As Online Gambling Thrives, More Teens Are Placing Bets

Lots of concern has been raised that the pervasiveness of sports-betting apps is creating a new generation of gambling addicts in their 20s and 30s. An investigation at USA Today looks at an even younger age set: teenagers. Thousands of underage bettors have wagered millions on sites such as DraftKings, FanDuel, and BetMGM, according to the analysis, which is based in part on "suspected fraud reports" submitted by the companies to state regulators across the country. Arizona, for example, has logged nearly 300 underage fraud reports since 2021, though it has taken zero punitive actions against bettors or companies.

Researchers say the true scale is hard to pin down, especially as tech-savvy teens find ways around age checks. Sometimes, it's as easy as using a relative's account without their consent. Other times, it involves using a stolen identity to operate an account. One survey of boys 11 to 17 by the nonprofit child protection group Common Sense Media found that more than a third had gambled in the past year, often after seeing ads on social media or streaming sites. Advocates and some regulators are pushing for tighter ad rules, more education, and diversion programs instead of fines or charges, likening gambling promotions during games to the cigarette ads that disappeared from TV decades ago.

"I just think you should be able to watch sports without the constant barrage of gambling ads," says Isaac Rose-Berman, who is, in fact, a professional gambler at age 25. "Why don't we have cigarette ads on TV? Because so much of the audience is underage." Sportsbooks, meanwhile, insist they use bank-grade "Know Your Customer" tools and have a zero-tolerance policy for underage gambling. Read the full story, which includes first-person examples.