A new study released by NORC at the University of Chicago revealed young adults hold ambivalent attitudes towards sports betting, viewing it as a socially acceptable activity with potential risk.
While young adults, between the ages of 18 and 25, acknowledged the risks of sports betting, they commonly viewed themselves and their peers as exempt from the potential harms of wagering on sports. The three-year study, funded by the Massachusetts Gaming Commission in partnership with Gemini Research, was conducted between 2023 and 2026.
“The purposed of the study was to examine the relationship between sports betting and young adults in Massachusetts, because there really isn’t a lot known on the topic at the moment,” Jared Sawyer, a NORC researcher, told the commission on Thursday.
Massachusetts legalized sports betting when former Republican Governor Charlie Baker signed House Bill 5169 in August 2022. Retail betting at the three casinos in the state began on January 31, 2023, and mobile wagering launched on March 10, 2023.
Sawyer said the study included interviews with 12 sports betting researchers, policy makers and vendors, as well as 62 people ages 18 to 25 and with college counselors, athletic directors and mental health clinicians on the potential effect of sports betting on young adults and recommendations to limit the effect.
Other those young adults interviewed, 71% had previously bet on sports, with 66% wagering aged 21-25, 44% in the 18-20 age range, who are not legally old enough to gamble, and 58% were women.
NORC researcher Katie Gallant said most of the young adults surveyed described their sports betting as casual and infrequent, wagering less than $10 and using mobile betting apps. Most of those surveyed said they increased their potential wagers around major sporting events, including the NFL’s Super Bowl.
The study also found they preferred simpler bets such as moneyline wagers, which were perceived to be more simple, less risky and easier for them to understand than bets like parlays.
“The preference for moneyline bets is distinct from national trends where the popularity of prop bets and parlays are high,” Gallant said.
Gallant added that football and basketball were the most popular sports for young adults in Massachusetts to wager on, and they overwhelmingly use mobile sports books with DraftKings being the most common.
“Fantasy sports and prediction markets were mentioned but engagement was less common than traditional sports betting,” Gallant told the commission.
In terms of perception of sports betting, those interviewed acknowledged it as a risky form of entertainment, and understood the negative financial effects may lead to addiction. Gallant said there was a really important distinction that repeatedly emerged throughout the study.
“Participants recognized the risks in theory but many viewed themselves and their immediate friends are relatively immune from the risks,” Gallant said. “They often describe problem gambling that happens to other people and many of our participants compared sports betting with discretionary purchases like buying a cup of coffee, dining out or other forms of entertainment.”
Gallant said this view is because those surveyed viewed their potential losses as manageable and not particularly concerning. The study also found that sports betting has become more socially acceptable among you adults, with technology accelerating this acceptance.
The study also found that advertising had contributed to the normalization and engagement of sports betting among young adults in Massachusetts. Gallant said many said ads have become inseparable from the sports viewing experience, and promotions framed as “free money” were especially enticing for young adults with limited income.
The study found that many of those interviewed perceived sports betting advertisements as “intentionally misleading.” In terms of underage betting, Gallant explained that some use fake identification, offshore websites or wagering through shared accounts.
“Early exposure may contribute to underage engagement,” the study found.
NORC researchers recommended several strategies to reduce the potential harm from sports betting. They urged Massachusetts regulators to strengthen statewide education and public awareness on gambling harms, as well as address existing regulatory loopholes that enable underage betting and consider policy-based sports betting restrictions.
The study recommended regulators to strengthen regulations and restrictions on sports betting advertisements to reduce their prevalence and influence. Massachusetts bans operators from marketing to anyone under the legal age of 21.
Sports betting ads cannot feature college campuses, student publications, or influencers and endorsers who are popular with minors. Massachusetts gaming regulations also ban targeting people at moderate or high risk for gambling addiction, and all promotional and advertising materials must display a clear link to reference to the state’s problem gambling hotline.
Operators are banned from using false or misleading statements, and cannot encourage patrons to place specific wagers except when explaining promotional terms.
Researchers recommended gaming regulators adopt app-based safeguards that integrate more prominent opt-out warnings, disclaimers, limits, loss notifications and tracking tools within sports betting apps.
Other recommendations included expanding financial literacy and gambling education for young adults, including launching public service announcements modeled after anti-smoking campaigns, continue to invest in research, and increase availability, visibility, and integration of support services tailored for young adults.
