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A new qualitative study in Massachusetts has revealed that while young people have mixed feelings and opinions about sports betting, most view it as an acceptable activity. While they acknowledge that betting comes with possible risks, most view themselves and their friends as being relatively immune.
The study was funded by the Massachusetts Gaming Commission and conducted by NORC in partnership with Gemini Research at the University of Chicago, running from 2023 to 2026. The goal was to understand how young adults aged from 18 to 25 view sports betting and engage in the activity. 62 young adults participated in the study.
“Many young adults perceive sports betting positively as a low-risk, casual form of entertainment, equating it with making discretionary purchases like ‘buying a coffee’ or ‘going out to lunch’. However, young adults commonly paired these positive descriptions of sports betting with qualifiers such as ‘when done in moderation’ and within limits,” the researchers wrote in their findings.
Young adults’ betting habits
71% of the participants admitted to having engaged in sports betting. Notably, 34% of the participants were between 18 and 20, below the legal sports betting age of 21, while 66% of the participants were between 21 and 25.
The study found that the majority of those who engaged in sports betting said that they usually wagered less than $10. Moreover, they placed bets “casually and infrequently” but also reported betting more often during sporting events like the Super Bowl.
Notably, most of the participants reported that they largely preferred football and basketball to other sports. However, they also said that they bet on a wider variety of sports during major international events like the Olympics.
Interestingly, most of the participants said that they prefer simpler bet types like moneyline bets, which focus on which team or player wins. Notably, this is contrary to national betting trends, whereby parlays and prop bets are becoming increasingly popular.
An overwhelming majority of the participants reported placing their bets online and via mobile apps. Additionally, while they also reported being aware of other platforms like fantasy sports and prediction markets, they didn’t actively use them, preferring to stick with sportsbooks.
Notably, the study also found that sports betting is most common among men. However, participants noted that they have noticed more and more women engaging in betting since it became legal.
A socially acceptable activity with benefits and risks
Overall, most of the participants described sports betting as a social activity. They also noted that engaging in betting helped to increase their interest in the particular games and sports in general.
Participants also highlighted some of the benefits of sports betting. Most notably, they said that it helps generate state revenue via taxes. They also acknowledged that the regulated sports betting market affords bettors essential consumer protections that are mostly non-existent in unregulated markets.
Many participants also acknowledged the potential risks of sports betting, including financial loss and gambling addiction. Interestingly, however, most thought that they were above such risks.
NORC’s Katie Gallant explained this when presenting the study’s findings during a Gaming Commission meeting, saying, “There was a really important contradiction that repeatedly emerged throughout this study, and that was that participants recognized these risks in theory, but many of them viewed themselves and their immediate friends as relatively immune to these risks.”
Seamless access to sports betting
Technology has played a big role in making sports betting a socially acceptable activity by facilitating quick, constant access to the platforms. In her presentation, Gallant said that participants described sports betting as “frictionless and always available in the palms of their hands.”
Underage participants also reported using various methods to get past age restrictions when accessing sports betting sites. Their tactics include fake IDs, VPNs, account sharing, and offshore betting sites.
The researchers also noted the spread of sports betting ads, describing them as being “everywhere” and “hard to escape.” The participants confirmed as much, as they reported seeing sports betting ads on social media, mobile apps, television, podcasts, and public transportation. According to the researchers, this demonstrates the “pervasive nature of advertisements that contributes to the normalization of sports betting.”
Addressing the risks of sports betting
NORC’s Petry Ubri noted that most young adults are unaware of other prevention and support resources beyond helplines and disclaimers. Notably, many participants questioned these resources’ efficiency. Indeed, the researchers spoke to support professionals as part of the study and found that many had limited training and insufficient resources to help victims of problem gambling.
As such, Ubri recommended various measures to address the underlying risks of sports betting. Recommendations include increased public education targeting young adults to sensitize them about the personal risks of betting. Ubri also recommended studying the impact of sports betting ads and marketing campaigns on how young adults view the activity. Other recommendations include stronger app-based safeguards and stricter age verification requirements.
“Because legalization remains relatively recent in the state, continued evaluation will be essential to understanding how behaviors and impacts evolve over time,” Ubri said.
