FDU Study Says Young Men Vulnerable to Online Betting Problems
A recent investigation by Fairleigh Dickinson University (FDU) indicates that the rise of online gambling, particularly sports betting, in recent years has intensified concerning trends in specific demographics, especially among young men.
The New Jersey college report showed that men aged 18 to 30 surveyed reported gambling issues at over three times the national average — 10% versus 3%. According to FDU, the primary contributors to those issues are sports betting and online slot machines.
"Gambling is generally marketed as entertainment, and for most gamblers it’s just that,” said Dan Cassino, a professor of Government and Politics at Fairleigh Dickinson, and the executive director of the survey. “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.”
Over six years have passed since the Supreme Court's 2018 decision regarding the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA). During that period, 38 states and Washington, DC, sanctioned various types of sports gambling, whether online or in-person, while an additional six permitted online casinos. iGaming is projected to expand significantly in the coming years as additional states look for new revenue streams.
Men Are More Prone to Betting Issues Than Women
Although there are slight differences between the percentages of men and women who engage in purchasing lottery tickets and scratchers and attending land-based casinos, the gap widens significantly regarding online betting.
While data indicates an increase in women participating in sports betting, only 6% of women surveyed by FDU placed bets on sports in the last year, in contrast to 15% of men. Additional aspects emphasize the susceptibility of young men to concerning betting behaviors. Only 10% of respondents surveyed by FDU reported having wagered on sports in the previous year, yet that number increased to 26% among men under 30.
“Sports betting has been marketed heavily to the young men who are the biggest consumers of sports,” added Cassino. “When every league is partnered with a betting site, people who like sports are going to start gambling on it.”
Furthermore, the FDU survey revealed that 24% of men reported having at least one type of gambling issue, but this figure increased to 45% for males under 30 and 38% for men aged 31 to 44.
FDU Reports Issues Arising from Online Betting
The FDU research is not the initial one to point out worrying betting trends among young males. A study commissioned by the NCAA in 2023 revealed that 17% of college students, primarily men, reported losing at least $100 in a single day from sports betting, while an additional 6% indicated losses ranging from $500 to $1,000 in one day.
FDU states that there are connections between issue gambling and the increase of online availability, highlighting that individuals who bet online are significantly more prone to develop unhealthy behaviors compared to those who only participate in the lottery.
“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,” concluded the university. “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.”
