Oct 29, 2026 09:53 PM
https://www.rutgers.edu/news/rutgers-res...s-young-13
INTRO: More than half (52.5%) of Americans ages 13 to 27 reported gambling in the past year, including 42.7% of teens ages 13 to 17, according to researchers at the Center for Gambling Studies at the Rutgers School of Social Work.
“We are living in a time where anyone can have a casino or sports book in their pocket,” said Lia Nower, director of the center, who led the study. “Now teens who should be playing sports are betting on them, often with family members.”
In the first national prevalence study of U.S. adolescents and young adults in nearly 20 years, researchers examined 21 gambling activities, ranging from bingo, raffles and games of skill to sports betting, cryptocurrency trading, esports betting and trading on prediction markets. The findings encompass online and in-person activities.
The researchers surveyed 1,677 young Americans and found 5.4% of all respondents were high-risk problem gamblers, a classification that corresponds to gambling addiction in clinical settings.
Among those who gambled in the past year, 39.5% showed some symptoms of problem gambling and 10.3% were high-risk problem gamblers. Among teenage gamblers ages 13 to 17, about 11% were classified as high risk for problems, despite being below the legal age for regulated gambling activities.
“These findings should be a wake-up call for parents, educators, health professionals and policymakers,” Nower said. “Gambling is no longer confined to casinos and lottery tickets. It is increasingly embedded in video games, sports broadcasts and other products young people can access. We have worried this would increase rates of problem gambling among youth. Now we know. It does.”
Researchers identified that risk starts early and isn’t limited to boys. Nearly 43% of teens ages 13 to 17 reported gambling in the past year, often through activities such as bingo, raffles and games of skill. Among gamblers, high-risk problem gambling rates were similar for females (10.7%) and males (9.9%).
Other key findings include:
INTRO: More than half (52.5%) of Americans ages 13 to 27 reported gambling in the past year, including 42.7% of teens ages 13 to 17, according to researchers at the Center for Gambling Studies at the Rutgers School of Social Work.
“We are living in a time where anyone can have a casino or sports book in their pocket,” said Lia Nower, director of the center, who led the study. “Now teens who should be playing sports are betting on them, often with family members.”
In the first national prevalence study of U.S. adolescents and young adults in nearly 20 years, researchers examined 21 gambling activities, ranging from bingo, raffles and games of skill to sports betting, cryptocurrency trading, esports betting and trading on prediction markets. The findings encompass online and in-person activities.
The researchers surveyed 1,677 young Americans and found 5.4% of all respondents were high-risk problem gamblers, a classification that corresponds to gambling addiction in clinical settings.
Among those who gambled in the past year, 39.5% showed some symptoms of problem gambling and 10.3% were high-risk problem gamblers. Among teenage gamblers ages 13 to 17, about 11% were classified as high risk for problems, despite being below the legal age for regulated gambling activities.
“These findings should be a wake-up call for parents, educators, health professionals and policymakers,” Nower said. “Gambling is no longer confined to casinos and lottery tickets. It is increasingly embedded in video games, sports broadcasts and other products young people can access. We have worried this would increase rates of problem gambling among youth. Now we know. It does.”
Researchers identified that risk starts early and isn’t limited to boys. Nearly 43% of teens ages 13 to 17 reported gambling in the past year, often through activities such as bingo, raffles and games of skill. Among gamblers, high-risk problem gambling rates were similar for females (10.7%) and males (9.9%).
Other key findings include:
- Racial and ethnic differences were pronounced. Black respondents reported the highest participation in gambling in the past year (63.9%). Among those who gambled, 17.7% of Black respondents and 12.8% of Hispanic respondents were classified as high-risk problem gamblers, compared with 6.4% of white respondents.
- Lower household income was associated with the highest rates of gambling problems. Nearly 30% of those who gambled from households earning less than $10,000 annually were classified at high risk for problems as were 22.8% of those from households earning $10,000 to under $20,000.
- Among adolescents ages 13 to 17 classified as high risk for problem gambling, 75.5% had a family member who gambled, 66.3% believed a family member had a gambling problem, and 61.2% had gambled with a family member.