RI college students impacted by “silent addiction” to sports betting

• In Rhode Island, anyone aged 18 or older can place sports bets online or via retail outlets
• Bookmakers entice bettors with customized promotions, but long-term wagering results in losses, while successful bettors face restrictions
• A college professor warns that legal betting raises concerns about a "silent addiction" among college students

Rhode Island is one of several states that permit participation in retail and mobile sports betting to individuals age 18 or older.

Usually, across the United States, the minimum legal age is 21 or older, but the Ocean State makes an exception and this is raising concerns about a "silent addiction" to betting among college students, one expert reveals.

Sportsbooks use tools that work in their favor

Rhode Island launched legal online sports betting in September 2019.

The state was among the first to take a shot at legal wagering after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled PASPA unconstitutional.

This legalization enabled Rhode Island residents to bet on their favorite team and, at the same time, cleared the way for anyone age 18 or older, including college students, to place bets.

Now, according to Professor Patrick Kelly at Providence College, who was interviewed by WPRI, betting among young adults is a serious problem.

The college professor spoke about the innovative systems that sportsbooks use, which are "systematically working against the bettor’s favor" in the context that such solutions monitor the user’s activities and offer customized promotions.

At the same time, he criticized the fact that successful bettors often have their accounts restricted, adding that between 97% and 99% of the users who placed wagers in five years record a loss.

Problem gambling among college students is often undetected

According to Kelly, there’s an even more concerning trend, fueled by the legalization of betting across the country.

Considering that young adults, 18 or older, can tap into retail and mobile sports betting, the expert warned that some college students end up addicted to wagering without their parents even knowing.

The college professor further explained: "Their sons and daughters have developed gambling problems and they don’t know it."

This, Kelly described as a "silent addiction" that is often difficult to notice, considering that most young adults participate in betting activities from their smartphones.

"They’ve got a casino in their pocket and a way to sports bet in most states in this country. That is a problem," the expert warned.

Gambling data from across the country reaffirms the expert’s point, considering that the majority of the betting revenue comes from online and mobile wagers.

In Rhode Island, more than 80% of the sports bets placed throughout the 2025 fiscal year came from mobile and online activities.

While college students can legally access online sports betting in Rhode Island, lawmakers in other states are considering changes to the existing regulations to increase the minimum age.

That’s the case for Kentucky, where a bill is proposing to increase the minimum age for online sports betting from 18 to 21.

The proposal calling for the change is currently awaiting a signature or a veto by Gov. Andy Beshear.

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