Illustrating the increasing popularity of sports betting among college students, an NCAA survey shows that 67% of students who live on campus engage in sports betting. Conducted by Opinion Diagnostics, the online survey asked questions of 3,527 US college students between 18 and 22 years old.
Gambling-related ads have a significant effect on students. 63% of the survey respondents recall seeing wagering ads on campus and 58% said they’d be likelier to place bets after viewing these marketing materials.
35% have used a student bookie to place wagers
The research shows that 41% of students have bet on their own school’s teams, while 35% have used a student bookie to place wagers. One of the more concerning insights was that of the 16% of the respondents who fell into the “risky gambler” category, 70% believe they will make money from sports betting in the long run.
Speaking about the reason for conducting the survey, NCAA president Charlie Baker said: “We needed a new baseline so we can better understand what student-athletes are experiencing on their campuses and among their peers.” The NCAA plans to conduct another nationwide survey in the fall to ask student-athletes about their betting activity.