Student-Athletes and the Risk of Gambling Addiction: The Impact of Sports-Betting Legalization and Increased Accessibility: LIVE WEBINAR

Funding was made possible for this event in collaboration with The State of Nevada DHHS, DBPH, Bureau of Behavioral Health Wellness and Prevention | Problem Gambling

The 2018 repeal of PASPA fundamentally changed the gambling landscape for U.S. college athletes. Recent NCAA data indicate that 67% of on-campus college students and 22% of male NCAA student-athletes have placed sports bets, yet research on this population has not kept pace with the rapid expansion of legalized, mobile-accessible sports wagering. This presentation reports findings from a systematic review of empirical literature examining how the legalization and increased accessibility of sports betting has influenced the development, severity, and prevalence of gambling addiction among college athletes. We describe the search and screening process — including the use of Elicit, an AI-assisted research tool, with full investigator verification — and synthesize results from four included studies (Nowak, 2018; Winters & Derevensky, 2019; Hing, Rockloff, & Browne, 2023; Nelson et al., 2023). We situate findings within current NCAA policy, including the 2025 proposal to permit betting on professional sports and its subsequent rescission, and discuss the "gamblification" of sport, multi-level risk factors (individual, environmental, and systemic), and co-occurring mental health concerns. The session closes with practice and policy implications for counselors, athletic department staff, prevention specialists, and institutional leaders, with attention to harm-reduction approaches, routine gambling screening, and athlete-specific intervention gaps that warrant future research.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this presentation, participants will be able to:

Describe the prevalence of sports betting and problem gambling among college athletes and their peers, including disparities by sex, sport, and division level.

Summarize current trends in student-athlete sports wagering, including the influence of post-PASPA legalization, mobile betting accessibility, and the 2025 NCAA policy debate.

Explain the methodology and key findings of a systematic review of empirical studies on sports betting and gambling addiction in college athletes, including the role and limitations of AI-assisted screening tools such as Elicit.

Identify multi-level risk factors (individual, sport-environment, and systemic) that contribute to gambling-related harm in this population.

Apply evidence-informed implications to clinical, prevention, and institutional practice, including harm-reduction strategies, routine screening, and staff training needs.

Presented by: Adrienne S. Renwick, Ph.D., LCPC, LCADC, NCC and Maria Aladjova, M. S. LCPC, LCADC, NCC

Continuing Education Units: 1.5 CEUs

Cost: Free