Nearly Half Of US Teens Ages 13 To 17 Say They Gambled In Past Year

Nearly half of American teens ages 13 to 17 reported gambling in the past year, according to a new national survey from Rutgers University’s Center for Gambling Studies. The study, published Wednesday, asked nearly 1,700 Americans between the ages of 13 and 27 about their gambling habits and found that 52.5% of all respondents said they had gambled. Among those 17 and under—where gambling is illegal—the figure was nearly 43%, raising concerns about underage betting in the United States.

Lead researcher Lia Nower, director of the Rutgers center, said, "We are living in a time where anyone can have a casino or sports book in their pocket." Nower told NBC News that teens are now betting on sports and other activities, often with family members, which indicates a shift in how young people are exposed to gambling.

The survey found that nearly 40% of those who gambled showed signs of "problem gambling," and about 10% were considered high-risk for addiction according to psychiatrists' standards. Among teens who gambled, about 11% were classified as high-risk gamblers. Both boys and girls showed similar rates of gambling addiction.

Gambling was defined by the researchers to include a wide range of activities, such as scratch-off tickets, bingo, lottery tickets, street games, games of skill, cryptocurrency trading, and prediction markets—essentially, "anything where money is wagered." The most common activity among those surveyed was scratch-off tickets, followed by bingo and lottery tickets. About 20% of gamblers said they participated in sports betting, and a smaller share reported betting in prediction markets.

Experts like Lia Nower recommend teaching kids about gambling risks starting in middle school, tightening rules on gambling-style products, and increasing national support for prevention and treatment. She described the findings as a cause for alarm, stating, "Prevention must start earlier, screening must be broader, and public policy must recognize that the gambling environment has changed dramatically."