US: Carnegie Mellon to offer course on sports betting risks
New university module addresses growing student interest in gambling.
Key points:
– Two Carnegie Mellon professors have created a course exploring the risks of sports betting
– The class examines the mathematics behind betting and the neurological factors influencing gambling behaviour
Carnegie Mellon University is introducing an undergraduate course that examines the risks and mechanics of sports betting.
Developed by statistics professor Ron Yurko and neuroscience professor Linda Moya, the course aims to help students understand how betting platforms operate and the potential impact of gambling.
Sports betting in the US has boomed since the overturning in PASPA allowed individual states to legalise the practice in May 2018. Since then, states like New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Colorado, Illinois and many more have generated billions in gross gaming revenue; even though the market has been dominated by only a select number of players – namely FanDuel and DraftKings.
Yurko said he first noticed the extent of student involvement in gambling when he began teaching at Carnegie Mellon.
According to a 2023 National Collegiate Athletic Association survey, around two-thirds of students living on campus have engaged in sports betting.
Good to know: Yurko will focus on the statistical principles that shape betting odds and outcomes while Moya’s sessions will explore how decision-making processes work in the brain and how addictive behaviours can develop
The new course is scheduled for spring 2026, has around 35 spaces and is already full with a waitlist. While interest is partly driven by the topic, the module also introduces broader concepts in statistics and behavioural science.
Yurko stated: “If I could just make them a little bit smarter about what they’re doing and then prevent them from losing as much money then I view that as a win.”
Moya added: “The goal is that by the end of the course, students will know generally how the healthy brain makes decisions and how the addicted brain can lead to making bad decisions.”
The Carnegie Mellon course launch parallels initiatives like the ANJ’s renewed sports betting prevention campaign during Roland Garros, both aiming to increase awareness of problem gambling through education and visible warnings.
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