The University of Nevada, Las Vegas International Gaming Institute (IGI) has announced the recipients of the 2025 ESPN Research Fellowships, with selected projects focused on responsible gambling messaging in sports media and its impact on consumer behaviour.
The fellowships have been awarded to four academics. Dr. Brandon Mastromartino of San Diego State University will evaluate two of the NFL’s responsible gambling public service announcements using a fan-centered marketing framework. Dr. Chris R. Noland of the University of South Florida will study the influence of celebrity endorsements and promotional inducements in Instagram sports betting advertisements. Dr. Ramon Silva Leite of Pontifical Catholic University of Minas Gerais, Brazil, will examine how responsible gambling messages are created and received by young sports bettors through sports media. Dr. Sarah Stokowski of Clemson University will research how college athletes perceive and interact with betting content on social platforms.
Each fellowship runs for six months, with findings to be shared during a UNLV IGI webinar in 2026. The programme is designed to provide new insights that may support policymakers and industry stakeholders in developing approaches to safeguard consumer well-being within the sports betting environment.
“IGI is tremendously proud of the work our previous Fellowships produced. A key goal of this initiative is to support innovative and impactful research to better understand the rapidly changing global sports and betting environment,” said Dr. Kasra Ghaharian, Director of Research at IGI. “This research represents critical perspectives on how gambling is represented in sports media and holds important implications for all gambling stakeholders.”
“Responsible gaming continues to be a priority for ESPN, and we are proud to continue our collaboration with IGI to support research that delivers real-world impact,” said Kevin Martinez, Vice President of ESPN Corporate Citizenship. “These new projects will provide valuable insights into how responsible gaming messages can be delivered effectively across sports media and help strengthen standards that protect fans everywhere.”
