By Salma El-Sakka
More than 40% of American teenagers ages 13 to 17 reported gambling in the past year, according to a national survey published Wednesday by Rutgers University’s Center for Gambling Studies.
Survey findings
The study surveyed nearly 1,700 Americans aged 13 to 27 and found that 52.5% of all respondents had gambled. Among those 17 and younger — for whom gambling is illegal — nearly 43% said they had gambled. Of the teens who gambled, about 11% were classified as high risk for gambling problems.
Expert warning
“We are living in a time where anyone can have a casino or sports book in their pocket,” said Lia Nower, director of the Rutgers center and lead author of the report. “Now teens who should be playing sports are betting on them, often with family members.” Nower described the findings as a cause for alarm and called for earlier prevention, broader screening, and policy changes.
Gambling landscape changes
The report defined gambling broadly, including 21 activities such as scratch-off tickets, bingo, lottery, sports betting, cryptocurrency trading, and prediction markets. Scratch-off tickets were the most common activity, followed by bingo and lottery tickets. About 20% of respondents who gambled participated in sports betting. The expansion of legal sports gambling in 39 states and Washington, D.C., since a 2018 Supreme Court ruling has increased access, especially through mobile apps.
