Key Takeaways
- Five bipartisan senators asked the CDC to add sports betting questions to its Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System
- A 2024 study found people who begin gambling before age 18 are 50% more likely to develop gambling problems than those who start as adults
- One in six parents say they would not know if their child was gambling
- The letter requests data on how children access betting platforms, including illegal offshore sportsbooks
- The YRBSS is conducted every two years and monitors six categories of health-risk behaviors among youth
Bipartisan Senate Letter Requests Youth Gambling Research
Sen. Katie Britt (R-Alabama) led a group of five senators in sending a letter to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention requesting research into how sports betting affects American youth. The other senators who signed the letter are Richard Durbin (D-Illinois), Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina), Jeanne Shaheen (D-New Hampshire), and Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii).
The senators asked the CDC to incorporate questions about gambling into the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS), a survey conducted every two years that measures the frequency and scope of priority health-risk behaviors in American children. The system currently monitors six categories of behavior including sexual activity, physical activity, substance abuse, and mental health.
Existing Research Shows Higher Risk for Early-Age Gambling
The letter cites a 2024 study showing that individuals who begin gambling before age 18 are 50% more likely to develop a gambling problem compared to those who begin gambling after age 18. The senators also noted that one in six parents say they would not know if their child was gambling.
“We believe policymakers and American families deserve to know the extent to which our children are engaging in potentially addictive and detrimental behavior,” the senators wrote.
The letter acknowledges that since the legalization of sports gambling in the United States, there has been limited research examining the extent to which minors are accessing sports betting platforms.
Request Includes Data on Platform Access Methods
The senators specifically asked the CDC to develop questions that would help determine how children access sports betting, including whether they use legitimate licensed sportsbooks, illegal offshore sportsbooks, or other methods to engage in underage sports gambling.
The group requested that the CDC provide Congress with information on what questions it plans to introduce in the YRBSS related to gambling, an estimate of resources needed to add these topics, and any research or information about the harmful impact of sports gambling on American children.
FanDuel Releases Youth Prevention Resources
FanDuel released a toolkit called “Trusted Voices: Conversations About Betting” designed to equip adults with tools and resources to talk to young people about gambling. The resource is designed to raise awareness of the risks of youth access to gambling and provide guidance to parents and trusted adults on how to prevent underage gambling.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul has also expressed interest in the topic of underage gambling, according to the source material.
Federal Gambling Policy Activity Increases
The letter is part of broader federal attention on gambling regulation. Recent developments include members of Congress seeking to question sports leagues following high-profile betting scandals, multiple bills addressing the federal gambling tax deduction, the SAFE Bet Act legislation that would limit sports betting advertising, Rep. Ritchie Torres introducing a bill to prohibit insider trading via prediction markets, and members of Congress asking the Commodity Futures Trading Commission about sports betting via prediction markets.
The CDC has not publicly responded to the senators’ request.
via: The Closing Line – Dustin Gouker
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