The Other Addiction: College Gambling
The Task Force on Gambling Policies has released “Call to Action,” a report on college and university efforts to curb problem gambling. The task force was created by the Cambridge Health Alliance’s Division on Addictions, which is affiliated with Harvard University and funded the National Center for Responsible Gambling, the charity branch of the American Gambling Association. (The NCRG’s logo is made to look like slots. Cute.)
Several studies on college student gambling are cited in the report. One, from 2003, found that 42 percent of college students had gambled the previous year; others suggest that between 3 and 11 percent of college students have a serious gambling problem. The report states that only 22 percent of colleges and universities have formal gambling policies. The report offers ten recommendations for colleges and universities, and can be read in full here.
Have you had cases where student gambling — anything from football pools to online poker — has posed an issue on your campus?
Tags: Mental Health