Welcome to the Global Research Hub on Gambling in Emerging Adults
Emerging adulthood is one of the most dynamic and complicated periods of life. It is a time of exploration, independence, identity-building and increasingly, a time shaped by rapid digital change. As smartphones, online gaming, sports betting, and social media blend into everyday life, young adults across the world are encountering gambling in ways no previous generation has.
This hub brings together the most important research from around the world to help you understand how and why gambling has become so woven into the lives of 18–25-year-olds and what we can do about it.
Across different sections, we explore not just the “numbers,” but the stories behind the numbers: the psychological mechanisms, cultural forces, digital designs, inequalities, and policy decisions that shape young people’s experiences.
Each section answers a different part of the bigger question:
Why does gambling look the way it does for today’s emerging adults?
Explore the Research Hub
Trends in Attitudes Towards Gambling Among Finnish Women and Men (2011– 2023) (Grönroos et al., 2025)
Gambling in Australia 2025: Prevalence, Risk, and Trends (Suomi, Hahn & Biddle, 2025)
Sports Betting Among Nigerian Undergraduates (Daniel et al., 2025)
Are There Riskier Types of Gambling? (Gooding & Williams, 2024)
Global Review of Problem Gambling: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (Dowling et al., 2024)
Pacific Islands Families Study: Young Adult Gambling Behaviors And Associated Risk Factors. (Bellringer et al., 2024)
The Dual Burden of Emerging Adulthood: Gambling-Related Harm and Mental Health (Gavriel-Fried et al., 2024)
The Prevalence of Gambling and Problematic Gambling: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Representative Survey Studies (Tran et al., 2024)
The Relationship Between Problematic Gambling Severity and Engagement with Gambling Products: Longitudinal Analysis of the Emerging Adults Gambling Survey (Wardle & Tipping, 2023)
Youth Gambling in Sub-Saharan Africa SSA: A Critical Research Agenda (Glozah et al., 2023)
Gambling Disorder Among Italian Healthcare Students (Scandroglio et al., 2023)
Gambling Disorder Among Porto University Students (Azevedo et al., 2023)
Emerging adults and college students face increased risk of gambling, especially online. Social, emotional, and financial factors raise their vulnerability. Help us understand this issue by sharing the survey.