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How much money do you have? How much money are you able to wager on your favorite sports teams? Would you be able to afford a gambling loss?  

The rise of sports betting among college students is reshaping campus life, bringing both excitement and risk. It is estimated that 75% of college students engaged in gambling in the past year. 

Sports betting is a form of gambling that revolves around wagering money on sports. This could be from winners of games to players with the most points, to even if there will be a streaker in the Super Bowl.  

Online gambling has slowly taken over in-person gambling like casinos as technology gets integrated into our daily lives more and more. In Iowa, it is legal to participate in sports betting, whereas in 12 of the states, it is illegal (Alabama, Alaska, California, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Minnesota, Missouri, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas and Utah).

Along with the 12 states that have made it illegal to sports bet, so has the NCAA conference. For student-athletes, gambling can carry even more severe penalties. The NCAA strictly prohibits athletes from participating in sports betting, and violations can result in lost scholarships and eligibility. 

For college students and college aged students in particular, sports betting is seen as a norm.   

The most popular ways to sports bet include DraftKings, Bet365, BetMGM and many more. 

“I use DraftKings, Fan Duel, Caesars, and Bet365; but there is tens of hundreds, if not thousands by now,” Grand View University class of 2024 alum Tyrell Newman, who has been sports betting since he was 18, said.

With any type of gambling, betting or wagering, the idea of getting hooked on the hope and the rush of winning money can come up. College students are highly susceptible to gambling addiction due to their age, social influence and the accessibility of betting platforms. Along with many people being able to start as young as 18, it only requires two things: money and a phone.  

“It is super easy to get set up and start, that’s the problem,” said Newman. “We see so many advertisements nowadays for free betting too.”  

Students then run the risk of losing money that they may need for food, rent, gas, school and many other necessities. This age range is usually not making a high salary or wage because they are just starting out and most are working part-time due to pursuing education.

Anna Gosling, a junior at GVU, just recently started betting on sports. 

“It is kind of interesting among college students because those are typically people that don’t really have the money to bet,” Gosling said. 

“I’m not too worried about the risk of a gambling addiction because I think I have the self-control.” Gosling said. “But the adrenaline you feel when you place a bet or as the game is going on, I can see how it can become addicting.”  

There are positives to this  type of gambling. College students see this as an opportunity to have a community of people with the same interest of sports and possibly make money from it. Many do not just see sports betting as a way to make money but rather that is just a benefit. They see betting as a reason to watch other sports and other teams they normally do not watch or engage with.  

“It is fun when you don’t really care about any games that are on necessarily. When you place a bet on them, then you have a reason to pay attention and care and that part is fun,” Gosling said.

Some of the biggest sports events include the Super Bowl, March Madness, the NFL playoffs, NBA finals, MLB World Series and many more events. These aren’t the only events that people bet on, but they are some of the most bet on. For example, a record 1.39 billion dollars was expected to be spent on betting legally on the 2025 Super Bowl.

Compare sports betting to going to the mall and shopping, for example. You can do it alone or with friends. When you do them with friends, there is a social aspect that many people enjoy and look for in their everyday life. You also have to spend money for both of these things. 

Students run the risk of taking it too far. Shopping addictions and gambling addictions are both common things that can come from something people do for a sense of community. 

“You definitely have to learn your boundaries and set up some sort of budget for it,” Newman said.  

Sports betting, done in a controlled and disciplined way, can be positive. It can be a way to bond with people or even sports, or things to do with friends. It includes the plus side of a chance to make money.