Trending Now - Experts Warn as Teens Drawn to Gamified Sports Betting Apps
WHO:
Fast Company - Dr. Timothy Fong, addiction psychiatrist and co-director of the UCLA Gambling Studies Program
Fast Company - Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala.
Fast Company - Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Con.
Fast Company - Jason Levin, founder of Memelord Technologies
Fast Company - Stephen Findeisen, YouTuber known as Coffeezilla
Fast Company - Paris Woods, author and financial educator
Fast Company - Jack Such, spokesperson for Kalshi
WHAT:
ABC News - About 3 in 10 American adults under 30 placed a sports bet in the past year, according to a Pew Research Center survey conducted in summer 2025.
ABC News - About 2 in 10 Americans under 30, including 21% of men and 16% of women in that age group, said they wagered online in that period, up from 7% three years earlier.
Fast Company - Kalshi and Polymarket allow users to wager on absurd events, such as when the U.S. will confirm that aliens exist or whether Jesus Christ will return before 2027.
Fast Company - Kalshi and Polymarket are prediction market platforms that allow users to wager on real-world events.
Fast Company - 69% of users on Polymarket lost money according to recent academic research analyzing 588 million trades.
ABC News - About 3 in 10 American adults under 30 placed a sports bet in the past year.
ABC News - About 2 in 10 Americans under 30 wagered online in the past year, an increase from 7% three years earlier.
ABC News - The average age of a Kalshi user is 33, while the average age of a user who makes a purchase on Fliff is 26.
WHERE:
ABC News - Kalshi and Polymarket are available to users in many U.S. states.
WHEN:
ABC News - Legislation introduced by Sen. Katie Britt and Sen. Richard Blumenthal occurred last week.
WHY:
Fast Company - Dr. Timothy Fong stated that the "velocity of gambling" combined with "frictionless" access creates a dangerous slope for young people.
Fast Company - Experts believe that the three-year age gap between the minimum age for investing in the stock market (18) and the age limit for gambling (21) is critical for cognitive development.
Fast Company - Companies use memes and humor to attract younger audiences to their platforms.
ABC News - Platforms aim to gain loyal, long-term customers by targeting young users early.
HOW:
Fast Company - Fliff is designed with bright colors and engaging art, allowing users to customize an avatar and write a bio on their account page where their statistics are displayed.
Fast Company - Platforms like Fliff use gamified features such as leaderboards, challenges, and rewards to engage users.
ABC News - Kalshi has implemented safeguards to prevent minors from accessing their platform, including requiring a live selfie for account approval and using facial recognition for sign-in.
(UPDATED May 28, 2026 19:52 UTC)
A recent Pew Research Center survey reveals that about three in ten American adults under 30 placed a sports bet in the past year, with online wagering increasing from seven percent to twenty percent in that same age group. Platforms like Kalshi and Polymarket are pushing the envelope by allowing users to bet on unconventional events, such as the confirmation of extraterrestrial life or the return of Jesus Christ before 2027. Experts like Dr. Timothy Fong warn that the combination of rapid gambling growth and easy access could pose significant risks for young people navigating this new landscape.
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(UPDATED May 28, 2026 18:03 UTC)
Kalshi and Polymarket, two prediction market platforms, allow users to wager on real-world events, but recent research shows that 69% of Polymarket users lost money in their trades. Last week, legislation was introduced by Senators Katie Britt and Richard Blumenthal, highlighting concerns about the cognitive development gap between the minimum investing age of 18 and the gambling age of 21. To attract younger audiences, platforms are using gamified features and memes, while Kalshi has put safeguards in place to prevent minors from accessing their services, including requiring a live selfie for account approval.