If one were to visit Philadelphia and its surrounding areas 20 years ago, you could most likely pick out similarities with the present-day city. Now, if one wished to place a sports bet in that same place, it would look nothing like the system we have become used to today. In 1992, President George H.W. Bush outlawed sports gambling nationwide with the Professional and Amateur Sports Act (PASPA). It wasn’t until 2018,less than a decade ago, that the Supreme Court overturned PASPA, allowing sports betting to be legalized in Pennsylvania. The ensuing growth of sports betting has changed the culture of athletic events across the state; one can hardly watch an Eagles or Sixers game without a DraftKings ad appearing. In Pennsylvania, the legal betting age is 21 years old. However, in Washington D.C., Montana, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Wyoming, Kentucky, and more, the legal age is 18 or older. As access continues to expand, an important question emerges: what are the benefits and consequences of allowing teenagers to gamble?
The Rapid Evolution
Following the 2018 court decision, gambling rapidly evolved in Philly. After PASPA was first overturned, Pennsylvania was one of the very first states to legalize sports gambling. In existing casinos, the first signs of legalized sports betting in Philly appeared through new in-house retail sportsbooks. The idea of betting on a familiar subject, sports, excited much of the public. . However, in the modern day, strictly-online world, in-person betting alone was not going to satisfy demand. In May of 2019, BetRivers launched the first online sportsbook, influencing today’s biggest names, including DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM and more. The ability to bet anytime and anyplace resulted with a significant increase of regular betters, and by the 2024-2025 fiscal year, the revenue for sports wagering came in at around $487.6 million.
In a city where sports teams receive less attention or experience less success, the gambling industry might not be as active as it is in Philadelphia. Considered a consistent contender in all sports, the city has won a total of 19 championships across the MLB, NFL, NBA, and NHL, including the Eagles’ most recent 2024 Superbowl. The consistent success of Philadelphia’s teams captivates fans’ interest and may make residents more likely to engage in local betting.As sports betting became more accessible, it also became far more visible.
Teen Exposure to Sports Gambling
Nonetheless, sports gambling itself was not the only thing that rapidly evolved in the past decade. In 2025 alone, $50 million was spent on betting ads in the NBA regular season, and instances of gambling messages appeared as often as every 13 seconds during higher profile NBA and NHL games. In Pennsylvania, in 2021, online gambling companies spent around $1.4 billion on TV advertising, according to Nielsen Media Research. In response, experts have expressed concern about vulnerable viewers,such as minors, being exposed to intense saturation of sports gambling ads.
However, as previously mentioned, today is a strictly-online world, and simply advertising on TV is not enough to reach the younger generation. To reach younger audiences, online sportsbooks are now relying heavily on social media. Roughly 90% of Gen Z (people born between 1997 and 2012) are on social media, and some studies show that over half spends three or more hours a day on platforms such as YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram. Sportsbooks are increasingly using social media to market to younger audiences. Often using humor in their messages, online sportsbooks attempt to appeal to the younger generation, such as how Sportsbet is doing in the above image. The impact of social media advertising could be quite significant, as Gen Z uses social media over other search engines to discover new products, and studies show nearly 50% of them use social media to fulfill their informational needs.
Potential Concerns Regarding Teenagers
It is a common stereotype that teenagers like to break rules and engage in illegal activities. While this is clearly not true for every high school student, the available statistics do raise concerns. The CDC reports that around 30% of highschoolers regularly drink, and about 14% engage in binge drinking. Furthermore, around 10% of highschoolers vape, and 80% gamble for money. Despite laws intended to prevent teenagers from accessing addictive substances, it is well proven that, if motivated, they will be able to do it anyways. So, the question is, how do these lax laws relate to sports gambling? With sports events such as March Madness, and the Super bowl taking place in these cold winter months, most likely you or someone you know exchanged money on a certain game, or perhaps you just recently entered a March Madness and are waiting to see if you hit it big or not. Researchers agree that while the intention of Sports Gambling is light-hearted fun, teenagers do not have the ability to make the correct decision to the fullest of their abilities as their brain has not fully formed.
The brain finished developing much later than the rest of the body, especially one key part: the prefrontal cortex. The prefrontal cortex, the part of your brain just behind your forehead, is responsible for key cognitive functions, such as decision making, impulse control, and risk assessment. The prefrontal cortex infamously does not fully form until your mid to late 20s. Because of this, 4-8% of teenagers experience problems with gambling, twice the rate of adults. As a result, researchers strongly encourage young people to avoid gambling until they are better equipped to make informed financial decisions.
Preventive Efforts
Many schools have begun implementing efforts to address growing concerns about teenage gambling. Along with the 24/7 gambling addiction national hotline, schools are informing their students of ways to get in touch with local counseling if they or someone they know need help. Recently, the Shapiro administration has announced resources for parents and educators on how to protect kids from different forms of gambling. He believes “knowledge is power” and if as a society we choose to educate the youth on the dangers of underage gambling, then we can prevent thousands from ever even starting.
