Gambling's Impact on Academic Performance Shown in Research
Published:
Oct 29, 2025
,
11:14 a.m.
ET
As gambling becomes more accessible through mobile apps, including online casinos and sports betting platforms, reach among students has expanded drastically.
A review of 18 global studies found near-unanimous agreement that gambling correlates with worse academic outcomes. 90% of included studies confirmed that habitual gambling leads to lower grades, increased absenteeism and higher academic stress.
Across continents, evidence paints the picture that if gambling either becomes a coping mechanism, a distraction or financial pressure, learning suffers.
Does gambling lead to worse academic performance?
Longitudinal studies show that adolescent gambling participation predicts later academic underachievement, even when controlling for impulsivity, socio-economic adversity and substance use.
Gambling consumes time meant for studying, fosters financial anxiety and can introduce addictive thought patterns that undermine discipline and focus.
Strong mentoring, small student–teacher ratios, targeted financial education and other protective factors help buffer some effects.
Evidence from College and University Populations
A scoping review examined 13 studies worldwide that measured the link between gambling behavior and academic performance among undergraduate students. Nearly all reported a negative relationship between gambling frequency and GPA.
Both casual gambling and pathological gambling were associated with worse outcomes, suggesting even recreational participation can interfere with focus and success. The review also noted a gap in recent data (most studies were over a decade old) highlighting the need to understand gambling in today’s digital, mobile-driven environment.
Researchers called for longitudinal data and standardized gambling metrics to better track harm, alongside university-led prevention and counseling programs
Social and Financial Drivers of Student Gambling
One study examined how sports betting affects academic performance among Tanzanian college students.
Notable findings include: financial stress motivates betting, betting leads to losses and losses increase financial and academic pressure. Students reported missing lectures, reducing study time and prioritizing gambling activities, particularly sports wagering, over coursework.
Importantly, the study identified several protective measures that helped redirect risk-taking behavior toward healthier financial management, including financial literacy programs, student employment opportunities and expanded loan access.
Longitudinal Evidence from Adolescents
A longitudinal twin study provided some of the strongest causal evidence linking gambling to later academic decline.
Following 766 adolescents from ages 14 to 17, researchers found that gambling at age 14 predicted lower academic performance three years later, even after controlling for impulsivity, family adversity and substance use. This finding suggests gambling can actively contribute to academic underachievement over time.
Evidence from Africa: A Cross-Cultural View
A RSIS International study in Kenya found statistically significant evidence that gambling negatively affects academic performance among university students (p = 0.024, p < 0.005).
Students who gambled reported financial difficulties, reduced class attendance and higher rates of academic stress. The authors recommended integrating gambling awareness education into university curricula, similar to how schools teach about substance use and mental health.
Gambling among high school and college students in the U.S.
In the United States, gambling has become a normalized part of student culture. An informal survey at the University of Missouri found that nearly nine in ten fraternity members actively participated in sports betting.
A 2023 NCAA study found that 58% of college students nationwide engage in some form of sports gambling. At the University of Connecticut, researchers found 72% of undergraduates had gambled in the past year, with more than one in four showing signs of problematic behavior.
60-80% of high school students report gambling at least once annually, often through social media-based sweepstakes, offshore sportsbooks or unregulated betting pools.
Gambling addiction treatment for students in America
The overlap between financial stress, digital accessibility and social pressure has made students vulnerable to gambling-related issues. Recovery is possible with specialized, compassionate care.
Birches Health provides evidence-based treatment for gambling addiction, sports betting problems and related compulsive behaviors such as day trading. Licensed clinicians deliver personalized therapy designed to address the cognitive, emotional and financial roots of addiction.
If you or someone you know is struggling with gambling, sports betting or related financial distress, help is available.
Take the first step toward recovery with Birches Health today:
Call 833-483-3838
Email help@bircheshealth.com
