Student gambling: Growth in the light and dark

of the line, then the losers are going to pay off the winners plus they’re going to skim their part off the top, and that’s why the spreads will move,” Davis said.

Moving the spread allows bookmakers to see where the middle of the betting public is. The spread can change anytime before the game in question. This allows people to change their minds or bet when they didn’t want to before.

“That’s why you’ll see Cincinnati is favored by seven, but then too much money comes in on the underdog,” Davis said. “And then I’ll move the points down to six.”

A different kind of betting

ing to pick it up.

sports communication and media major said all it takes to get in on underground betting is an entry fee.

“Basically, you just need to know someone or have a friend that knows someone that has a server or site,” the junior said. “Obviously, it’s not ideal. Sometimes there’s situations where you could be on a bad book where you don’t get to put your money in or don’t get your money back quickly.”

The 20-year-old junior started sports betting three years ago while in high school. But he’s not the longest-tenured bettor he knows.

“I know a guy that’s been gambling since he was 13,” he said, “which is just ridiculous, obviously.”

This long-term betting does not come without its worrying points. According to the Mayo Clinic, “gambling can stimulate the brain’s reward system much like drugs or alcohol can, leading to addiction.”

Addiction can sneak up on bettors without warning. The simple joy of cashing a bet can become something they yearn for. The serotonin release that comes from successfully hitting a bet, big or small, is the hook connected to the habit.

“That’s the problem with gambling,” the junior said. “We get addicted to the feeling of that kind of a win, and you just bet on table tennis or esports or anything because you just want to try to have a win.”

This bettor combats addiction by taking breaks that last weeks or months at a time. Having this self-control has allowed him to continue betting. But he doesn’t recommend sports betting to anyone look-

“Don’t,” he said. “That’s what I tell people. Only 1% truly win.”

The data behind sports betting

The idea of sitting down to watch a game you have money on is invigorating to some, but casinos and bookmakers ultimately control the numbers with revenue in mind. The first return comes from the vigorish or vig. This is the fee that betting companies take off the top from every wager placed for using their platform. The vig varies from bet to bet because of the odds put in place.

With this vig, a bettor has to win more than 50% of their bets to truly break even.

Robert Davis, an associate professor in the statistics department and a member of the Institute for Responsible Gaming, Lotteries, and Sport, understands the vig and how bettors have to overcome it.

“Basically, you’ve got to be able to bet at a 55% win rate to make up for the point that they scoop off the top as soon as you make the bet,” Davis said. “Of the dollar that you bet, 90 cents could be being bet and the other 10 cents is going to the bookmaker.”

Betting isn’t a straightforward number game because bookmakers give themselves space for their gain.

The spread, or set amount a team is predicted to win by for a given game, is not guaranteed, it is the most likely outcome. The spread is set to try to split voters down the middle. If this plan prevails, the bookmaker will get the money from the losing side, along with the vig from the winners.

“If they can get 50/50 on each side

The Newgate Arena Poker Club is the home of self-determination betting in Oxford. The business is classified as a poker club, which differs from a casino by excluding the “house” from playing. This makes the games fully player-decided.

One anonymous sophomore digital commerce major said the club has a full table every night.

“There’s easily 10 people a night, which is a full table,” the sophomore said. “It’s pretty much all regulars. I’d say 75% Miami students and 25% locals.”

The digital commerce major sees poker as more than just a game. Newgate allows him to enjoy the pastime around a table while gaining something for himself, he said.

“I’ve made more money playing poker than I’ve made doing anything else ever in my life,” the sophomore said. “If you always play a certain way, then you will generally be profitable.”

The specific playing style that he is talking about is related to game theory optimal (GTO). GTO is a specific strategic playing style that focuses on the expected outcome of games and options related to risk. GTO does not take the psychological factor of poker into account.

This style is not counting cards. It is simply when to and when not to play your cards or bet higher.

“The problem most players have is just discipline,” the sophomore said. “Really you control every single dollar that you can win or lose.” turmankd@miamioh.edu new building.

“I think it’s going to be nice to have our space consolidated and have a space to ourselves because we’re so spread around campus right now,” Parry said.

Although Parry has had labs in Pearson, she has also had classes in Boyd Hall, Laws Hall and other miscellaneous buildings on campus. Parry said the two simulation classrooms aren’t practical for the department’s size, and she hopes the new space will help the program continue to expand.

“My cohort accepted 80 [students], and it grows each year,” Parry said. “I think having more space will allow for more students and growth overall.”

Physician associate program is introduced

A new academic program is coming along with the new building: Miami’s 27-month PA program.

Dr. David DeLaet, a Miami alumnus and assistant medical director for the new program, said they’re welcoming an initial cohort of 20 students this summer. Unlike the other academic programs that the building will house, the PA program will call the Clinical Health and Wellness Building its first home.

“To have a physical space like this, the Clinical Health and Well- ness Center that we’re going to have is quite unique … Our students will be able to not only be in the classroom and have a number of laboratories, to work on technical skills, but also diagnostic skills,” DeLaet said. momanyaj@miamioh.edu scottsr2@miamioh.edu

Among the resources for students will be Anatomage tables which let students virtually explore three-dimensional renderings of bodies rather than working on cadavers. The building will also have labs that simulate hands-on clinical experiences and places to practice skills like suturing and collecting blood samples.

PA students won’t, however, be providing care in the clinical areas of the building, which DeLaet said would be a conflict of interest. They will, however, have plenty of opportunities to work with students in the other academic programs.

“[The shared space] certainly will afford us the opportunity for our students … to learn ways in which we can collaborate across the departments, to one, not only enhance academic learning, but two, demonstrate to the students the collaborative spirit of working in healthcare,” DeLaet said.

The building will open in May with the PA program moving in soon after. All other programs will follow by August.