Gen Z and Game: the first generation of online sports betting
Gen Z is the group that was raised on social networks and smartphones, online sports betting and the game being just another thing they are used to.
Unlike their parents, for whom sports betting was something they did exclusively in vegas casinos or via an office swimming pool, it’s just another characteristic of the Internet world for this generation.
Although it is not out of the ordinary for these young people, their accessibility to this form of play has aroused concerns of certain experts. In this spirit, we explore everything related to Gen Z and the game by emphasizing online sports betting.
Gen Z is the first really digital generation
Generation Z, people born between 1997 and 2010, are the first to have spent the majority of their online life, making them digital natives.
They grew up with the smartphone, have witnessed the growth of social media platforms and now know the rise of online sports betting.
It has long been selected time to only play in Nevada, previous generations being focused on the world of casinos. For some, online bets have only become another habit that has become anchored in their daily life.
In 2025, bettors can bet on a whole range of markets in the most obscure to the general.
The rise of online sports betting in the United States
The rise of online sports betting was massively propelled compared to 2018, when the Supreme Court legalized sports betting. This has led to the rapid increase in the introduction of legislation to legalize both in person and online sports betting.
Before the decision, a research company estimated that 32 states would likely offer sports betting within five years. Seven years later, 38 states and the Columbia district legalized sports betting in a form.
The growth of these markets was also rapid, with more than $ 120 billion in total Paris and $ 11 billion in revenues generated in 2023 only.
This form of play has interested many people in the United States, vulnerable Americans have withdrawn funds from their brokerage accounts to support their online sports betting habits, according to a new study.
The concerns have increased on the young generation and betting
In an interview with The Guardian, the co -director of the UCLA Timothy Fong game study program said: “Calls for game assistance services in most America states are in place by numbers.
“More and more younger customers are,” he seek treatment, “he added. Brad Ruderman, from Beit Téhuvah Treatment Center in Los Angeles, California, told the publisher that smartphones had “made all the ways available to all.
“This is the first generation where this is normal.” He suggested that the game “becomes a younger activity” and commented on how the brains generally end up developing before people reach the middle of their twenties. “They are very sensitive to dopamine, endorphin rushes.”
37% of generation Z sporting goods admit that they are addicted to the game.
Probably one of the greatest existential threats for a whole generation of humans. pic.twitter.com/5dhsqedsj1
– Max Siegman (@max_siegman) April 22, 2025
Generation Z today is between 13 and 28 years old, these age ranges being a central group of sports bettors. In the 2024 Bettor research report by Yougov, he revealed that 10% of Sportsbook users are 21-24 and 34% are 25-34.
“The basic heart of sports betting, Americans aged 25 to 44, uses more sports betting applications / sites, with an average of three in their Paris set,” says the report.
“The youngest group, aged 21-24, shows a moderate commitment, with 60% using one or two but 10% using four to five sports betting applications and 8% venture into six or more applications,” suggests research.
“The 25-34 age group uses a larger range of platforms, with 18% using four to five applications and 9% using six or more.”
How regulators attack the rise of online sports betting Gen Z
Many people have expressed their concern about the younger generation statement on digital accessibility to betting, certain regulatory advice tightening restrictions.
In Illinois, the game board recently announced a ban on advertisements (relating to betting on the casino and sports) on university campuses. The new rules extend to advertisements that cannot be placed in places where they are likely to be seen by minor or vulnerable people.
Operators must now also maintain advertising records and include responsible for advertising, marketing and promotions in the state of Illinois.
Experts also suggest that more awareness and education must now take place earlier. Michelle Malkin, Director of the Research Initiative and Game Policy at the University of Caroline de l’Est appeared in a radio program on NPR suggesting that more must be done.
“We don’t only need resources for people who suffer from game problems. We have to raise awareness and education early.”
She continues by warning that the game becomes a growing problem on university campuses (a place where many students fall into the Gen Z support): “As for, as, hospitalized, which people need games, just like drugs and alcohol, there are less than five places throughout the country that really specialize in the game.”
If statistics continue to increase, more and more regulators and support networks may have to intervene earlier to support those who have always been exhibited at online sports betting.
Star image: generated by AI via ideogram
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