New state reporting and youth gambling research are pointing to the same reality: attempts by minors to access legal sportsbook apps are frequent enough to show up in recurring fraud filings, account closures, and family complaints.
For regulators and operators, the question is shifting from whether guardrails exist to whether they are stopping enough activity early, and whether marketing and product exposure are accelerating interest among audiences who cannot legally bet.
State fraud reports show repeat underage attempts
In Massachusetts, DraftKings reported blocking roughly 4,800 attempted registrations by minors in a year and suspending 243 accounts. FanDuel reported stopping 186 attempted sign-ups and closing 330 accounts.
Tennessee reported a sharp increase in underage account use flags, rising from 105 instances in 2024 to more than 400 the next year. Ohio tracks wager totals tied to suspected underage activity. DraftKings logged 620 underage reports totaling $2.78 million in wagers since 2023, while FanDuel recorded 162 reports linked to $63,152.
The numbers vary by state, but the pattern is consistent: underage activity is being detected regularly, not as isolated incidents.
A national youth survey shows exposure is widespread
A national survey of 1,017 boys ages 11 to 17 found 36% reported gambling in the past year and 12% reported sports-related gambling. The same research found nearly half of boys see gambling posts online even when they are not looking for them, and most report the content simply appears in their feeds.
The study also linked early exposure to gaming-adjacent mechanics, including chance-based reward systems that blur the line between play and wagering behavior.
KYC systems catch many attempts, household access is harder
Sportsbooks lean on age verification, identity checks, selfie-and-ID workflows, and geolocation controls to prevent minors from registering or betting. Those layers are catching a meaningful share of attempted sign-ups.
The harder edge case is indirect access. Complaints from parents and recent lawsuits have focused on scenarios where a household account is used improperly or where identity signals appear legitimate, turning prevention into detection after the fact.
Super Bowl spikes will be the next compliance stress test
With a major betting weekend ahead, regulators are likely to focus on how quickly operators act on flags, how they handle repeat attempts, and what controls exist around high-visibility moments that drive curiosity.
The next concrete marker is whether states expand reporting requirements and enforcement expectations, and whether operators tighten onboarding and monitoring fast enough to keep underage activity from becoming a recurring headline in 2026.
