While the room burst with cheers after a last -minute touch, Marvin Karlins noticed something strange at a Super Bowl party.
It was not excitement against a score game during the match, but applauded a successful bet.
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“(Patrick) Mahomes launched a touched pass pass at the end of the game and people broke out,” Karlins, USF professor at Muma College of Business and expert in the game, said, not because their team won, but because this pass has pushed the scoring. “
Karlins said that moments like these show how deeply anchored in American culture.
He thinks that it is particularly dangerous for students, who have unprecedented access to the game through their phones.
“You can use your phone to bet, it’s still there,” Karlins said. “So it makes the task much easier to do and the easier it is to do it, the more likely it is that you lose.”
A 2023 NCAA The survey of 3,527 young people aged 18 to 22 revealed that 67% of students living in university campuses had participated in sports betting. The survey revealed that 41% of students had placed betting in the teams of their own school, while 35% admitted To place bets with other students.
In addition, 16% of respondents are committed to what the NCAA defined as a “risky behavior”, which includes bets several times a week, paries of $ 50 or more in a single bet or lose $ 500 in one day.
In Florida, online sports betting are legal but closely regulated. The Florida Seminole tribe currently has exclusive rights to offer sports betting via its Hard Rock betting application, After the 2023 West Flagler decision against Haaland.
However, geographic restrictions have proven to be ineffective obstacles for students who seek to place bets. The NCAA survey has revealed similar bets in states where the game is illegal and those where it is authorized.
But Karlins said that the legality of sports betting was not the problem.
“The problem is that people don’t understand risks,” he said. “They think they are smarter than the system.”
Karlins said that what attracts students to sports betting in particular is the illusion of having an advantage. He said that casinos have a “mathematical advantage” on the players, which diverts the students of the bets in person.
Karlins said he was worried about the impact of mental health on student sports betting. He said students endanger themselves when they participate in the pastime.
“The sports game, like all games of chance, can become addictive,” said Karlins. “And the fact is that the more you play, the more likely you are losing. People can lose everything.”
Despite the risks, Karlins does not plead for a pure and simple ban on the student game. He said that students should see bets as they would do other entertainment expenses.
“If you go to the cinema and spend $ 100, you don’t expect to recover this money. Treat bets in the same way,” he said. “It’s entertainment, not income.”
But Karlins said that he already saw cultural change taking place in sports.
“Sports become less on the game and more about action,” he said. “And when this happens, you risk losing what makes him special.”
Karlins said he advised moderation above all.
“If you lose money, don’t pursue it. This is how problems start,” he said. “It is better to move away.”