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Since legalization in 2021, sports betting has surged in the state of Arizona. In April, the state surpassed betting mecca Nevada, with nearly $100 million more wagered at sportsbooks that month, according to the Arizona Department of Gaming. With their checkered history related to sports betting, Arizona State University students have contributed much to the huge revenue.

“I absolutely believe that sports betting has become very prominent recently, especially in classes and stuff. It’s more of a day-to-day activity rather than being like, ‘Oh, we’re betting on sports,'” said ASU student Douglas Santo. “I think you’ve seen it infiltrate classes, it’s not something that people try to be quiet about or tiptoe around.”

“It’s here to stay and people know that.”

While betting on college campuses is hardly a new trend, the legalization of sports betting in 38 of 50 states has certainly brought daily betting odds out of the shadows. Gone are the days of ESPN talking about spreads in innuendo, and now are the days of making over/under bets in math class.

“I would say almost everyone I talk to has made at least 50 sports bets in their life,” said Brendon Pehar, a rising senior at ASU. “I watch a game and the first thing I ask my friend is, ‘What do you think?'”

This is not the first time sports betting has rocked ASU’s campus. The school was previously embroiled in a point-fixing scandal in 1994. Basketball player Stevin “Hedake” Smith and teammate Isaac Burton pleaded guilty to conspiracy in 1997. The two had accepted bribes to fix games during the 1993-94 season. While at school, Smith racked up $10,000 in gambling debts to fellow student and bookie Benny Silman. To repay his debts and more, the two devised a scheme to deduct points from Smith as the Sun Devils’ point guard that season.

While the point-stepping scandal of the 1990s highlighted the risks associated with gambling on campus, the recent legalization of sports betting has brought new challenges. As sports betting has become more commonplace, great care has been taken to separate the students from the school’s athletes.

Athletes like Smith, who still holds the Sun Devils record for most 3-pointers made in franchise history, are vulnerable to being tackled in a similar manner to him in this new era of sports.

“It’s very clear and communicated to (ASU student-athletes) many times that they can’t participate in sports betting, it’s inappropriate, their eligibility is at stake, but it also affects the people around them,” said ASU athletic director Graham Rossini. “Even if you connect to an app, people are going to figure that out. It’s not worth it, it’s not worth the detours to try to make sure everyone understands that there is an extreme responsibility.

“If someone tries to use knowledge or experience in a way that they can profit from it, it’s just not worth the risk, no pun intended.”

In addition to maintaining eligibility, athletes face increasing pressure from the pervasive nature of sports betting. Rossini also spoke about the damage that sports betting can have on college athletes who are just trying to do their job in their sport.

Every athlete is reachable with just a few clicks on a screen, with social media playing a prominent role in the consumption of competitions.

“We find that our student-athletes are under increased pressure just from sports betting,” Rossini said. “They’re all very well-known figures, people can find them on social media. They’re being harassed and getting these horrible messages: ‘How could you drop that pass? What a terrible play, you cost me hundreds of dollars and I can’t pay my rent this month.'”

Rossini noted that the school has invested in mental health resources to counteract the pressure and criticism that athletes face. Another measure he believes could help is eliminating special bets in college sports, as NCAA President Charlie Baker has suggested. Special bets allow players to bet on the performance of individual players and can single out specific players who will get into even more trouble if they fail to cash in on a bet slip.

The pressure athletes face is just one aspect of the broader mental health issues that come with sports betting. The impact also extends to the general student population. A study conducted by the NCAA found that 58% of young adults ages 18 to 22 have participated in sports betting. Paul Gibson, clinical director of Ellie Mental Health in Tempe, expressed concern about these rising numbers for the new generations.

“Sports betting is a really dangerous thing because we have a generation that grew up playing video games. The payouts are similar to video games, but the reality is it costs real money now,” Gibson said. “That’s going to be really tough. Students are notoriously poor, starving students, and if they use their financial aid to gamble, that can be a really dangerous prospect because they’re going to have to pay the money back anyway.”

While Gibson expressed that his clinic did not treat many students for gambling addiction, he explained that the number of patients was reasonable given the sensitivity of the nature of the activity.

“I think people are less likely to seek help for gambling than for substance abuse,” Gibson said. “I think it’s more socially acceptable to admit you have a drinking problem and get help for it than to admit you have a gambling problem. I see it as more of a secret for people and they don’t want to admit it.”

While the numbers continue to rise in the state of Arizona, sports betting on college campuses has always been prevalent. Christopher Boan, the senior writer for BetArizona.com and the Gambling.com Group, explained that gambling activity on college campuses is nothing new.

“It’s always been that way, only now you can do it on your own phone,” Boan said. “I don’t think anything has really changed in terms of betting volume. I think that would have been the demand that there would have been on a college campus like ASU, University of Arizona, NAU, GCU, etc., only now you have a legal way to do it.”

“It used to be that these kids might have a 21-year-old buddy who could drive to Vegas on the weekend, and they’d say, ‘Hey, here’s $20, throw it at ASU to fill in the first week of the college football season.'”

Despite the many potential downsides for young adults participating in sports betting, Pehar explained how he manages his emotions when it comes to betting on the outcome of games. He also noted that sports betting led him to a new passion in the process.

“I bet on every sport, but I try to stay away from sports betting on sports that I care more about,” Pehar said. “Sports betting has allowed me to find a new interest in different sports that I might not have had otherwise. For example, during the Euros over the last two months, I followed every game because I was betting on every game.”

“I didn’t know it, but it turns out I love football now.”

While sports betting is widespread throughout the Grand Canyon State, it’s no coincidence that college students account for a large portion of Arizona’s revenue. The NCAA’s study found that 63% of students on campus recall seeing betting ads, and 58% of those students said they were more likely to bet after seeing those ads. These ads, which tout free bets and bonus money, can be very tempting for students.

“In some states, more and more kids are turning 18, in places like Arizona, 21, and that’s the legal age for sports betting. And that’s obviously the demographic that sportsbooks are targeting because that’s how they can continue to make huge bets,” Boan said. “People aren’t betting more as they get older, but more and more people are reaching the legal age. The younger they are, the more willing they are to engage in sports betting as a recreational hobby in general.

“I think it’s definitely an interesting time to be on a college campus when it comes to sports betting. It’s definitely a needle in a haystack for the industry.”

With more and more young people becoming sports bettors, these inexperienced players can quickly rack up losses. However, it doesn’t seem so bad if your friend loses more than you.

“People try to normalize their behavior and that’s why they make it public,” Gibson said. “If you lost $500, I guess I just lost $250, it’s not that bad. And if someone who lost $500 hears that someone lost $1,000, that’s a godsend. People talk about it like that and try to normalize it so they don’t feel bad about what they’re doing.”

Despite all the pros and cons, it seems that sports betting is here to stay in Arizona. Whether the Sun Devils win or lose, one thing is certain: bettors in the Valley will continue to bet on game day.

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