Student Gambling Grows: Should Schools Come to the Table?

At one college, a 21-year-old student became so addicted to playing online poker that she pushed just about everything -- including friends and schoolwork -- out of her life. "I kept on playing so I wouldn't have to look at what poker had done to my bank account, my relationships, my life."

Her example is just one of many included in a report by the Task Force on College Gambling Policies. Researchers cited in the report estimate that three to 11 percent of college students in the United States have a serious gambling problem that can result in psychological difficulties, unmanageable debt and failing grades.

The report found that a lack of clear gambling policies and enforcement on a majority of the nation's campuses has added to the problem. For all of their focus on alcohol-related policies, colleges have dropped the ball on gambling addictions. In a survey cited by the report, half of college students said they have gambled in some form, but only about 22 percent of colleges have a written policy on student gambling.


There is a policy at my school, Muskingum University in New Concord, Ohio, but it is difficult to interpret. Section D, number 5D of the student handbook simply says, "The following constitutes violations of University policy . . . unsanctioned gambling for material gain."

"That is a tough issue right now because of the huge increase in poker games, both on the Internet and in society," said Janet Heeter Bass, vice president for student affairs and dean of students at Muskingum. "In my opinion, it seems like the interest in gambling has risen greatly in the last 10 years among college students, although we have had very few problems here," she added. "Again, when poker became a 'sport' on ESPN, I think a lot of folks looked upon it differently. It somehow became more socially acceptable."

A gambling addiction certainly isn't always easy to detect, but I've personally seen college students at bowling alleys wagering on the outcome and spending the time between frames scratching off $50 worth of lottery tickets. The young gamblers who are particularly bad don't even have jobs -- they use their parents' money (call it "house money," perhaps?) Their blatant disrespect for money suggests that they may not understand what it took to earn it.

Watching celebrities participating in poker tournaments on ESPN and other networks certainly doesn't dissuade young people from gambling -- they're framed similarly to a college football game, and they don't include any warnings about addiction. Movies such as "21" and "Casino Royale" and "Rounders" that glamorize the gambling lifestyle and have a young target audience aren't helping, either. Combine this with the escape that gambling can provide from a student's financial, academic, and social pressures, not to mention the rush of competition, and it's clear why many young people are drawn in.

Tim Christensen, treatment administrator in the Arizona Office of Problem Gambling, told the College Times that gambling addictions often come with the same consequences as other addictions, but emphasized that the lack of physical cues indicating a gambling addiction can make it more dangerous. "Someone doesn't come home with poker breath," he said. Gambling addictions often cause a change in priorities, such as participating in an all-night poker tournament before an exam, or just skipping class and ditching friends altogether. From the story:

Christensen says that two major factors seem to drive gamblers into addiction and debt.

First, a concept called "big win." Winning once summons up the euphoric feelings of victory and projects the illusion of luck. Thus, people are inclined to play more with the intention to win more, making them more susceptible to bigger losses and potential psychological damage, Christensen says.

On the flip-side of the coin, addicts often experience the concept of "chasing losses." Players lose their money at the casino and feel it's necessary to go back and gamble more in order to gain back their losses. The wide availability of casinos and online gaming -- and, especially, the increased social acceptance of gambling -- makes it easier for addicts to chase losses and dig a deeper financial and psychological hole, Christensen says.

"We need more education on problem gambling, and we can take protective steps and treatment to improve this," he said.

Christensen says players need to employ a self-imposed limit on time and money when it comes to gambling.

"There's nothing wrong with gambling -- it just needs to remain as entertainment," he said. "If you are going to gamble, make sure it's with disposable income," he adds.

Gambling's proliferation via the Internet has exposed college students more than ever before. My home state of Ohio recently voted in favor of a proposal to build four casinos in four cities. This proposal was the fifth attempt by outside businessmen to bring gambling into the state. Their previous attempts fell short by significant margins, but the promise of 34,000 jobs and tax revenue for the state in the current economy proved too appealing to resist (the $35 million spent by proponents marketing their plan certainly didn't hurt), despite a significant list of problems to be resolved.

Still, Ohioans have spoken, and they (at least the 53 percent who voted in favor) will get casinos in Columbus, Cleveland, Cincinnati and Toledo. The spots have already been picked out and the developers promise to have their "first class" casinos up and running within a couple years.

The casinos will not be far from the state's largest student populations. The University of Toledo enrolled over 22,000 students this year, and 38,000 attend the University of Cincinnati. Columbus' casino will be built on 27 acres about a mile from the second-largest campus in the nation, Ohio State University, which had 55,014 students this fall. The potential for growing student exposure to gambling increased further when the state lottery lowered the legal gambling age to 18 earlier this year.

What can be done from a college administrative level? The aforementioned report recommends that colleges first create a campus-wide committee to create and monitor gambling policies and developing policies that are in accordance with federal, state, and local gambling laws and are universally enforced. Less than 30 percent of colleges have some type of policy designed to help students recover from addictive disorders, according to the report. The task force also recommends adjusted disciplinary actions and accommodations for students willing to seek help recovering from an addiction.

But what happens when a casino moves in next door? It's obviously something the Ohio State administration and other colleges are going to have to seriously address. Until then, students at campuses around Ohio may be left deciding which is worth the trip: the bowling alley or the blackjack table.


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