By JESSY SIEGMANN
Mobile sports betting apps were legalized in New York State in early 2022. With 530,000 high school-aged male students already visiting other types of gambling sites each month, this new access is poised to increase underage gambling.
A Syosset high schooler who wishes to remain anonymous started using online sports betting sites as soon as they became legal and signed up for an account on DraftKings by using his parents’ information to log in, although he uses his own money. He said, “I enter my 50 bucks once, then I just keep using that money when I win.” He claims to use online betting sites for enjoyment and the excitement it brings, not for the money.
Underage gamblers see ads on many televised sports games that encourage them to start betting. Sites like DraftKings and Fanduel are used by several demographics, including underage sources.
Mobile sports apps are heavily advertised during sporting events.
DraftKings claims to host responsible gambling with a system of identification that attempts to enforce users to set realistic budgets. An anonymous DraftKings employee said, “We all have training on responsible gaming. It’s something that is really enforced within their company because it is a very big aspect of the gambling business.”
When asked about DraftKings’ policy on suspicious behavior, the employee said, “I know they will communicate legally through messaging on platforms to make sure they address what is going on with the legal team.”
The employee added, “I know there are people who are designated for this role, but it is a huge thing for us and we take proactive steps to prevent underage gambling.”
Rutgers University professor and director of its Addiction Counselor Training Certificate Program Lia Nower commented on adolescent gambling addiction. She said, “Gambling is where alcohol was in the 1950s. Most adults do not think gambling can be a problem so they give kids lottery tickets. They introduce children to gambling at a young age, not realizing it’s just as addictive as drugs and alcohol.”
The rate of adolescents addicted to gambling is roughly double that of adults. “The prevalence rate of adults is around 3-5% so for youth it is 6-10%,” Nower said.
She added, “The starting point for all of this has got to be schools. I think that people need to be taught about gambling.”
Jericho High School social worker Mr. Velez thinks students are unaware of how addictive and dangerous gambling can be. He said, “The younger you start the more progressive it can get, and the easier it is to get addicted.”
Teenagers make up half of the 16 million people in the United States with gambling addictions. With this ease of access at their fingertips, online sports betting could very well become a major issue for adolescents.