TLDR Ole Miss asked Mississippi lawmakers for $2 million a year to fund a new gambling research center and treatment clinic. The money would be split evenly between the Center on Collegiate Gambling and the planned Mississippi Gambling Clinic. Nearly 20 million Americans report problem gambling behavior, and Mississippi has no public funding for treatment. A 2025 survey found 40% of Mississippi undergraduates gambled in the past year, with students facing higher risk than adults. State lawmakers won’t decide on the funding request until early 2027, possibly as late as March.
The University of Mississippi has asked state lawmakers to set aside $2 million a year for a new gambling research center and treatment clinic. The request comes as online sports betting legislation remains stalled in the state for a third straight year.
The funding would support two programs. Half would go to the Center on Collegiate Gambling, which focuses on research, education, and policy work tied to student gambling. The other half would launch the Mississippi Gambling Clinic, a treatment center for the general public.
The center has stayed neutral on whether mobile sports betting should be legal in Mississippi. Its founders say the harm from gambling exists regardless of the law.
The Scale of the Problem
About 20 million Americans, or 8% of adults, reported at least one problem gambling behavior in the past year. The National Council on Problem Gambling estimates the social cost of gambling harm at $14 billion a year nationwide.
In Mississippi, about 4% of adults could meet the criteria for a gambling disorder. Only about one in 10 people with gambling problems seek treatment.
Mississippi is one of just nine states with no public funding for gambling treatment services. The state once sent $100,000 a year to a gambling council