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Gambling and prediction apps — sports betting, fantasy, and prediction markets

Scams Emerging Money Finance Weak Age Verification App

Gambling and prediction apps have exploded on phones and the web. Regulators and researchers report that underage users regularly access real-money sports betting and fantasy apps—often through stolen identities, a parent’s account, or weak age verification. Prediction markets, which let people trade on the outcome of events (sports, politics, etc.), can have looser age rules than traditional sportsbooks and are increasingly used by teens. Parents should know the main apps by name and the risks.

Sports betting and daily fantasy (real money)

These apps are legally restricted to adults (usually 18+ or 21+ depending on state), but underage sign-ups are common. Names to be aware of:

  • DraftKings — sportsbook and daily fantasy; one of the most downloaded betting apps.
  • FanDuel — sportsbook and fantasy; widely advertised and frequently named in underage-betting reports.
  • BetMGM — sports and casino-style betting.
  • PrizePicks — “pick more or less” on player stats and outcomes; often described as America’s #1 sports picks app; available in all 50 states.
  • Underdog Fantasy — fantasy sports and picks; ranks among the top sports apps by downloads.
  • Sleeper — fantasy sports and community; includes betting-style gameplay.
  • Bet365, Betway, William Hill, Caesars, PointsBet — other major sportsbooks with mobile apps.

Population context: see our Siena April 2026 note on online sports-betting adoption.

Prediction markets

These platforms let users trade contracts on whether something will happen (e.g. who wins an election, a game, or an event). They can attract younger users because age restrictions are sometimes looser than for traditional gambling:

  • Kalshi — regulated US prediction market (CFTC); allows trading on politics, sports, and other events; has been cited as increasingly popular with teens.
  • Polymarket — crypto-based prediction market; global; politics, sports, and culture.
  • PredictIt — prediction market focused on politics and events.
  • Manifold — play-money prediction market (no real money, but normalizes “betting” on outcomes).
  • Metaculus — community forecasting platform; less directly “gambling” but similar habit of predicting outcomes.

“Social” or virtual-currency sportsbooks

Some apps use virtual currency or sweepstakes models and market to younger or under-18 users:

  • Fliff — “social sportsbook” that uses virtual currency and sweepstakes; has been reported to market to users under 18 and saw very high growth among young audiences. Teens can get into the habit of “placing bets” even when money is virtual.

Offshore crypto casinos and streamer promotion

Some operators combine crypto deposits with casino-style games and spend heavily on live-stream partnerships (Kick, Twitch, YouTube, and clip culture on TikTok). They are often blocked or illegal in major markets but still visible as entertainment. See Roobet, Stake, and Rainbow Bet for focused explainers on regional limits, creator promotion, and why on-screen losses may not match a normal player's risk.

Experts warn that young people are more susceptible to gambling problems; exposure to these apps can prime them for real-money gambling later. If your child has any of these apps, including DraftKings, FanDuel, PrizePicks, Underdog Fantasy, Sleeper, Fliff, Kalshi, Stake, Rainbow Bet, Polymarket, PredictIt, or other sportsbook and prediction apps, talk with them about the risks, check how they signed up (whose account, what age given), and set clear rules about money and screen time around gambling-style apps.

Related: FanDuel · DraftKings · Sports betting adoption · Young people & money