A new study by Fairleigh Dickinson University (FDU) reveals that the expansion of online wagering, particularly sports betting, over recent years has intensified concerning trends among certain demographics, especially young men. The report from the New Jersey college highlighted that men in the 18 to 30 age range reported gambling problems at a rate more than triple the national average — 10% compared to 3%. The primary culprits contributing to these issues are sports wagering and internet slots, according to FDU.
Dan Cassino, a professor of Government and Politics at Fairleigh Dickinson and the executive director of the survey, remarked, “Gambling is generally marketed as entertainment, and for most gamblers, it’s just that. But there’s always some chance of gambling turning into problem behaviors, and online gambling is proving to be much more dangerous than other kinds.”
Since the 2018 Supreme Court ruling on the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA), 38 states and Washington, DC have legalized some form of sports betting, either online or in retail locations, and another six states have allowed internet casinos. The iGaming industry is expected to grow substantially in the coming years as more states look for new revenue streams.
The study underscored that men are more susceptible to betting issues than women. While there are slight differences in the percentages of men and women participating in activities like buying lottery tickets or visiting land-based casinos, the gap widens significantly with online wagering. Though more women are beginning to engage in sports betting, only 6% of females polled by FDU had bet on sports in the past year compared to 15% of men. The vulnerability of young men becomes even more evident as 26% of males under 30 reported betting on sports in the past year.
Cassino noted, “Sports betting has been marketed heavily to the young men who are the biggest consumers of sports. When every league is partnered with a betting site, people who like sports are going to start gambling on it.” The survey found that 24% of men acknowledged having at least one form of a betting problem, with that percentage jumping to 45% for men under 30 and 38% among men aged 31 to 44.
The FDU study also referenced 2023 data from an NCAA-commissioned survey, which showed that 17% of college students, predominantly men, reported losing at least $100 in a day betting on sports, and another 6% reported losses ranging from $500 to $1,000 in a single day. The university pointed out links between problematic betting and the proliferation of online access, emphasizing that bettors who wager online are far more likely to develop unhealthy habits compared to those who play the lottery.
FDU concluded, “For instance, only about 1/3rd (34 percent) of voters who say that they play the lottery report any problem gambling behaviors, a figure that rises to about 40 percent of those who play scratch-offs. But online gambling is much more linked to problem behaviors: 68 percent of voters who say that they bet on sports online report at least one problem gambling behavior, and a majority (53 percent) have two or more. Eighty-one percent of voters who play online slots have at least one problem behavior, with 2/3rds having two or more; these figures are much higher than for similar games played in person.”
