Fifty-eight percent of college students aged 18-22 have placed a sports bet, according to a new survey from the NCAA.
The organization polled 3,527 students to understand the prevalence of various sports wagering behaviors on campus.
It found that many are routinely finding a way around age and geographical restrictions, and 35% have used an unofficial student bookmaker.
“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,” said NCAA President Charlie Baker.
“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.”
It found that sports wagering activity is widespread on college campuses: 67% of students living on campus are bettors, and they tend to bet at a higher frequency than students that do not live on campus.
The survey also 41% of college students who wager on sports have placed a bet on their school’s teams and 35% have used a student bookmaker.
Ads have a strong influence on betting activity: 63% of students living on campus recalled seeing betting ads when surveyed. This is a higher rate than that found in the general population or those that commute/virtually attend college, and 58% of those students said they are more likely to bet after seeing the ads.
