Ole Miss Researchers Seek $2M for Gambling Research and Treatment

OXFORD, Miss.: University of Mississippi researchers are seeking $2 million a year for gambling research and treatment programs.

The request comes as Mississippi lawmakers remain divided over mobile sports betting and the state’s lack of public funding for problem gambling services.

The proposal would allocate $1 million to a Center on Collegiate Gambling and another $1 million to gambling treatment clinics for Mississippi residents. Researchers have recently met with state lawmakers to make the case for steady public funding.

Funding Would Support Research and Clinics

The Center on Collegiate Gambling would study student gambling, betting on college sports and related risks for athletes and campuses. The funding request follows an earlier University of Mississippi effort to build a campus response to gambling harm, including research focused on college students and sports betting risks.

The funding request would expand University of Mississippi research into gambling behavior at a time when sports betting, online platforms and offshore sites are drawing more attention from lawmakers and public health experts.

The second $1 million would support gambling treatment clinics for the broader Mississippi population. The main clinic would be based at the University of Mississippi, with additional possible clinics at Mississippi State University, Jackson State University and the University of Southern Mississippi.

Researchers said the need for treatment is significant because most people with gambling problems never receive care. Their presentation said nine out of 10 people with a gambling problem do not receive treatment.

Student Gambling Data Raises Concern

A 2025 survey of Mississippi public universities found that about 40% of undergraduate students had gambled in the past year. Lottery, cards and sports betting were listed among the most common forms of gambling.

The survey found gambling was more common among students who were male, white, lived off campus, played sports or participated in Greek life. Researchers also said about 16% of student sports bettors met criteria for moderate or severe problem gambling.

The figures arrive as national concern grows around gambling on college sports, athlete harassment and student access to betting products. University researchers said the issue is not limited to whether Mississippi legalizes mobile sports betting, because young people and adults can already access offshore gambling sites and other online platforms.

Rep. Beth Luther Waldo, a Republican from Pontotoc, said after a recent visit to the university that gambling addiction among young people stood out as particularly concerning. She said some people can become trapped in cycles of gambling losses and debt while trying to recover what they have already lost.

Mobile Sports Betting Debate Continues

Mississippi has legal retail sports betting at casinos but has not legalized statewide mobile sports betting. The House has repeatedly backed legalization, while Senate leaders have continued to resist the proposal.

Supporters argue that Mississippi residents are already using offshore sites and that the state should regulate and tax mobile wagering. Opponents have warned that legalization could hurt brick-and-mortar casinos and increase gambling addiction risks.

Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann has said mobile sports betting could undermine casino investment, increase opportunities for misconduct involving athletes and raise questions about whether tax revenue would offset social and economic costs.

The University of Mississippi researchers have not taken a position on mobile sports betting legalization. Instead, they have argued that Mississippi needs research, public education and treatment services regardless of what lawmakers decide.

Their presentation said Mississippi is one of only nine states with no public funding specifically designated for problem gambling services. The state previously transferred $100,000 to the Mississippi Council on Problem and Compulsive Gambling, but that funding ended in 2018.

Researchers said Mississippi’s casino industry remains a major economic force. Statewide commercial casino gambling revenue reached $2.43 billion in 2025, while commercial casinos generated about $287.9 million in direct gaming tax revenue.

The funding request now gives lawmakers a separate question from mobile sports betting itself. Even if the Senate continues to block legalization, Mississippi may still face growing pressure to fund gambling research and treatment as online access, offshore wagering and student betting remain active issues.

RELATED TOPICS: Responsible Gambling