SHARON HARRIS College and underage Sports Betting


While overall U.S. sports betting revenues increase, college sports betting’s path has been a bumpy road. Because Americans are so passionate about sports, it was almost inevitable that minors would find ways to gamble. Sharon Harris delves deeper.


M


ost legal sports betting states mandate a minimum age of 21, but 13 states permit wagering at 18 or 19. “Mature-looking”


minors have always used phony IDs to smoke or drink, but now law enforcement must also battle fake credentials to prevent underage gambling. Five years of innovative, mainstreamed legal


sports betting has attracted more nongamblers. Despite improved underage safeguards, savvy kids have circumvented them. Gaming experts, politicians, parents and therapists acknowledge many young people are already struggling with compulsive gambling problems.


The National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG), founded in 1972, claims problem gambling increased by almost one-third from 2018 to 2021. Who are these at-risk players? Mostly men, ages18 to 24. From December, 2020 through late April,


2021, 3,512 in-state New Jersey residents over 18 were surveyed about 15 different wagering activities. The list included sports betting, machines, live table games, high-risk stocks and cryptocurrency trading. That research also revealed that children who bet by age 12 are four times more likely to develop a future gambling problem. Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin and the


New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement (NJDGE) recently released the results of this second study on problem gambling within the past five years of legal sports betting. While high-risk problem gambling decreased


slightly, New Jersey’s problem gambling rate still surpasses the national average. However, sports betting participation increased from 15 percent to 19 percent. Because the research included minors from


18 to 21, all statistics theoretically covered college-aged students. While concentrating on New Jersey, it reflects how college students have normalized sports betting and gambling as an activity on campuses nationwide. The study determined online gambling


totaled one-third of those players, but that number has quadrupled since 2017. Nineteen percent were at “high risk for problem gambling” and more than 25 percent of college-aged students had already gambled on a mobile app or website. The NCPG stated that 60 to 80 percent of high schoolers had also gambled in 2022.


34 DECEMBER 2023


Among that population,14 to 19 percent either have a problem or show “signs of losing control” since male adolescents are so attracted to sports. These devastating figures come as no


surprise to some industry members. Once online gaming was legalized a decade ago, it came under scrutiny. Manufacturers and software designers pledged accountability and have continually committed to offering new technology that complies with responsible gambling mandates. Beyond relying on photo IDs alone, these


companies want to duplicate financial institutions’ security mechanisms. Confirmation components could include two-factor authentication, geographic verification, registering Social Security numbers and matching players with official government-issued identification photos. The late Sheldon Adelson of Las Vegas Sands


was among the most vocal opponents of expansion into online gaming. He praised their intentions, but was skeptical of their successes. Adelson predicted kids will always find a way around regulations and reasoned that nothing can ever fully prevent underage online wagering. In reality, young people are often too immature to recognize a problem and seek help. For example, New York State, including metro New York City, is experiencing an alarming uptick in underage compulsive gambling since launching its mobile sports betting program in January 2022. The region is home to dozens of colleges and universities. Some students struggling to pay tuition


believe potential wins can pay their college bills, but frequently compound their original debt when losing. They are misguided into thinking that “just one more bet” will win. What can be done? NJDGE Director David


Rebuck recommends self-exclusion, allocating additional resources and encouraging


gamblers to set realistic limits. Eight states currently have betting licenses with colleges, but the American Gaming Association (AGA) has serious concerns about underage college players accessing sites. The AGA and its members enacted policy changes and enhanced protections last July 1. AGA President and CEO Bill Miller called them “the most significant to the Code since its inception” to restrict underage players from all gaming platforms. • Prohibiting college partnerships that promote, market or advertise sports wagering activity, excluding alumni networks or content focused on responsible gaming initiatives or problem gambling awareness.


• Prohibiting sportsbook “name, image, and likeness” (NIL) deals for amateur and college athletes.


• Adding age restrictions. Anyone appearing in sports betting advertising must be 21 or older.


• Changing all references from the “legal age of wagering” to 21-plus.


• Banning “risk free” terminology in advertising.


• Formalizing an annual review and updating process of the Code. “The AGA and our members are committed


to building a sustainable marketplace that protects vulnerable populations and gives consumers the knowledge and tools to keep sports betting fun for adults,” said Miller. Smart industry members understand the


importance of confronting these ongoing issues. Each year, a new group of minors may develop a bad gambling habit as they age. First and foremost is minimizing the


emotional and financial damage of uncontrolled, underage gambling. Second is the nightmare public relations perception that gaming prioritizes “cashing in” for further profits. Left unaddressed, these scenarios will only devastate the gaming industry in the end.


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