Ole Miss announces college gambling center | AP News
Ole Miss is launching a first-of-its-kind center to study and address the growing issue of college sports gambling.Summary
The University of Mississippi announced the creation of the Center on Collegiate Gambling, the first research center in the nation dedicated to studying the impact of sports betting on college students and athletes. Approved in February with a $700,000 annual budget, the center will investigate the risks associated with the rapid expansion of legalized sports betting, particularly as surveys show 39% of Mississippi college students have gambled in the past year, with 6% exhibiting problem gambling behaviors. Researchers aim to inform policy changes and provide evidence-based prevention programs, including training counselors to identify and assist students struggling with gambling addiction. The center’s creation comes as Mississippi debates legalizing mobile sports betting, currently limited to casinos, and as illegal online betting thrives, accounting for approximately $3 billion in the state in 2024. Concerns also exist regarding threats to athletes linked to gambling losses.
(Source：The Associated Press)