The sports betting landscape continues to evolve. A handful of states are restricting prediction markets now. Sportsbooks such as FanDuel and DraftKings have begun offering their own prediction markets, and others such as Caesars and BetMGM have elected to stay out of the space. Beyond prediction markets and sportsbooks, a third bucket also includes daily fantasy sports (DFS) and “pick’em” style games with legality varying state by state.
A key difference is that prediction markets and DFS/pick’em games allow people over 18 to play (in most states), while sportsbooks restrict usage to 21 and older (in most states). This loophole is providing an easier pathway for the younger 18-20 age group to legally “bet” on sports before they turn 21.
Among 18-20-year-olds, Sports Poll™ data shows that 7% say they use a prediction market platform (Kalshi, Polymarket, or Robinhood) to bet on sports, and 6% use a DFS/pick’em platform (PrizePicks or Underdog). Both are about the same for 18-20 and 21-34-year-olds. When we cast a wider net to include all online platforms (sportsbooks, prediction markets, and DFS/pick’em), we can see that 21-34-year-olds are the most active online bettors. Younger fans have always been able to find ways to bet on sports if they desired, but the availability of alternative platforms is making it easier for them to bet before most of them can legally use online sportsbooks.
Reach out to us if you’d like more information on sports betting or other ways fans are engaging in sports today.
Sports Poll by SSRS™ is conducted continuously throughout the year and includes a nationally representative sample of more than 24,000 Americans each year.
