NCAA study: Sports betting prevalent among young adults amid rise in advertising

Amid mounting concerns over the prevalence of sports wagering on college campuses, an NCAA survey of 3,527 18- to 22-year-olds found that 58% have engaged in at least one sports betting activity.

Charlie Baker commissioned the survey weeks after taking over as NCAA president. Opinion Diagnostics conducted the survey, which included both college students and young adults not attending college. The NCAA will conduct a separate student-athlete-only survey in the coming months.

Among other notable findings of the results were released Wednesday: 27.5% placed a bet on a sports event or league using a mobile app or website and 24.5% played daily fantasy sports on a mobile app or website with money awarded to strong performers. 

Perhaps most alarming was that the survey found that advertisements have a major influence on betting activity: 63% of on-campus students recall seeing betting ads. That was a higher rate than what was found in the general population or among those who commute or attend college virtually. Additionally, 58% of students who recall seeing betting ads indicated that they are more likely to bet after seeing the ads.

Industry leaders and gambling experts in recent weeks have told On3 it is critical that the NCAA conducts an exhaustive national study on the sports wagering habits of student-athletes. 

The last time the NCAA conducted a self-described national study on the sports gambling habits of student-athletes was in 2003. Since then, the NCAA conducted what it calls “surveys” on the issue every four years, beginning in 2004 and continuing through 2016. (There was none in 2020 because of the pandemic.)

Gambling landscape has dramatically changed

The landscape has undergone seismic change since 2016, much less since the pre-social media days of 2003. Since the U.S. Supreme Court in 2018 struck down the federal ban on sports wagering, sports betting has been legalized in 30-plus states, some colleges have secured partnerships with sportsbooks and student-athletes have been inundated with sports betting commercials and promotions.

Sports wagering experts told On3 there was a 100% certainty that a gambling scandal would soon erupt on a college campus. And just in the past few weeks, Alabama‘s baseball coach, Brad Bohannon, was ensnared in a betting scandal and swiftly fired after suspicious bets were made at an Ohio casino involving his team. 

Plus, Iowa announced that 26 athletes across five sports are suspected of wagering on sports in violation of NCAA rules, and more than 100 people have been linked to the investigation. Iowa State has acknowledged that some 15 student-athletes across three sports are also suspected of violating gambling rules.

Sports betting top concern for industry experts

Asked about the recent spate of gambling scandals, Tom McMillen, the former U.S. Congressman and current CEO of LEAD1 Association, told On3: “Not a surprise. More to come, for sure.” McMillen said that sports wagering is his personal No. 1 concern in college athletics because the ramifications could be “catastrophic,” which is why an NCAA national study is critical.

“It is essential,” said Michelle Malkin, an assistant professor of criminal justice at East Carolina who has done extensive research and spoken at numerous conferences and symposiums on gambling’s connection to crime. 

“We need to know how much they’re engaging in gambling behavior. And we need to know what percent are at risk for gambling disorder. We need to know what the effect is, in terms of the differences between athletes in states where it’s legal and in states where it’s not. We need to know how well our student-athletes understand NCAA regulations around gambling. … It takes a couple of years for something to be available to possibly see its effect. And now is the time. Right now.”