Rutgers study highlights alarming rise in youth gambling rates
A Rutgers study finds over half of young Americans aged 13-27 gambled in the past year, with high rates of problem gambling among teens.Summary
A national study by the Center for Gambling Studies at Rutgers School of Social Work found that 52.5% of Americans aged 13 to 27 gambled in the past year, including 42.7% of teens aged 13 to 17. Among all respondents, 5.4% were high-risk problem gamblers. The study, the first of its kind in nearly 20 years, examined 21 gambling activities including sports betting, cryptocurrency trading, and prediction markets. High-risk problem gambling was similar among females (10.7%) and males (9.9%). Black respondents had the highest gambling participation (63.9%) and high-risk rates (17.7% of gamblers). Lower household income was associated with higher problem gambling rates. Family gambling was strongly linked: 41.1% reported a family member gambled, and those who gambled with family were over four times as likely to be high-risk. Newer activities like prediction markets and social casino games had high-risk rates around 40%. Problem gambling was associated with higher substance use and mental health issues. The researchers recommend early prevention education, stronger oversight of emerging products, a federal regulatory agency, and funding for prevention and treatment.
(Source：News-Medical.net)