Published on: March 25, 2026, 12:28h.
Updated on: March 24, 2026, 01:29h.
- Ole Miss launches the Center for Collegiate Gambling
- The center aims to enhance understanding of gambling behaviors among college students
- Sports betting is believed to be driving a surge in gambling issues among youth
The University of Mississippi, popularly known as Ole Miss, is taking proactive measures in response to the rising rates of problem gambling among its student body.
In a groundbreaking initiative, the University of Mississippi has unveiled its Center for Collegiate Gambling, which recently received backing from the university’s Board of Trustees for Institutions of Higher Learning.
According to a statement from the institution, this center will focus on comprehensively studying college students’ gambling habits, encompassing various areas such as card games, sports betting, and prediction markets through academic research. It aims to promote “evidence-based policies and programs” to mitigate gambling-related harms, enhance students’ well-being, and bolster the integrity of college athletics.
Mississippi is home to a total of 25 commercial casinos and four tribal casinos, and it also oversees in-person sports betting activities at these establishments.
Growing Concerns
Daniel Durkin, an associate professor of social work at Ole Miss, noted that an expert on gambling issues delivered a presentation at the university in 2024, highlighting concerns regarding the normalization of sports betting in the United States.
“We observed a burgeoning gambling issue, and it seemed not many were actively addressing it,” Durkin remarked.
In response, Durkin established an informal task force to investigate gambling patterns and related challenges within the college demographic.
“When we started attending national gambling conferences, we recognized that more focused efforts were necessary within the collegiate gambling sector,” Durkin explained. “There was a distinct demand for a center dedicated to collegiate gambling.”
Research conducted by Durkin’s team revealed that nearly 40% of college students in Mississippi engage in some form of gambling each year, with approximately 6% qualifying as problem gamblers.
Despite the inability to place legal sports bets online within Mississippi, the emergence of prediction markets—federally regulated platforms allowing for sports contract trading—has effectively reintroduced sports betting into the state. Additionally, numerous residents are utilizing unregulated offshore betting sites for sports wagers.
Youth Involvement in Gambling
A 2025 survey conducted by Siena University in New York found that approximately 50% of men aged 18 to 49 in the United States currently maintain an active online sports betting account. This trend has resulted in various financial complications, strained relationships, and broader social implications.
Financial expert Dave Ramsey has described online sports betting as a “gateway to disaster,” labeling it the “fastest-growing addiction that is wreaking havoc on young men.”
For yet another legislative session, a proposal to expand legal online sports betting was introduced in the Mississippi Legislature, but the bill was stalled in committee due to concerns that internet sportsbooks might hurt physical casinos and exacerbate problem gambling issues.