According to a recent report by Clasp, a loan-based hiring platform for various healthcare fields, many healthcare students are pivoting to sports betting and prediction markets to pay for their tuition.
Clasp Says Significant Portion of Medical Students Gamble
The survey, conducted by Pollfish, questioned 1,000 US healthcare students to examine the “non-traditional income sources” they are using to help cover the cost of school. Some of those income streams include prediction markets or sports betting, and even creating adult content on OnlyFans to generate extra cash. The survey did not identify the medical or nursing schools attended by respondents.
According to the study, 27% of the healthcare students surveyed by Clasp said they have used an online sportsbook or traded on a yes/no prediction market. Among respondents, 50% said they had placed bets on DraftKings, 42% reported using FanDuel, and 31% said they had traded event contracts on Polymarket.
Although women made up more than 80% of the Clasp survey sample, male respondents were significantly more likely to use prediction markets or sports betting platforms. Nearly half of the male students surveyed said they had used one of those platforms, compared with about 20% of female respondents.
Tess Michaels, CEO of Clasp, said the survey indicates that many healthcare students are not using sports betting or prediction markets for entertainment but as a way to help finance their education. However, she noted that most are generating little to no net profit. Michaels also added that because healthcare students have limited free time, they are often drawn to the quickest ways to earn extra money. This makes platforms that promise fast access to cash, such as Kalshi or even OnlyFans, particularly appealing.
Is This Even Worth It?
Healthcare students use prediction markets and sportsbooks at higher rates than the broader population of 18- to 22-year-olds, Clasp found. According to the survey, 73% of healthcare students who participate in these platforms do so multiple times a week, while 15% engage daily. By comparison, those figures fall to 14% and 4%, respectively, among the general 18- to 22-year-old population.
However, their frequent participation, many healthcare students report struggling to generate meaningful income through sports betting or prediction markets. Data shows that only 40% of respondents said they have made money overall from sports betting or prediction markets.
Most participants who reported gains or losses said the amounts ranged between $100 and $1,000, though one in 10 said they had won or lost more than $5,000. In two particular cases, the respondents reported gains or losses exceeding $50,000.
One might argue that the data from Clasp is part of a broader trend, showing that a majority of American youth are gambling, yet medical screening seems to be lacking. Considering that future healthcare professionals are a cornerstone of society, perhaps more effort should be spent helping them.