New Study Reveals Insights Into NJ Sports Betting On Young Adults

• Stockton University is located only 20 minutes away from Atlantic City, NJ.
• NJ sports betting was launched in June of 2018.
• Survey shows that women prefer slots and lottery while men prefer table games and betting on sports.
• Mobile sports betting in NJ was the most popular method for gambling on sports according to survey respondents.

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. –  Many casinos across the country that have lobbied for legal sports betting are doing so in order to attract a younger crowd. A recent survey conducted on Stockton University Students seems to shed some light into that notion and into the gambling habits of young adults.

The survey gained 502 respondents throughout the spring semester and was conducted by the school’s Lloyd D. Levenson Institute of Gaming, Hospitality, and Tourism, in conjunction with the Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey.

The choice of using Stockton University students makes sense given the fact that the university is located about 20 minutes out from Atlantic City, N.J.

Women comprised 71% of overall respondents and 64% of overall respondents said they have gambled before. When looking at the actual games those respondents have played, 43% reported that they have played the lottery, 30% have played casino table games and 28% have placed sports wagers.

Lottery games and slots were more popular among women while sports betting and table games were more popular among men.

“The high percentage of men gambling on sports did not surprise me,” said Dr. Jane Bokunewicz, Associate Professor at Stockton University and lead researcher for the survey, to The Press of Atlantic City.

What may surprise people is the further results of sports wagering related questions. Sports betting in New Jersey was legalized and launched in June of 2018. According to the study, 27% of sports gamblers reported gambling occasionally or frequently compared to 17% of gamblers in general.

Many who oppose sports betting legislation fear that legalization of the activity might cause a spike in the amount of gambling that happens in their state. But, the study also revealed that 60% of respondents reported no change in their sports gambling behavior.

The issue of problem gambling was asked in the study as well.

“I was encouraged to see that between 2016 and 2019 the percentage of students who reported having problems with gambling has been quite stable,” said Bokunewicz. “In 2016, 2.55% of students who gambled reported experiencing problems because of their gambling and in 2019, 3% of gamblers reported experiencing problems.”

Judging by the results, it seems as though the legalization of sports betting in New Jersey has not had a significant impact on the number of young adults betting on sports. The legalization also has not shown substantial growth in the number of problem gamblers who are young adults.

Although, whether or not the answers in this survey could be used for other states looking to pass sports betting bills remains in question.

News tags: Atlantic City | Jane Bokunewicz | New Jersey | Stockton University