Researcher ORCID Identifier
0009-0001-7107-0212
Graduation Year
2025
Date of Submission
4-2025
Document Type
Open Access Senior Thesis
Degree Name
Bachelor of Arts
Department
Psychology
Reader 1
Alison Harris
Terms of Use & License Information
Rights Information
2025 Kaitlyn D Helfrich
Abstract
Digital sports betting is a rapidly expanding sector of the gambling industry, allowing users to place wagers on the outcomes of sporting events from virtually anywhere. While structurally comparable to traditional gambling systems, sports betting is often perceived as a more socially acceptable and accessible alternative, contributing to its growing appeal and largely positive sentiment among Americans. Yet, in the seven years since sports betting has become legalized, growing numbers of Americans have reported psychological and financial problems stemming from problem gambling. Of particular concern is the increasing percentage of adolescents engaging with these platforms, despite legal restrictions on underage access to online betting sites. Given that adolescence is associated with developmental shifts in reward sensitivity, sensation-seeking, and peer influence, normalization of sports betting during this period could lay the foundations for pathological gambling behavior later in life. Through an extensive review of the existing interdisciplinary literature, the paper examines the overlap between the neurological, behavioral, cognitive, and social factors shaping gamblers’ decision-making and the developmental changes stereotypically associated with adolescence. By highlighting these intersections, the thesis argues that the developmental trajectories of adolescents may predispose them to problematic gambling tendencies, particularly in the context of digital sports betting platforms that employ “gamification” to encourage extended interaction. These findings illuminate the need for more stringent regulations on sports betting providers and call for increased resources to be allocated toward analyzing the potential risks of sports betting on adolescents.
Keywords: Sports Betting, Adolescents, Cognitive Distortions, Reward Processing, Dopaminergic System, Social Norms
Recommended Citation
Helfrich, Kaitlyn, "A Bad Bet for Adolescents: Psychological Perspectives on Sports Betting & Digital Gambling Technologies" (2025). CMC Senior Theses. 3879.
https://scholarship.claremont.edu/cmc_theses/3879
Included in
Child Psychology Commons, Cognitive Psychology Commons, Developmental Psychology Commons, Other Psychology Commons, Social Psychology Commons, Sports Studies Commons
