Almost every state prohibits those under 21 from gambling, including sports betting. That hasn’t stopped college students from placing bets.
The NCAA commissioned a survey of 18 to 22 year-olds and discovered more than half (58 percent) participate in sports betting, as did two-thirds of those who lived on college campuses, according to the Associated Press.
This comes less than a few weeks after the baseball coach at Alabama lost his job and athletes at Iowa and Iowa State violated NCAA rules on sports betting.
The purpose of the survey was to explore the prevalence of sports wagering behaviors.
The Boston-based polling firm Opinion Diagnostics conducted the online survey last month and received 3,527 responses. The pool was almost evenly divided between college students and young adults not attending college.
The NCAA said it would commission another survey in the fall, featuring athletes only.
“We needed a new baseline so we can better understand what student-athletes are experiencing on their campuses and among their peers so we can best help them deal with the potentially disruptive dynamic of legal sports betting ,” NCAA President Charlie Baker told the AP.
“Sports betting has increased interest in sports of all kinds, including college sports, which is great for our fans, but the NCAA and everyone from coaches to athletics department staff and college presidents must better understand what impact sports betting may have on student-athletes,” Baker added.
The survey found 58 percent of respondents acknowledged having made at least one sports wager, and 67 percent of students living on campuses said they are bettors and tend to bet at a higher frequency.
Details of the survey include:
- Made at least one bet: 58 percent
- Bet and live on campus: 67 percent
- Placed a bet on their schools read: 41 percent
- Used a student bookie; 35 percent
Mobile apps were the preferred choice for making wagers, with 28 percent choosing that method. Live in-game betting is the most popular type of bet for those that use betting apps or visit in-person sportsbooks.
