This report presents findings on the potential impact of sports betting legalization on young adults in Massachusetts. The research involved a study that ran from 2023 to 2026. The study explored the perspectives, behaviors, and experiences of young adults with sports betting, through interviews with young people, researchers, policy makers, and sports betting vendors.
Recommendations include:
- Bolster education and public awareness around gambling harm
- Regulate sports betting advertising and promotions
- Reinforce safeguards on apps, for example through the provision of opt-out defaults
- Increase access to gambling-specific support services for young adults and awareness of its availability
- Fortify gaps in regulation around underage sports betting
- Focus on approaches to reduce harm for college athletes who engage in sports betting
- Devote funds to research, monitoring, and evaluation to inform policies and programs for harm reduction related to sports betting
