Stressed Students Are Using Sports Betting To Cope
Published: January 21, 2026
College is a vulnerable time in a young person’s life. For many, it’s their first exposure to adulthood. Relationships change, responsibilities increase, all while each class demands perfection. Though stress can affect anyone, it feels almost unavoidable for college students in the past few years, and many of these stressed students now turn to sports betting to cope.
Why college students?
In addition to stress, a recent article on “Signs of Problem Gambling Among College Students” explores the areas that make students more vulnerable than other demographics to seek gambling activities, such as the competitive nature of sports, a desire for thrill-seeking, shared experience with friends, and the increased accessibility of online betting. Between these factors and the underlying anxiety of an academic workload — more students are seeking betting for its stress-relief appeal, but they are actually increasing their risk for developing a gambling disorder.
Solutions for student debt
As students seek ways to stay grounded in their college experience, many struggle to afford tuition and housing. The Education Data Initiative found that 6 of every 10 college students borrowed student loans last year, resulting in a total of 42.5 million borrowers that have federal student loan debt in 2025. With so many students experiencing the stress of financial debt together, gambling presents itself to students on college campuses as a convenient and fun solution even though it may increase debt and financial stress. The desire for quick financial relief makes students fail to consider the long-term consequences and when living in this environment, placing a bet to pay for tuition becomes an unfortunate short-term solution to manage their stress.
Alternatives to betting
If you are a student and are seeking ways to manage your stress, Pause Before You Play highlights some of the healthy ways to cope with anxious thoughts and feelings instead of engaging with sports betting or gambling:
- Student organizations: Campuses are hot spots for social engagement, with spaces for students to explore their individual passions together. Try joining a student organization or club for a fun, social way to support your mental health and feel proud of your accomplishments. You may even make new life-long friends!
- Physical activities: Since students are no strangers to technology, sometimes the best thing you can do for your mind is to unplug. It can be extremely rewarding to release stress physically, so consider taking a walk outside, joining intramural sports, exploring parts of your city, or going to the gym with a friend. Fresh air can be quite effective for an anxious mind.
- Expressive hobbies: If you engage with sports betting regularly, you might actually be searching for a hobby — which is an important aspect of managing adult-level stress. Activities like painting, journaling, playing an instrument, or cooking for friends are some great ways to relieve stress and experience personal fulfillment through your interests.
If you or someone you know participates in sports betting and is experiencing gambling-related harms, Pause Before You Play has a two-minute quiz to gauge your risk for a gambling disorder.
Additionally, the free and confidential Problem Gambling Helpline is available 24/7. Call 1-800-589-9966 or text HOME to 741741 to talk with trained and understanding specialists. You can also check out the Ohio Gambling Telehealth Network for no-cost virtual telehealth services.