Although legal gambling includes protections like age limits and identity verification, unregulated websites remain accessible and pose a significant risk to youth and young people. Proxy betting, a practice where one person places a wager on behalf of another who cannot legally or geographically participate, further exacerbates this issue by bypassing these safeguards. College Students and Gambling Gambling is particularly popular amongst college students with 2023 data revealing that 58% of young adults aged 18-22 have engaged in sports betting. The prevalence of sports betting and problem gambling was 12.4% and 11.5%, respectively. The prevalence of sports betting is not rare, and for context, the rate reported among U.S. young adults is greater than the young adult cigarette smoking rate and higher than problem gambling rates within the adult population. Sports betting is pervasive among young adults and on college campuses and poses a particularly high risk to student-athletes. National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)-commissioned data found that 27% of compliance directors at autonomy schools reported that they had dealt with a sports betting problem amongst athletes or staff within the past year, a substantial increase from 2019. The normalization of sports betting across college campuses combined with regular athletic engagement, propensity towards risky behavior, and neurological immaturity for persons under the age of 25 make student-athletes vulnerable to gambling addiction. Research further suggests that persons belonging to communities of color are at an increased risk of gambling harm and are less likely to seek treatment or support. Harassment and Integrity The 2023 NCAA survey of campus administrators found that 10% of Division I respondents were aware of student-athletes being harassed online or in person by someone with gambling interests. With most threats being sent via social media, student-athletes and staff who receive threats should take screenshots and share them with the appropriate athletic department staff member as soon as possible. In Rhode Island, proposition betting (“prop betting”) on college athletics is prohibited, and wagering on in-state collegiate teams or events is banned unless they are participating in a tournament. However, Rhode Island collegiate sports may still be accessible to bettors outside the state, increasing the risk of harassment for student-athletes from external bettors.
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