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State of Play’s TL;DR
- Ole Miss is opening what researchers say is the nation’s first Center on Collegiate Gambling to study rising betting risks among students and athletes.
- The center’s work will be closely watched by bettors and operators as it tackles addiction, athlete-targeted threats, and the policy debate over mobile sports betting.
The University of Mississippi announced the upcoming launch of its Center on Collegiate Gambling, approved in February by the Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning and budgeted at about $700,000 annually.
The center will study the effects of legalized sports betting and online casinos on college students and athletes, and begins hiring staff soon.
University officials cited a survey showing 39% of Mississippi college students gambled in the past year and 6% met criteria for problem gambling under American Psychiatric Association standards.
Hannah Allen-King, executive director of the William Magee Institute for Student Wellbeing, said the center will partner with legislators on policy. Daniel Durkin, an associate professor and founding member, stressed the need to raise awareness as gambling becomes more common on campus.
Research could factor into debate on online sports betting
The center’s research could shape how states, including Mississippi, regulate and treat college-related betting harms and which responsible gambling resources to make available.
Mississippi currently allows sports betting only inside casinos; lawmakers who oppose mobile wagering cite addiction risks and potential harm to casino revenues.
Proponents argue illegal online bets in Mississippi represent a slice of a larger national underground market worth an estimated $3 billion, supporting calls to regulate and tax mobile play.
The center’s findings may influence counseling and player-protection protocols – eight campus counselors are already certified to help students with gambling issues – and could drive stricter integrity measures around college athletics after reports of threats and harassment tied to bets.
Expect the center to begin hiring researchers and rolling out studies this year while engaging with state lawmakers as mobile-betting bills resurface. The Mississippi House has repeatedly supported legalization, but Senate leaders have signaled continued opposition; the center’s evidence could factor into future debates.
Based on reporting by Peyton Taylor for DeSoto County News.
