Nearly 43% of Americans aged 13 to 17 reported gambling during the previous year, according to a new Rutgers University national study, a finding that shows gambling participation among adolescents below the legal age for regulated gambling activities.
The survey also found that 52.5% of all respondents aged 13 to 27 had gambled in the past year. News-Medical described the research as the first national prevalence study of U.S. adolescents and young adults in nearly 20 years.
Rutgers’ Center for Gambling Studies surveyed a nationally representative, probability-based sample of 1,677 people between April 24 and July 4, using NORC’s AmeriSpeak panel. Its results were weighted to national population benchmarks, with a maximum margin of error of 3.2 percentage points overall and 6.1 points for the teenage group.
The research covered 21 traditional, gambling-like and emerging activities, including bingo, raffles, games of skill, sports betting, cryptocurrency trading, esports betting and prediction-market trading. It considered both online and in-person activity.
Across the full sample, 5.4% were classified as high-risk problem gamblers. Among people who had gambled, 39.5% showed some symptoms of problem gambling and 10.3% were classified as high risk. The high-risk share among teenage gamblers was 10.8%.
Rates were especially high among prediction-market bettors and social-casino players. About 40% of prediction-market bettors and 41% of social-casino players were classified as high-risk problem gamblers, nearly four times the rate associated with other gambling activities. Prediction markets let participants trade contracts tied to future events, while social-casino games simulate casino gambling and can initially be free to play.
Problem-gambling risk rose alongside earlier and more frequent betting, participation in more activities and use of more settings. Nearly 46% of gamblers used both online and in-person venues; among high-risk problem gamblers, 65.4% did so and 52.5% gambled at least weekly.
High-risk gamblers participated in an average of 6.7 activities, compared with 2.7 among gamblers without problems. High-risk rates among female and male gamblers were similar, at 10.7% and 9.9%, respectively.
The study also identified family exposure as a significant factor. Overall, 41.1% of respondents said a family or household member gambled, rising to 51.5% among adolescents. Those who gambled with a family member were more than four times as likely to be classified as high risk.
Among high-risk problem gamblers, 52.8% reported anxiety, 38.4% depression and 13.1% suicidal ideation. Compared with nongamblers, gamblers reported higher rates of alcohol use, binge drinking, drug use, excessive social-media use and excessive shopping.
Rutgers researchers recommended earlier prevention, broader screening and public policy that reflects changes in the gambling environment. The Center for Gambling Studies specifically called for prevention education to begin in middle school, arguing that gambling-related risks begin early.
