When Aidan Dougherty turned 21, he spent the day at Citizens Bank Park watching the Phillies. Instead of bar hopping through the city, he spent the day with his dad. His dad had instilled a love of sports in him at a young age and this was the first time he legally participated in sports betting. 

Not thinking much of it, Dougherty put $10 down on a random player. That summer he downloaded FanDuel and routinely placed bets on baseball, football, and basketball games. 

After winning $600 on a parlay, a series of two or more bets that rely on a closely related outcome, Dougherty understood what made betting so appealing. 

“I was like, ‘don’t get addicted, don’t get addicted,'” Dougherty said. “Because it’s happened once [winning money by betting], you got lightning in a bottle.”

Although the Bellmawr native didn’t place bets until he turned 21, he first became aware of sports betting when he was 16.

Now a senior sports communication and media major at Rowan University in Glassboro, Dougherty has seen his peers fall victim to the pull of gambling. 

“I definitely have friends who have lost a good amount of money. Even up to $1,000 plus. And this is college kids we’re talking about,” said Dougherty.

A study conducted by the Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey in 2023 found that eight in 10 young men aged 16 to 25 began betting before they turned 21. 

The Rutgers Center for Gambling Studies found that those 18 to 24 gambled online more than any of the other age groups studied. 19% of that age group were at high risk for problem gambling, which is when gambling affects family, career, and mental health. 

A bill was unanimously passed by the state assembly on March 24 that would require public universities that have partnerships with sports wagering companies to provide students with gambling addiction resources. These partnerships also allow companies such as DraftKings to advertise in stadiums and during their broadcast games. 

Resources include materials on responsible gambling behavior, access to a hotline, and the presence of the Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey on campus at least once a semester. Currently, there are no partnerships in New Jersey. 

The Assembly passed a bill prohibiting these types of partnerships at all public universities on Feb. 27. The bill, A4113, included amendments allowing partnerships that are established for academic purposes. For example, Stockton University in Galloway partnered with Atlantic City casino hotels in 2023 to offer a certificate in gaming, hospitality, and sports betting. This would affect public institutions such as Rutgers, Rowan, and Montclair, but would not affect universities such as Seton Hall and Monmouth. 

 “We must protect our students from the risks of gambling addiction by keeping these types of promotions off of campuses, where young adults are most vulnerable,” Assemblywoman Linda Carter, a democrat from Plainfield, said in a statement.

According to a poll done by Fairleigh Dickinson University in 2024, 10% of men ages 18 to 30 show problem gambling behaviors, compared to three percent of the country’s population. 

Nearly 58% of voters voted against wagering on college sports on the state ballot in 2021. In June of last year, Governor Phil Murphy established a Responsible Gaming Task Force in an attempt to curb growing gambling statistics. 

“New Jersey is known to be a gaming destination with historic locations like Atlantic City, amusement gaming at the Jersey Shore, notable horse racing venues, and more,” said Murphy in a press release. “This Task Force will see to it that we maintain our global leadership in gaming by ensuring that we have the tools needed to address problem gaming for our residents.” 

Bill Pascrell III is a lobbyist for responsible gaming practices and serves on the National Council on Problem Gambling of Federal Affairs board. 

“I think it’s important that colleges allow companies that are in the responsible gaming space…to educate the students…We’re not educating students on how to gamble, we’re educating students on if you do gamble, to do it responsibly,” said Pascrell. 

Ed Barkowitz teaches a course at Rowan University about reporting on sports betting. 

“When you have Kevin Hart and Jamie Foxx and Charles Barkley telling you how great all these life-changing parlays are, it’s dangerous and it’s deceptive, and I would certainly advocate for more education, even younger than college,” said Barkowitz. 

Jack Andrews is a professional sports bettor and gambler based in New Jersey who educates people on sports betting through his website, Unabated, and YouTube and X accounts. Andrews believes the bills are “well-intentioned,” but is skeptical. 

“Good for the legislature for recognizing it, but what does that actually do? Is a ban on advertising really going to stop them?” Andrews said. 

Dougherty believes that sports betting takes the love for the game out of casually watching sports, saying that FanDuel and DraftKings take advantage of college students by offering users free bets. As for the possibility of gambling resources on campuses, Dougherty thinks they would go unused. 

“My only fear is, I don’t know how many people would actually go for it,” said Dougherty.

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