Senators urge CDC to study rise in youth online sports betting
A bipartisan group of senators has urged the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to study what they described as a “rapid rise” in underage online sports betting.
Senators Katie Britt and Dick Durbin led the appeal in a letter to acting Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Jim O’Neill, calling for a federal review of how teenagers and young adults are engaging with online sports wagering platforms and the effects this has had on them.
According to reporting by the Washington Examiner, the senators focused on the rapid expansion of online sports betting following a 2018 US Supreme Court ruling that allowed states to legalize wagering, and on how mobile and digital betting platforms had expanded access for younger users, despite age restrictions ranging from 18 to 21.
Citing limited research, the lawmakers said a 2023 National Collegiate Athletic Association study found that 58% of college students had wagered on at least one sporting event. Other studies showed 23% of students in grades seven to 12 had placed sports bets in the past year, while those who began gambling before 18 faced a higher risk of developing gambling problems later.
The senators asked the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to add questions on sports gambling to its biennial youth risk behavior survey to track online betting participation and related harms.
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention did not comment before publication.
Additionally, Senator Richard Blumenthal has also raised concerns about the rapid expansion of sports betting, and is calling for the federal government to take a bigger role in regulating the industry to reduce risks of corruption and addiction.
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The Backstory
Why senators are pressing now
Calls for a federal look at youth sports wagering have been building since the Supreme Court’s 2018 decision opened the door to state-by-state legalization. Mobile apps made betting ubiquitous. Research has not kept pace. Lawmakers now want the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to quantify how far underage and young adult betting has spread and what harm it causes. Their push follows early but uneven signals. A 2023 National Collegiate Athletic Association survey reported widespread student betting, and youth behavior polls suggest teens are encountering gambling earlier and more often. Adding sports gambling to the CDC’s youth risk survey would standardize tracking and force a common baseline for policy.
Independent findings hint at scale. The NCAA’s own release of its 2023 data said college-age bettors are common and often driven by social and mobile influences, which align with digital wagering’s rapid rise. See the NCAA’s 2023 survey summary for top-line trends. At the secondary level, organizations tracking teen behavior have flagged sports betting as an emerging risk factor; the Youth Development Survey shows exposure and participation appear to be growing as gambling content permeates social feeds and sports broadcasts. The lack of federal measurement leaves lawmakers leaning on patchwork studies. The senators’ request seeks to bring the issue into a consistent national frame.
Advertising pressure and youth exposure
Advertising volume has been a flashpoint in both the United States and Canada. North of the border, a bloc of lawmakers wants a federal ban on sports betting ads. In a letter to Prime Minister Mark Carney, senators argued that saturation marketing puts minors and vulnerable people at risk. They cited a public broadcaster’s investigation showing sports fans see gambling messages multiple times per minute during games. Read more about the Canadian push to rein in promotions in Canadian senators push for federal ban on betting ads. For context on the broadcast environment, see the CBC Marketplace advertising analysis, which documented the ad load during sports programming.
The U.S. landscape differs by state but echoes the same concern: phones act as around-the-clock, frictionless betting terminals. During tentpole events like March Madness, ad intensity and promotional offers spike, drawing in casual fans and younger viewers. That dynamic coincides with more predatory behavior online. Experts warned that unlicensed operators and scam sites expand during high-profile tournaments. The risks and red flags are outlined in Online betting scams on the rise during March Madness. Regulators and consumer groups argue that curbs on marketing and better identity checks could blunt underage reach. The senators’ CDC request would add data to evaluate whether ad policies reduce youth participation or simply shift it to offshore platforms.
Signals from public health abroad
Other countries offer clues about the stakes. Australia, one of the world’s most mature gambling markets, is reporting a rise in harm alongside increased participation. The Australian Gambling Research Centre found both broader engagement and a jump in self-reported harm since 2019, with young adults at disproportionately high risk. The findings tie heavy advertising to youthful uptake and related problems such as financial stress and mental health issues. The trend and its political fallout are detailed in Australian study suggests gambling problems on the rise. Australia’s debate over banning online gambling advertising mirrors Canada’s and foreshadows potential U.S. fights if federal monitoring links ads to youth harm.
For U.S. policymakers, international evidence strengthens the case for early surveillance. If similar patterns hold—more exposure, younger initiation, and higher harm—then prevention could mean tighter controls on marketing during youth-skewing broadcasts, caps on inducements, and stricter age-gating. Without nationwide data, lawmakers risk acting on anecdotes or isolated state datasets.
Criminal and social externalities on game days
Beyond addiction risk, researchers are probing real-world spillovers. A study by Rice University scholars ties legalized sports betting to spikes in assaults around professional games, particularly after losses and surprising outcomes. While the study’s window predates the newest markets, the link between in-game emotions, losses and violence raises questions about social costs. The analysis, which used multi-state crime data, is summarized in Texas study links legalized sports betting to rise in crime. Governors and legislators have taken note as they weigh tax gains against policing and public health burdens.
These externalities intersect with youth concerns. If high-intensity sporting events amplify risky behavior in adults, they may also normalize betting for teens who watch the same games flooded with odds and promos. A CDC-backed addition to the youth risk survey could test whether large national events correlate with underage betting attempts, social media betting chatter or peer pressure to download apps. Better measurement would allow policymakers to target interventions around major sports calendars.
Regulatory gray zones and the next front
The rapid evolution of “sports-adjacent” markets complicates enforcement. Prediction markets operating under commodities rules have introduced sports event contracts, including parlays and propositions that resemble regulated sportsbook offerings. Industry groups warn that without congressional action, these contracts could serve as a workaround for gambling restrictions and age checks. The American Gaming Association and Indian Gaming Association urged Congress to clarify that such products are functionally sports betting and should not slip through commodity oversight. Their position is laid out in AGA and IGA urge Congress to address sports event contracts.
For youth protection, the gray zone matters. If apps can offer bet-like exposure under a different regulator with looser standards, minors may face fewer safeguards. The senators’ call for CDC measurement implicitly acknowledges that the market is fragmenting. A robust dataset could help agencies coordinate—tying public health tracking to financial, advertising and technology regulations.
What the data could unlock
The policy path turns on evidence. A standardized CDC module on sports gambling would:
- Establish baseline participation and age of first bet
- Track links to mental health, school performance and substance use
- Identify advertising, social media and peer influences
- Map disparities by geography, income and sport seasons
Those findings could inform ad restrictions like those sought in Canada, bolster consumer warnings during events such as March Madness, and shape enforcement against offshore and scam operators. They could also guide states on deposit limits, identity verification and parental controls.
The sports betting market continues to mature, and new products will test the line between prediction and wagering. Without timely federal surveillance, the debate risks lurching from scandal to scandal. The senators’ request aims to replace anecdotes with data so policymakers can balance economic benefits against youth health and safety in a market that is still shifting under their feet.
