University of Mississippi launches nation’s first academic centre on student gambling
Published: 25 March 2026 | By Kathryn Evans
Summary
The University of Mississippi (Ole Miss) has created the nation’s first dedicated academic centre focused on student gambling. Approved by the university board of trustees, the Centre on Collegiate Gambling will lead research, prevention and treatment efforts and investigate impacts on collegiate sports integrity. The move follows a multi-campus Ole Miss study that found 39% of surveyed students had gambled in the past year and that sports betting was the most common form of play. Among student sports bettors, 6% met the American Psychiatric Association’s criteria for problem gambling, with many more at moderate risk.
The centre will examine a wide range of gambling behaviours — from traditional card games to emerging prediction markets and offshore channels — and develop evidence-based strategies for campuses. Its launch coincides with active state-level debate in Mississippi over sports betting and with recent federal momentum for increased gambling addiction research funding.
Key Points
- Ole Miss has established the first US academic centre solely devoted to collegiate gambling research, prevention and treatment.
- A multi-campus study found 39% of students gambled in the past year; sports betting was the most common form.
- 6% of student sports bettors met APA criteria for problem gambling; many others were at moderate risk.
- Higher gambling prevalence was linked to being male, white, living off-campus and belonging to Greek life; 58% used online sportsbooks.
- The centre will research diverse behaviours (including prediction markets and offshore betting) and study effects on college sports integrity, aiming to produce evidence-based campus interventions.
- The initiative aligns with active state legislative debate on sports betting and a new bipartisan federal measure to boost gambling addiction research funding.
Context and relevance
This is the first time a US university has created a dedicated academic unit for student gambling, filling a recognised research gap. For universities, policymakers, public-health professionals and the gambling industry, the centre offers a systematic way to track student behaviour, identify at-risk groups and test prevention/treatment programmes. It also arrives as online and offshore betting channels expand, creating enforcement and integrity challenges for college sports.
Why should I read this?
Short and blunt: if you care about student welfare, college-sport integrity or how betting habits are changing on campuses, this matters. Ole Miss has turned preliminary survey findings into a formal research and intervention hub — expect practical data, new campus policies and pressure on regulators and operators. Read this to know where research and policy will point next.
Author style
Punchy: This isn’t just an academic press release — it’s a signal that collegiate gambling is being treated as a serious public-health and integrity issue. If you work in higher education, gambling policy, student services or the betting industry, the centre’s findings will be worth watching closely.