BYU Study Finds 21% of US Adults Harmed by Someone Else’s Gambling

PROVO, Utah – A new Brigham Young University (BYU) study found that 21% of US adults reported being harmed by someone else’s gambling. The findings highlight the financial and emotional consequences gambling can have beyond individual bettors, particularly as younger adults increasingly associate wagering with making money.

The report, Gambling With Our Future, draws on a national survey of 2,548 adults conducted by the university’s Wheatley Institute. It examines gambling participation, financial expectations, mental health and the effects of betting on relationships.

One in Five Americans Reports Harm from Others’ Gambling

According to the Wheatley Institute’s research, 21% of respondents said they had experienced financial, emotional or other harm connected to another person’s gambling. Another 39% reported personally knowing someone with a gambling problem, suggesting that the consequences of betting extend into families and wider social networks.

The survey also found that 55% of adults reported gambling at least monthly, while approximately one in eight said they gambled daily. Participation was higher among men, with 63% reporting monthly gambling compared with 48% of women.

Researchers identified a gap between general awareness of gambling odds and expectations about personal outcomes. Approximately 80% of respondents recognized that most gamblers lose money over time, yet around half of gamblers believed they would win or break even during a single hour of gambling.

Shima Baradaran Baughman, a BYU law professor and distinguished fellow at the Wheatley Institute, emphasized the importance of understanding these expectations. She said the findings demonstrated a greater need for education about gambling odds and closer examination of gambling’s consequences for mental health and relationships.

Young Adults More Likely to Gamble for Financial Gain

The research found substantial differences in gambling motivations between younger and older adults. Among respondents aged 18 to 29, 53% identified making money as a primary motivation, compared with 50% who cited entertainment. Among adults aged 30 and older, entertainment was more common at 51%, while 37% identified financial gain.

Mobile sports betting was particularly prevalent among younger men. Approximately 67% of men aged 18 to 29 reported participating during the previous year, compared with 41% of women in the same age group.

Frequent gambling also showed a pronounced gender difference. Among adults aged 18 to 29, 59% of men said they gambled at least several times weekly, compared with 34% of women.

The researchers also identified an association between frequent gambling and poorer mental health. Respondents who gambled more often reported higher levels of depression, anxiety and hopelessness, although the survey does not establish that gambling caused those conditions.

Researchers Call for Greater Awareness of Gambling Risks

The full Wheatley Institute report was written by Stephen Cranney, Paul Lambert, Shima Baradaran Baughman, Anna Elmer and Jason Carroll. The survey was developed by the institute and administered by Qualtrics, with respondents selected through quotas based on age, gender, race and income.

The sample included additional respondents aged 18 to 29, and results were weighted for age. Researchers examined 16 activities, including lotteries, casino games, charity raffles, sports betting, prediction markets and certain high-risk financial trading activities treated as wagers.

That broad definition is important when interpreting the participation figures. An earlier Gallup survey of US gambling habits reported lower participation using different questions and survey methods, meaning the findings cannot be directly compared as evidence of rising gambling activity.

Paul Lambert, a Wheatley Institute director and report co-author, said gambling’s consequences can affect family members, friends and others who do not gamble themselves. The researchers emphasized education about betting probabilities, financial consequences and the importance of recognizing potentially harmful gambling behavior.

The findings provide additional evidence for discussions about gambling education, prevention and support, particularly among younger adults. Further research would be needed to establish whether the reported relationships between gambling frequency, financial expectations and mental health reflect causal effects.

RELATED TOPICS: Responsible Gambling