As legal sports betting has expanded across the United States, experts warn that gambling addiction is becoming a significant concern, particularly among college students. With 24/7 access to betting platforms like DraftKings and FanDuel, young adults are increasingly engaging in sports wagering, often without recognizing the risks. According to The Chronicle of Higher Education, many students, particularly young men, now spend hours each day placing bets or watching gambling-related content. Some, like medical student Chase, have already lost thousands of dollars, sometimes using financial aid or money borrowed from family members to continue betting. Despite growing concerns, many college counseling centers remain ill-equipped to address gambling addiction, and students struggling with problem gambling often do not seek help due to shame or a lack of awareness about the risks.
Lia Nower, director of Rutgers’ Center for Gambling Studies, highlights how deeply embedded sports betting has become in modern sports culture. Since the 2018 Supreme Court ruling that legalized sports betting in many states, advertisements for gambling platforms have surged, appearing in sports broadcasts and even on college campuses. A 2023 NCAA survey found that nearly 60 percent of 18- to 22-year-olds had participated in sports betting, with some experiencing financial distress, academic struggles, and even mental health crises as a result. While some colleges have begun incorporating gambling-related screening questions into health surveys and counseling intake forms, experts like Nower emphasize that many higher education institutions still underestimate the scale of the issue. To address this growing crisis, gambling researchers and public health advocates argue that stronger regulations, increased education, and more specialized support services are needed to protect young people from the potential harms of gambling addiction.
Read the full article: The ‘Perfect Storm’ of Sports Betting – Gambling is easier than ever, and students are part of the human toll.