By: Raegan Skarda
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (UATV) – As of April 2026 sports betting apps became legal on mobile devices across Arkansas, giving users statewide access to popular platforms including FanDuel, DraftKings, and BetSaracen — all operating through licensed casinos.
The expansion has led to sports betting becoming common among college students, raising concerns among experts about the risks of gambling addiction.
According to the Arizona Department of Gaming’s Problem Gambling program, young adults between 18 and 24 are twice as likely to develop gambling problems compared to older adults with about one in ten of those being college students.
University professor Nate Jones feels that it’s changing how students are engaging with sports — shifting from simply watching to having a financial attachment to the game.
“I think that sports betting kind of changes the way college students watch games because it’s actually adding an involvement level on not just emotional attachment because its your college now people are putting on something like stake – you know like they’re putting their 5’s, their 10’s, their 20 dollars, so they almost feel more attached to it.”
Research from the Rutgers Addiction Research Center links gambling among young adults to higher rates of anxiety, depression, and financial stress — while the search for addiction help has increased by more than 60 percent.
“I think they’re very heavily impacted because a loss used to be the emotional draining of, ‘Oh our team lost,’ but now that loss sometimes carries financial stability or financial instability” said Professor Jones.
For students like Eric Masterson, they’re aware of the risks. “I would say don’t start – find a different hobby, probably not the best thing to throw your money into, but I enjoy it, so…”
But for many, those risks aren’t always obvious at first, and over time, most bettors will lose money, as the odds are designed to favor the house.
“Um, you won’t win. You might win a game. You might win a result, but the longer you stay in, it is the higher probability,” said Jones. “Games are designed to be entertaining. Gambling is designed to be entertaining and gather you. It’s not designed for you to win.”