A new undergraduate course at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pa., aims to tackle the growing presence of sports betting among college students by teaching gambling awareness and safety. The course, which has a complete waiting list, combines statistical analysis with neuroscience to educate students about the ins and outs of sports betting.
Key Takeaways
- Carnegie Mellon University is offering a new course to educate students on the risks and psychology of sports betting.
- A statistician and a neuroscientist teach the course, which has already reached full enrollment.
- Students will learn about gambling odds, cognitive biases, and how betting platforms maintain an advantage.
Statistician Ron Yurko, who leads the quantitative portion, said interest in his sports analytics work surged after sports betting was legalized in 2018. While he initially brushed off inquiries, the demand from students prompted him to act.
Yurko observed students betting in class and decided to collaborate with neuroscience professor Linda Moya. Their interdisciplinary course seeks to illuminate the odds stacked against bettors, the labor involved in profitable wagering, and the psychological processes behind gambling decisions.
Moya’s segment focuses on decision-making dynamics and cognitive bias, complementing Yurko’s instruction on betting mathematics. Yurko believes the class may be the first of its kind in the US, filling a gap in formal education about the fast-growing legal sports betting industry and its potential risks.
Pennsylvania online sports betting is legal, and the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board licenses several operators to operate in the state.
ROGA issues new guidelines for responsible VIP programs
While colleges are considering preventative measures, gaming stakeholders also promote responsible play. The Responsible Online Gaming Association (ROGA), responsible for 90% of the US legal market by handle, recently rolled out new guidelines for sportsbook VIP programs. The guidelines ensure loyalty programs further responsible gaming values rather than encouraging risky play.
ROGA's recommendations urge operators to incorporate responsible gaming messaging in all VIP communications, apply automated behavioral monitoring programs, and offer specialized VIP host training. Hosts are specifically told not to provide incentives to self-excluded players or those on a cooling-off period.
ROGA emphasized the need for VIP program evaluations at least annually, incorporating feedback from both players and staff. Executive Director Dr. Jennifer Shatley said the intent is to balance customer loyalty with player well-being, using research-driven best practices to shape long-term engagement strategies.
National survey shows problem gambling has stabilized since pandemic
These trends come as new national data offer insight into gambling activity trends. The National Survey on Gambling Attitudes and Gambling Experiences indicates problematic gambling activity has dropped to pre-COVID levels.
The survey found 8% of US adults reported having a minimum of one problem gambling indicator “many times" during the past year. Frequent gambling, engaging with several formats of gambling, betting on sports, and internet gambling were all considered to be risk factors. The demographic most likely to be regarded as a high-risk group was males below 35.
Though risky behavior has seemed to plateau, scientists caution that external factors, including cell access and aggressive promotion, could spark future changes.