A recent study from Fairleigh Dickinson University (FDU) indicates that the increase in online gambling, such as sports betting, in recent years has intensified concerning trends in specific groups, particularly young men. 

The report from the New Jersey college revealed that men aged 18 to 30 who were surveyed reported gambling issues at over three times the national rate — 10% versus 3%. According to FDU, sports betting and online slots are the primary causes of those issues.

"Gambling is generally marketed as entertainment, and for most gamblers it’s just that,” said Dan Cassino, a professor of Government and Politics at Fairleigh Dickinson, and the executive director of the survey. “But there’s always some chance of gambling turning into problem behaviors, and online gambling is proving to be much more dangerous than other kinds.”

More than six years have passed since the Supreme Court's 2018 decision regarding the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA). During that period, 38 states along with Washington, DC, sanctioned various types of sports betting, whether online or in-person, and an additional six permitted online casinos. iGaming is projected to expand significantly in the coming years as additional states look for new revenue streams. 

Men Are More Vulnerable to Gambling Issues Than Women 

Though there are slight differences in the percentages of men and women who partake in purchasing lottery tickets and scratchers or visiting physical casinos, the gap widens significantly with online gambling. 

Despite data indicating an increase in female participation in sports betting, only 6% of women surveyed by FDU placed bets on sports in the past year, while the figure for men is 15%. Additional aspects emphasize the susceptibility of young men to concerning gambling behaviors. Only 10% of respondents from FDU indicated they engaged in sports betting in the last year, yet that percentage rose to 26% among men aged under 30. 

“Sports betting has been marketed heavily to the young men who are the biggest consumers of sports,” added Cassino. “When every league is partnered with a betting site, people who like sports are going to start gambling on it.”

Additionally, the FDU survey found that 24% of men reported experiencing at least one type of betting issue, with that figure rising to 45% for those under 30 and 38% for men aged 31 to 44. 

FDU Reports Issues Arising from Online Betting 

The FDU research is not the initial one to emphasize alarming betting trends in young males. A 2023 NCAA-commissioned study revealed that 17% of college students, primarily men, reported losing at least $100 in a single day from sports betting, while an additional 6% indicated losses ranging from $500 to $1,000 in one day. 

FDU states that there are connections between issues related to betting and the increase of online access, pointing out that internet bettors are significantly more prone to developing negative habits compared to those who only engage in lottery play. 

“For instance, only about 1/3rd (34 percent) of voters who say that they play the lottery report any problem gambling behaviors, a figure that rises to about 40 percent of those who play scratch-offs,” concluded the university. “But online gambling is much more linked to problem behaviors: 68 percent of voters who say that they bet on sports online report at least one problem gambling behavior, and a majority (53 percent) have two or more. Eighty-one percent of voters who play online slots have at least one problem behavior, with 2/3rds having two or more; these figures are much higher than for similar games played in person.”