Experts: College men most at risk of developing sports gambling addiction

Beginning March 11, 2024, North Carolinians will be able to legally place sports bets online, the effects are already evident with ads virtually everywhere: social media, billboards, television and even podcasts.

Rosa Li with the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Department of Psychology and Neuroscience worries these ads can be particularly dangerous for young adult males. She said this demographic, especially those who are receiving college educations, are most at risk of becoming problem gamblers.

“It’s also a time period where we know adolescents are especially drawn to reward and reward seeking. The front part of their brain, their pre-frontal cortex, is slowly maturing into their early 20s,” she explained.

Li continued, “The part of their brain that tells them, ‘Maybe this is not the best idea’ or ‘Let’s kind of think about inhibiting our initial impulses, let’s think about exerting some self-control’, that’s still relatively immature.”

During her classes focused on adolescent brain development, Li teaches students that critical time frame is referred to as the “second window of development.” She said it’s a time when habits form: good and bad.

"It’s second only to the first three years of life,” said Li.

Many advertisements for sports gambling sites feature notable individuals, such as celebrities and athletes. Li said that could make the sites even more appealing to a young adult male.

“It can make this type of behavior seem really glamorous and what we would call ‘socially normative’,” she said. “Especially if you’re seeing a celebrity you really look up to or an athlete you really look up to promoting these sites.”

Across the country, there are only 12 states that still prohibit sports betting. Alabama is one of them.

The Alabama Policy Institute is among critics in the state that have cited the addictive effects online gambling sites can have on young adults as a reason for their opposition.

Just last month, some vocalized concern as the state House committee discussed new legislation.

“Sports betting companies target young people, particularly adolescent males, with the aim of creating a life-long customer. We know that male frontal cortex isn't fully formed until age 25; the gambling industry is intentionally targeting an audience that isn't fully equipped to handle their product,” said Alabama Policy Institute President & CEO Stephanie Smith.

Smith said called sports gambling “an epidemic on college campuses and nationwide.”

The legal age to place a sports bet online in North Carolina starting March 11 is 21.

Li said she worried that age limits are hard to enforce online; traditional, in-person casinos have bouncers who check ID.

“Let’s be honest, a lot of teens are more digitally savvy than the grown-ups that are parenting them so it’s entirely possible, and I think likely, that kids that are underage will probably find a way to access these gambling sites,” she said.

Each ad for a sports gambling service is required to contain the number for addiction support services.

However, Li noted most of those numbers are small and hard to differentiate among other lines of legal disclaimers.

Li said feeling irritable or uneasy if you are unable to place a bet could be signs of withdrawal. Other symptoms of sports betting behavior to look out for include chasing losses, failing to keep up with regular responsibilities or job duties and the inability to stop gambling.

If you or a loved one may need some support, you can call 1800-GAMBLER or 1877-718-5543. According to the National Gambling Problem Helpline, over 1.9 million people have contacted the organization for support since 2016.