Rutgers Study Shows 43% of Adolescents Gambled Last Year With Elevated Problem Gambling Rates
Rutgers surveyed 1,677 youth and found 43% of ages 13-17 gambled last year, with 10.3% at high risk. Over 52.5% participated in some form and nearly 40% of gamblers showed problems. Household exposure raised high-risk odds more than five times while low income correlated with highest rates.
SCCG Take — The evidence demands targeted youth safeguards from regulators and operators focused on household and socioeconomic drivers before accessibility widens documented harms.
Researchers at Rutgers University's Center for Gambling Studies estimate that 43% of U.S. children aged 13 to 17 gambled in the past year. The first national benchmark study in two decades surveyed 1,677 adolescents and young adults aged 13 to 27 on participation in sports betting, casino gambling, lottery games, cryptocurrency trading, social casino games and prediction markets.
52.5% of the sample reported some form of participation in the past year. Among those who risked money, almost 40% expressed some level of problem gambling and 10.3% met criteria for high-risk problem gambling. Lia Nower, director of the center, led the study.
Wake-Up Call on Youth Exposure
The study linked gambling exposure in the household to higher rates of play. Individuals who perceived a household gambling problem were more than five times as likely to be high-risk problem gamblers. Nower said the findings should serve as a wake-up call for parents on the dangers of introducing children to gambling. Educators, health professionals and policymakers must also recognize how early youth exposure accelerates participation.
"Gambling is no longer confined to casinos and lottery tickets. It is increasingly embedded in video games, sports broadcasts, and other products young people can access. We have worried this would increase rates of problem gambling among youth. Now we know it does," Nower said. The research confirmed a cumulative effect: earlier and more frequent betting raises the risk of developing gambling problems.
Where the Risk Lies
Lower household income tracked with the highest rates of gambling problems. Nearly 30% of those who gambled from households earning less than $10,000 annually were classified as high risk, as were 22.8% from households earning $10,000 to under $20,000. As reported by Casino.org, these results arrive as gambling options proliferate in everyday digital environments.
The patterns identify concrete vulnerabilities tied to family history and economic status. Regulators and operators now hold clearer data on where prevention resources must concentrate to address the documented rise in youth problem gambling.
Gaming, betting and prediction markets — the desk’s read, every weekday.
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