker said having a baseline will help the NCAA understand the “potentially disruptive dynamics of legal sports betting” on student-athletes and their peers. The association will conduct a quadrennial national survey of student-athlete attitudes on sports betting later this fall.
“Sports betting has increased interest in sports of all kinds, including college sports, which is great for our fans, but the NCAA and everyone from coaches to athletics department staff and college presidents must better understand what impact sports betting may have on student-athletes,”said Baker.
Problem gambling is a concern, with the NCAA stating in its press release that 16 percent of 18- to 22-year-olds have engaged “in at least one risky behavior and six percent reporting that they have previously lost more than $500 on sports betting in a single day.”
According to the release, the NCAA “continues to work with industry leaders, mental health experts, law enforcement and regulators, actively monitoring, researching and analyzing this landscape to devise effective ways to protect student-athlete well-being and minimize gambling harm.”
