When looking for a best bet, the data never lies.

Since legalization in 2021, sports gambling has surged in the state of Arizona. In April, the state outpaced the betting mecca of Nevada, with almost $100 million more wagered at sportsbooks in the month, according to the Arizona Department of Gaming. With a checkered past related to wagering on sports, Arizona State University students have plenty contributed to the massive handle.

“I absolutely think sports betting has picked up a lot recently, especially just in classes and stuff. More of it being like a regular day activity rather than, ‘Oh we’re sports betting,’” said ASU student Douglas Santo. “I think you’ve seen it kind of infiltrate the classrooms, like it’s not something where people are trying to be quiet about or tiptoe around it.

“It’s here to stay, and people know that.”
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“With sports gambling, it’s a real dangerous thing because we have a generation that grew up playing video games, and the payoff is kind of similar to what was with a video game, but the reality is that it’s now costing real money,” Gibson said. “That’s going to be something that is really hard. Students are known to be poor, starving students, and when they’re taking their financial aid and applying it to gambling, that can be a real dangerous prospect because they still have to pay it back.”