Community-led research funded by the Massachusetts Gaming Commission explores how marketing, social media, and casino proximity impact youth ages 14 to 25

BOSTON, MA — Thursday, October 1, 2026 — The Mayor’s Office of Human Services today released findings of a three-phase research project examining how young people in Charlestown perceive and experience casino gambling and sports betting. Funded by a grant from the Massachusetts Gaming Commission’s Gambling Harm Mitigation Fund, the study was developed in partnership with research firm YZ Design Works and local Charlestown youth.

“One of the roles of City government is to examine emerging issues and learn more about how they impact our local community,” said José F. Massó, Chief of Human Services, City of Boston. “This research provides actionable insights that will guide our engagement with youth on the risks of gambling.”

The goal of this research project was to engage directly with youth to learn more about how young people in Charlestown perceive casino gambling and to inform municipal policy and programs aimed at addressing gambling initiation. The study was designed as a participatory action research project, meaning that it centered the people who are most impacted by the study – youth from Charlestown – in the design and interpretation of the research.

Beginning in Spring 2025, YZ Design Works worked alongside a core team of youth researchers to conduct qualitative interviews, a quantitative neighborhood survey, and focus groups. The study identified two prevailing mindsets toward gambling among Charlestown youth that increase their risk of harm.

• Gambling as Social Recreation: One group views gambling as a social vice and a social activity similar to drinking, believing risks can be managed through limits, group settings, and treating losses as the cost of entertainment. For these youth, the findings point to a need for non-commercial spaces where young adults can socialize with peers.

• Gambling as Economic Opportunity: A second group views gambling as a necessity to supplement family income. Viewing luck-based casino games as manipulative, these youth often favor sports betting, operating under the assumption that personal knowledge, research and persistence give them an edge. For this group, access to workforce pathways—such as apprenticeships and learn-and-earn programs—is essential to reducing the financial allure of gambling.

“When I first moved to Charlestown, I drove by Encore at night and it was this big shiny building that kind of lured you in. The project being about Encore is what pushed me to be a part of it,” said Cristhy, Youth Researcher on the Charlestown Gambling Project. “I grew up around gambling and playing the lottery and I didn’t even realize that it was a loss for a lot of people. I thought it was just a hobby because it was so normalized but after the project, I learned how it can negatively impact people and their families.”

Across all demographics, researchers noted a stark imbalance in messaging exposure. Youth are saturated with pro-gambling advertisements on billboards, television, and social media platforms, where influencers actively promote sports betting. In contrast, public health prevention messaging remains fragmented and sporadic.

“What stood out throughout this study was how thoughtfully Charlestown youth explained why some forms of gambling seemed dangerous, manageable, or even financially useful,” said Yuri Zaitsev, Founder, YZ Design Works, Inc. “The Youth Research Team brought essential local knowledge and helped us recognize important distinctions at every stage of the study. Their involvement grounded the findings in how young people actually understand different forms of gambling and the roles they play in their lives.”

Based on these findings, the research points to four overarching strategies to reduce the risk of gambling harm.

• Regulate & Rebalance Advertising: Reduce youth exposure to pro-gambling ads and deploy targeted, digital-first prevention campaigns where gambling content is most prevalent. Directly counter beliefs that make gambling seem safe or profitable.

• Restrict Youth Access to Gambling: Strengthen age-verification systems, account sharing, referral incentives, and the ways gambling promotion reaches young people through family and friends.

• Leverage Local Youth Serving Organizations: Partner with Charlestown’s established network of coaches, youth workers, and peer leaders to deliver tailored, nuanced prevention messages directly through trusted sources.

• Invest in Youth Spaces: Develop accessible, unprogrammed spaces where young adults, especially those ages 18-20, where they can have fun with their peers without the space feeling programmed.

To read the full report and executive summary, please visit the City of Boston website at: (www.boston.gov/departments/human-services/charlestown-youth-gaming-study).