Betting on the Future: Why Our Youth Are Losing the Odds in the Age of Sports-Gambling Apps
Every day, young people scroll through their phones — streaming games, following athletes, chatting with friends. And in the same swipe, they may encounter invitations to place a wager: on the next play, the next match, the next instant of action. We are seeing an explosion of gambling activity by people too young to legally place a bet — and we are watching the consequences unfold.
At DraftKings and FanDuel, among the biggest names in U.S. online sports betting, the rules officially say you must be 21 (in most states) to place a wager on a sportsbook product. Yet in the real world, teens and even younger – whose brains are still forming impulse-control systems – are placing bets, losing money, and becoming hooked. This isn’t hypothetical. It is real. And it is getting worse.
The Epidemic in Numbers
Research shows that children who begin “harmless betting” by age 12 are four times more likely to engage in problem gambling later.
Among high school students, surveys report that 60–80 % gambled for money in the past year.
In young adult men (ages 18-30), one poll found 10 % show behavior indicative of a gambling problem — compared with ~3 % in the general population.
Among online sports bettors, the rate of disordered gambling is higher — one review found up to 16 % met clinical criteria, and another 13 % showed signs of emerging problems.
These trends reflect both accessibility (via mobile apps) and targeted marketing. One survey of a high school sample found that 74 % of male students reported having placed a sports bet through an online platform despite being underage.
How Underaged Bettors are Slipping Through the Cracks
The rules on paper are fairly clear. For example: “You must be at least 21 years of age to open an account with DraftKings (in Kansas), and it is a criminal offense to allow any individual under the age of 21 to participate.” Another source: “You must be 18 + (or 21 + depending on state) to bet on sports via FanDuel.”
But enforcement is another matter:
Underage users often sign up using borrowed or fake IDs or use a parent’s or older sibling’s account. One reported example: “Sportsbook DraftKings let me make an account under 21 … now I’m addicted.”
There are documented cases of regulators probing underage wagering. For example, in Massachusetts, regulators found that five accounts had been suspended that quarter for underage wagering reported by DraftKings.
Marketing remains aggressive and pervasive. A Maryland audit found that DraftKings had sent sports-betting marketing materials to recipients under 21.
So the combination is: apps that are extremely accessible, marketing that reaches kids, and age-verifications that may be superficial or easily bypassed.
Why This is Especially Harmful for Young People
The adolescent brain is still maturing, especially the prefrontal cortex, which controls risk assessment, impulse inhibition, and future-consequence thinking. Thus, early exposure to gambling can create a far worse risk of long-term addiction.
The gambling product has evolved: mobile, real-time, “micro-bets” on every play — which shorten the time between bet and outcome, increasing addictive potential.
Financial injury: young people may borrow, steal, or use student-loan money to fund bets, and the consequences can ripple through families, futures, and careers.
Co-occurring issues: problem gambling often appears alongside anxiety, depression, substance misuse, and other mental-health complications.
What role do the major sportsbooks play?
While companies like DraftKings and FanDuel assert they follow age-verification and responsible-gambling protocols, several concerns stand out:
Marketing: Reports suggest that sports-betting operators have used social-media marketing that does not include responsible-gambling messaging or age-gate rigor.
Data-driven targeting: Some litigation claims that sportsbooks are leveraging user data to identify vulnerable users (including young users) and encourage more betting rather than inhibit it.
Enforcement gaps: Age-verification is often automated and may only verify at sign-up, but not robustly monitor ongoing activity (such as multiple accounts, shared devices, underage users using adult credentials). A posted legal-advice forum noted clients being under 21, becoming addicted, and asking if they can sue: “I made an account … now I’m addicted.”
In short, the product is designed for adult entertainment, but in practice, many youths are gaining access and suffering the consequences. And regulators, companies, and parents alike are not equipped for the speed and scale of the problem.
What This Means for Law Firms, Parents, and Communities
From the vantage of a civil-litigation and intellectual-property law firm like ours at Ed White Law, this issue raises several areas of concern and action:
Liability and consumer-protection risks: If a young underage person is allowed to wager and suffers financial harm (or worse), there may be a cause of action against the operator (or parent/adult who facilitated). The legal landscape is still evolving, but we are beginning to see enforcement and lawsuits.
Regulatory enforcement is inconsistent: States differ in legal age (18 vs. 21) and in their verification and audit practices. This patchwork means a young bettor may exploit weak states or cross-state online platforms.
Prevention and education: Parents, schools, and community groups must treat gambling like any other addiction risk (akin to substances) — especially given how prevalent it has become.
Early intervention matters: Because early exposure correlates with higher lifetime risk, catching betting behavior in adolescence can prevent lifelong problems.
Corporate accountability: Law firms representing harmed parties can engage in an investigation of how a platform let an underage person bet, whether age-verification failed, and whether marketing targeted minors. These are developing fields of litigation and public-policy concern.
A Call to Action
If you are a parent of a teenager or work with young people, here are steps worth taking:
Talk plainly about gambling: No topic is off-limits. Many parents underestimate how easy it is for teens to place bets.
Monitor devices and accounts: Look for betting apps, unexpected withdrawals, borrowing, or secrecy about money.
Encourage alternative activities: Sports, arts, games — the thrill of wagering can often be a substitute for sociability, excitement or belonging.
Advocate for stronger oversight: At the state- and federal-level, push for stricter age-verification, marketing restrictions, built-in “cool down” options, and transparent harm data from operators.
If someone is struggling: Recognize the signs—withdrawal from friends/activities, mood swings, dramatic losses, borrowing—and seek professional help.
In conclusion…
We are at a moment where a generation of young people is engaged in an adult-market phenomenon — one that was never designed for them, but is nonetheless reaching them. The combination of technology, aggressive marketing, permissive culture (“everyone’s putting a bet on the game”), and weak safeguards is creating a kind of public health crisis we cannot ignore.
When I reflect on my passion for justice, equity, and humanity, I see this as another front: protecting the vulnerable from exploitative systems, championing transparency and accountability, and ensuring that young people are not collateral damage in a rush for profits. The stakes are high — not just dollars, but futures, mental health, relationships, and well‐being.