Connecticut regulators reported more than 200 cases of underage sports betting over the past year, including incidents involving children as young as seven years old. The rise in cases has prompted state lawmakers to advance legislation aimed at strengthening user protections. The bill now awaits approval from Gov. Ned Lamont.
Officials with the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection say the growing number of underage sports betting cases has become a major concern, particularly because some incidents involve very young children. According to the agency, many of the reported cases are linked to minors accessing accounts belonging to parents or guardians on sportsbook platforms such as DraftKings and FanDuel.
State regulators noted that reports involving underage betting have become increasingly common as mobile sportsbook apps continue gaining popularity. In several documented cases, parents unknowingly enabled children to use betting accounts tied to their personal information and payment methods.
One reported incident involved a child using a parent’s sportsbook account to place wagers while the parent was away from home. Another case involved an eight-year-old allegedly accessing a betting account from a separate device.
Under Connecticut regulations, operators are required to report all underage gambling incidents to the Department of Consumer Protection. Accounts tied to those violations are immediately suspended or shut down.
As underage sports betting cases continue increasing, regulators and operators are facing mounting pressure to strengthen account security measures across online sportsbook platforms. One potential solution is the expanded use of biometric authentication, such as facial recognition or fingerprint logins, which could make it more difficult for minors to access betting accounts belonging to parents or guardians.
Currently, many sportsbook apps rely primarily on passwords and device verification, which can still allow unauthorized access if children are familiar with a parent’s login information or have access to a connected device. Implementing mandatory additional security layers tied directly to the account holder’s identity could help reduce those risks.
The growing visibility of sports betting advertisements could also be contributing to increased awareness of sportsbook apps among younger audiences. As betting operators continue heavily marketing during live sports broadcasts and social media content, children are being exposed to sportsbook brands at much earlier ages than in previous generations.
Research from Sacred Heart University has previously highlighted concerns surrounding the overexposure of gambling advertisements, particularly among younger viewers who regularly consume sports content online and through television broadcasts. The constant presence of sportsbook commercials and betting integrations during games may normalize gambling behavior for minors before they fully understand the risks involved.
While operators like DraftKings and FanDuel are legally required to market only to adults, the overall volume of advertising has outpaced existing safeguards designed to limit youth exposure. It’s why there has been a push to limit sports betting ads, especially during marquee sporting events.
