2026: Year at a Glance

Gambling is a major industry in both the United States and the United Kingdom and has grown even larger in recent years due to the rise in online gambling via websites and phone apps. Many have embraced online sports gambling, viewing it as an entertaining way to engage with sports. While the industry has garnered a lot of attention, and diverse array of divided opinions, for the immediate future it appears to be a mainstay in both countries.

For this year’s MathWorks Math Modeling Challenge problem, we asked teams to create models that predict how much money an individual may gain or lose over the course of a year, taking into account different characteristics and demographics of the individual. We also asked teams to consider what takeaways society should have from their predictions.