U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Katie Britt (R-AL), both members of the Senate Judiciary Committee, have called on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to examine the growing issue of sports gambling among young people in the United States. In a bipartisan letter, they urged the CDC to investigate how youth are affected by increased access to sports betting.
“We write to urge the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to study how America’s youth are being impacted by the rapid rise of sports gambling across America,” wrote the Senators.
The letter highlights concerns about minors accessing sports betting platforms, either illegally through legitimate sites or via offshore operations. The Senators noted, “Since the legalization of sports gambling in the United States, there has been limited research examining the extent to which minors are accessing sports betting platforms – whether through illegal access of legitimate platforms or through illegitimate offshore operations. However, the few existing studies are deeply troubling.”
They requested that as part of its Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS), which tracks health-related behaviors among students every two years, the CDC include questions about children’s gambling activities. The Senators wrote, “As you know, the CDC’s Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS) is conducted every two years to measure the frequency and scope of priority health-risk behaviors in American children…We ask that the CDC develop and incorporate questions about gambling by children, and in particular sports gambling, to give policymakers and families a better understanding of how, and to what extent, sports gambling is harming our children.”
The letter also asks for any data or research collected by CDC regarding children's involvement in gambling: “We ask that you provide Congress with what questions, if any, the CDC plans to introduce in the YRBSS related to gambling, and specifically sports gambling, to help us better understand the scope of this problem, as well as an estimate of the resources needed to add such topics to the YRBSS. Further, please provide Congress with any research or information you may find about the harmful impact of sports gambling on American children, and what steps the CDC is or may be taking to address this rising problem,” according to their statement.
Senators Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), and Brian Schatz (D-HI) joined Britt and Durbin in sending this request.
In December 2024, Senator Durbin chaired a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing titled “America’s High-Stakes Bet on Legalized Sports Gambling.” This session reviewed developments since a Supreme Court decision allowed states more freedom over legalized betting. During this hearing—which included discussion with NCAA President Charlie Barker—concerns were raised about athlete harassment linked with certain types of bets known as "prop bets."
Current statistics indicate that approximately 2.5 million U.S. adults meet criteria for severe gambling problems; since 2018 there has been a 30 percent increase in problem gambling risk. Globally nearly 18 percent of youth under age 18 have gambled within a year; North America shows one-third prevalence among adolescents. Many adult gamblers report early exposure during adolescence contributed significantly toward later issues.
The Senate Judiciary Committee plays an important role overseeing federal judicial matters—including law enforcement supervision—and provides public access to its work through its official website.
