Ole Miss Announces College Gambling Center As Concerns Rise Over
The University of Mississippi on Monday announced the upcoming launch of its new Center on Collegiate Gambling, which researchers describe as the "very first of its kind in the nation" amidst rising nationwide issue about wagering on collegiate sports.
The center was authorized by the Institutions of Higher Learning Board of Trustees in February and will cost about $700,000 a year. It was conceived to study the "increased risks" for university student and trainee athletes triggered by the quick growth of legalized sports betting and online gambling, its creators said. Researchers stated the center will now begin working with staff.
IHL ´ s approval of the center follows the release of survey outcomes by University of Mississippi scientists showing that 39% of Mississippi university student bet in a variety of formats in the previous year. Of those who participated in sports wagering, 6% of Mississippi university student satisfied requirements for problem gaming as defined by the American Psychiatric Association.
"We truly believe that this is a concern that affects Mississippi at big," Hannah Allen-King, executive director of the university ´ s William Magee Institute for Student Wellbeing and assistant teacher of public health, stated in a news release. "Therefore, we ´ re trying to work with our lawmakers as they discuss policy change around gaming in the state."
Commercial sports wagering was successfully prohibited with a few exceptions till 2018, when the U.S. Supreme Court overturned a 1992 prohibition. Mississippi permits sports wagering now, however only inside casinos.
After the 2018 U.S. Supreme Court decision, sports betting business released a full-court press lobbying project to bring sports betting to 10s of countless cellphones around the country, an effort reported to be the fastest expansion of legalized in American history. The companies have put cash into lobbying state lawmakers, including those in Mississippi.
But Mississippi has actually stayed one of the few holdout states, largely due to worries that legalization might harm the bottom line of the state ´ s gambling establishments and increase the frequency of gambling dependency. That hasn ´ t stopped a successful black market from taking hold in the state.
In 2024, unlawful online betting in Mississippi comprised about 5% of the national illegal market, which has to do with $3 billion in unlawful bets in Mississippi, advocates stated that year. Supporters of legalization say people will place online sports wagers despite whether the practice is legal, so the state ought to regulate and tax it.
The state House has actually voted, for the 3rd year in a row, to legalize mobile sports wagering during the ongoing 2026 legal session. But Senate leaders have actually said they plan to let the step die once again.
Nevertheless, college schools have actually become hubs of activity for sports wagering and, increasingly, betting addiction. This has actually prompted require research into mobile sports betting ´ s development and impact on young adults. The new center will aim to produce such research, which its creators say is lacking without a nationwide research center in the U.S. dedicated solely to the study of collegiate gambling.
The academic research will concentrate on college student betting behaviors ranging from card video games to proposal wagering and forecast markets. The center will likewise promote "evidence-based policies and programs to prevent damage," consisting of training counselors to assist trainees having problem with gaming.
Eight University of Mississippi counselors have actually already gotten the accreditation to better equip them to identify gambling addiction in trainees, the researchers said.
The rise of collegiate betting has also caused increased threats directed at athletes, whose performance is now closely tracked by bettors.
"In a state like Mississippi where we wear ´ t have a great deal of professional sports groups, college sports are such a huge part of our culture, and a large part of our state population follows and cares about college sports," Allen-King stated. "We ´ ve seen that it can impact the mental health of student-athletes who are getting threatened and harassed due to the fact that people are losing money since of their efficiency throughout video games.
Daniel Durkin, an associate professor of social work who is also one of the center ´ s establishing members, said raising awareness of sports betting ´ s occurrence on college schools will be a central goal.
"Part of the issue right now is everyone ´ s just having a great time," Durkin stated. "Look at the advertisements; betting ´ s fun. Everybody ´ s doing it. The severity of the issues has not really concern the forefront yet, but it ´ s just a matter of time."
This story was initially released by Mississippi Today and distributed through a collaboration with The Associated Press.