The rise of online sports gambling has been impossible to ignore. Massachusetts legalized the practice for those over 21 years old last March and is now counted among the 30 states and territories that allow for betting via mobile platforms. This has contributed to an eye-catching statistic: according to a survey conducted by the NCAA, 67% of 18- to 22-year-olds on college campuses are regular bettors.

Gambling has taken the sports world by storm, and it is especially clear when watching broadcasts of major sporting events and looking at the sports toto. Advertisements from companies like DraftKings are rife with colorful, slick animations announcing promotions for new users — and they are working. 

According to that same NCAA survey, 58% of students who recall seeing a betting ad said they were more likely to bet after seeing those ads. DraftKings did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

When asked about their motivations, however, many college students do not cite monetary gain. Zachary Mathews, a senior in the College of Arts and Sciences, said he gambles on sports simply “because it’s fun.”

“I kind of expect to lose [money], but it definitely adds some entertainment value,” Mathews said. 

Eli Chamblee, a junior in CAS, said he bets on sports to make watching them more enjoyable.

“Most of the time when I bet on sports, I’m watching a game that I don’t really care about, and I’m bored,” Chamblee said. “I would bet on a game so that I have the same rooting interests as a lot of the people around me because that makes it a lot more fun to watch games.” 

While Chamblee and Mathews are of age to gamble in Massachusetts, their attitudes are shared by those not of age, and underage gambling remains a pressing issue on college campuses. In the same month that saw Massachusetts legalize online sports betting, the American Gaming Association created new rules to protect college-aged audiences. These new rules included prohibiting college partnerships with sports wagering companies and outlawing sponsorship deals with sportsbooks for college athletes. 

The AGA also changed the regulations regarding language allowed in sportsbook ads. Ads now must change the phrase “legal age of wagering” to “21-plus” and remove the use of the phrase “risk-free.” However, this may not be enough to keep underage college students from gambling on sports.

Chamblee said that the combination of a brain that is not fully developed, the new freedom that college brings and even peer pressure can cause college students to place big sports bets. 

Jack Dougherty, a senior in CAS, added that the feeling of getting close to a win but losing is what keeps college students hooked on sports betting.

“Most college students just don’t think about the fact that they’re about to lose money,” Dougherty said. “The thought of winning money takes over and drives them to continue to do it, regardless of previous outcomes.”

Sherrod Blakely, a lecturer in the College of Communication, was worried about the consequences of the generally unregulated nature of sports gambling, especially on college campuses.

“The problems start when we have these different set[s] of norms that we embrace, but we don’t have any rules or regulations on how to navigate [them] in the present or going forward,” Blakely said.

Blakely added that more needs to be done to limit the prevalence of underage gambling. He called disclaimers on betting websites a “band-aid approach” to a problem that has yet to find a concrete solution.

“As educators, we need to figure out how to take that increased attention and galvanize that in a way where it becomes an educational tool,” Blakely said. 

Whether legally or not, students will continue to lose lots of money from sports gambling. However, some students still may not see that as a deterrent strong enough to make them stop. 

“We all think that we’re a little smarter than we are in terms of betting, and at the end of the day, it’s just fun,” Mathews said. 

While Mathews, Chamblee and Dougherty are all of age to legally bet, underage sports gambling is an issue colleges and sportsbooks seemingly must be regulated into addressing. Until this problem becomes more severe, change will likely come in fits and starts. Whether that iterative approach will actually curb this epidemic is yet to be seen.

“It’s not going anywhere, because there are too many stakeholders that have invested in it,” Blakely said. “Not only from a consumption standpoint, but also from a creation standpoint as well.”