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

This free live webinar, funded in collaboration with the State of Nevada DHHS, DBPH, Bureau of Behavioral Health Wellness and Prevention | Problem Gambling, examines how the legalization and increased accessibility of sports betting has influenced gambling addiction among college athletes.

The presentation reports findings from a systematic review of empirical literature, synthesizing results from four studies (Nowak, 2018; Winters & Derevensky, 2019; Hing, Rockloff, & Browne, 2023; Nelson et al., 2023). The review methodology includes use of Elicit, an AI-assisted research tool, with full investigator verification. Context includes recent NCAA data indicating that 67% of on-campus college students and 22% of male NCAA student-athletes have placed sports bets, as well as the 2025 NCAA proposal to permit betting on professional sports and its subsequent rescission. Topics covered include the "gamblification" of sport, multi-level risk factors (individual, environmental, and systemic), and co-occurring mental health concerns.

By the end of the session, participants will be able to describe prevalence and disparities in sports betting and problem gambling among college athletes; summarize post-PASPA trends and mobile betting accessibility; explain the systematic review methodology and its findings; identify multi-level risk factors; and apply evidence-informed harm-reduction, screening, and intervention strategies to clinical, prevention, and institutional practice.

Presented by Adrienne S. Renwick, Ph.D., LCPC, LCADC, NCC and Maria Aladjova, M.S., LCPC, LCADC, NCC. Earns 1.5 CEUs. Free to attend.