Sports betting apps allow sports bettors to make online bets on sports games. They can download the app to their mobile devices. This offers the convenience of being able to bet from anywhere at any time. Sports betting can be a very entertaining activity, and the US sports betting market is projected to reach $40 billion by 2030.
Americans love to watch major league sports and place bets on teams and players. For sports betting apps and leagues like the NFL, creating excitement among users helps to ensure their success. However, the fact that a new generation has access to so many sports betting apps is causing major concerns among critics.
Legal sports betting apps
Using a regulated sports betting app is very important. These apps must abide by the rules and regulations set by a gaming regulator. The rules and regulations help protect consumers and make sure they are safe and secure online. Legal sports betting apps have policies in place to ensure minors don’t use their products.
Of course, minors can still go to social sports wagering sites and place bets with virtual money. They can always find ways to translate it into real money. Some of them may even sign up for legal sites using their parents’ information.
Keith Whyte is concerned about the mass exposure of young people to betting apps. He is the executive director of the National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG). Many underage gamblers have black market or gray market sports betting apps on their mobile devices.
Sports betting in high school
Redwood High School in Larkspur, California, conducted a survey in 2024. It found that 74% of students had placed a sports bet on an online platform. Being underage didn’t deter them. During the pandemic, more high school students began using sports betting apps. Young male athletes in particular started using them at a higher rate than before.
Sports betting as part of family life
Sports betting is becoming a family activity. Parents will place bets together with their underage kids. This tacitly sanctions it as a harmless activity. Kids may not fully realize all the consequences of gambling getting out of hand. There’s not much sportsbooks can do to prevent underage kids from learning how to use apps from watching their parents.
Sports and gambling become intertwined
Many high school and college athletes engage in sports. It’s easy to go from this to wanting to place sports bets. Some sports betting apps will avoid any direct marketing on college campuses where many students are underage. They will direct sports bettors who can’t stick to their budgets to contact the NCPG. As gambling becomes more intertwined with sports, risks to public health can grow.
Tactics of online sportsbooks
Online sportsbooks may use targeted advertising and enticing programs. They say they aren’t trying to lure underage gamblers but are just tailoring their advertising to meet demand. They believe critics of sports betting advertising often don’t have the right context.
However, not all young people have the capacity that adults have to control their gambling. If they become addicted and keep losing money, they can suffer serious consequences. This is one of the reasons why mental health awareness in young people is so important.
Lia Nower, director of the Center for Gambling Studies at Rutgers University, believes that advertising betting apps during games exploits a vulnerable younger generation. It already grapples with depression, high anxiety rates, and financial insecurity. Problem gambling can exacerbate all of this.
Will federal regulation of sports betting apps help?
Richard Blumenthal, co-sponsor of the SAFE Bet Act, hopes to introduce regulation of sports betting apps on a federal level. The legislation has several provisions to help protect young people. One of these is to prohibit sports betting ads between the hours of 8 am and 10 pm. Another is to stop betting ads from appearing during live sporting events.
