Addressing College Gambling:
A Look at Science-Based Policies and
Programs for Preventing and Reducing
Gambling-Related Harms
<NAME OF SCHOOL>
<DATE>
''Gambling has become the new rite of passage on college campuses,
the way binge drinking once was. I'm glad to see colleges are pulling their
heads out of the sand on this issue. This is very encouraging.''
- Greg Hogan Sr. of Ohio, in an article by the Allentown Morning Call
Hogan’s son, who had been Lehigh's freshman class president, robbed
an Allentown bank in 2005 to fund his online gambling addiction.
NATIONAL CENTER FOR RESPO
Research on
College Gambling
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75 Percent of College Students
Gambled During the Past Year,
Whether Legally or Illegally
(83 percent male; 67 percent female)
Estimate of at risk/problem gambling:
6%
Barnes et al., 2010
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Games College Students Play
Game
Percentage
Lottery
41%
Card Games
38%
Office pools, raffles, charitable
38%
Sports betting
23%
Games of skill (bowling, golf, basketball)
20%
Casino gambling
15%
Bingo
13%
Slot machines, poker machines
10%
Dice
8%
Pull tabs
8%
Horses, dogs
7%
Video keno
4%
Trading cards
3%
Internet gambling
3%
Barnes et al., 2010
Correlates of College Student Gambling
Compared to their non-gambling counterparts, students who
had gambled in the past year had higher rates of:
 Binge drinking
 Marijuana use
 Cigarette use
 Illicit drug use
 Unsafe sex after drinking
LaBrie et al., 2003
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Correlates of College Student Gambling
Compared to students without gambling problems, students
with gambling problems are more likely to:
 Use tobacco
 Use alcohol, drink heavily or binge drink, and get drunk
 Use marijuana or other illegal drugs
 Drive under the influence
 Have a low GPA
LaBrie et al., 2003
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College Students and Mental Disorders
 Increase in psychiatric disorders among college students
in recent years
 Dramatic advances in antidepressants and other drugs
during the past 30 years have enabled more students
with depression, anxiety and other psychiatric disorders
to attend college
Kadison, & DiGeronimo, 2004; Gallagher, 2004
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Gambling Disorders & Co-occurring Psychiatric
and Addictive Disorders
Among pathological gamblers:
 75% had an alcohol disorder
 38% had a non-alcohol, drug-use disorder
 60% were nicotine dependent
 Nearly 50% had experienced a mood disorder
 41.3% experienced an anxiety disorder
 60.8% experienced a personality disorder
Petry & Grant, 2005
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College Policies on Alcohol and Gambling
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Prevalence of College Alcohol or Gambling
Policies in U.S. Colleges and Universities
Alcohol: 100%
Gambling: 22%
Shaffer et al, 2005
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Prevalence of Alcohol College Policy Types
100.00%
92.3%
Shaffer et al, 2005
90.00%
80.00%
70.00%
60.00%
50.00%
42.8%
35.9%
40.00%
33.0%
26.5%
30.00%
16.5%
20.00%
10.00%
6.5%
5.4%
Recovery
recognition
policies
Limits and
restrictions –
off-campus
0.00%
Prohibition
policies
Recovery
facilitation
Policies for
legal-aged
drinkers
Limits and
restrictions –
on-campus
School policy Events policies
deferred to
local law
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Conclusions
Lack of college policies on gambling and recovery
signify missed opportunities to:
 Inform students about the risks of excessive gambling
 Provide recovery-oriented measures designed to support
student persistence
Shaffer et al, 2005
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Task Force on College Gambling Policies
A project of the Division on Addictions at Cambridge Health
Alliance, a teaching affiliate of Harvard Medical School
and
The National Center for Responsible Gaming
National Center for Responsible Gaming
Established as a nonprofit in 1996 to help individuals and
families affected by gambling disorders by:
 Supporting the finest peer-reviewed, scientific research into
pathological and youth gambling
 Encouraging practical applications of research findings to improve
prevention, diagnostic, intervention and treatment strategies
 Advancing public education about gambling disorders and
responsible gaming
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Schools Represented on Task Force





Bridgewater State College
George Fox University
Harvard University
Lehigh University
Mississippi State
University
 Oregon State University
•
•
•
•
•
•
University of Alabama
University of Denver
University of Missouri
University of Nevada, Las Vegas
University of Nevada, Reno
Villanova University
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Task Force on College Gambling Policies
Report translates what we know about college gambling and
related problems into a blueprint for developing college
policies designed to:
 Help reduce gambling problems among students
 Enable students who are struggling with addiction to fully
participate in college life
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Task Force: Guiding Principles
 Health promotion must include attention to both mental and
physical health
 Policies on gambling and alcohol should support student
persistence in schools
 Gambling policies should be integrated into
policies/programs focused on alcohol and other drugs
continued
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Task Force: Guiding Principles
 Institutions should be proactive in response to college
gambling and drinking
 Policies should be grounded in empirical research published
in peer-reviewed scientific journals
 Policies should be enforceable to prevent students from
losing respect for the rule of law
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A Call to Action
Addressing
College Gambling:
Recommendations for
Science-based
Policies and Programs
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Task Force Recommendations
1. Establish a campus-wide committee to develop and monitor a
comprehensive policy on gambling.
 Alternative: Add gambling to agenda of existing committees focused on alcohol.
2. Ensure that college policies are consistent with local, state, and
federal laws.
 Examine current policies
 Disseminate information campus-wide on laws affecting gambling
 Encourage campus security to collaborate with local law enforcement
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Task Force Recommendations
3. Strive for consistency and universal application with prohibitions
and restrictions on gambling and alcohol use at special events.
 Be prepared for conflicts of interest when attempting to restrict or prohibit
gambling and alcohol use at on-campus events.
 Consider the potential for sending mixed messages about alcohol and gambling.
 Encourage organizations to use non-gambling themes for special events.
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Task Force Recommendations
4. Promote campus-community collaborations that focus on reducing
problems with student drinking and gambling.
 Develop relationships with local gambling operators to encourage restrictions on
advertising and ensure that laws on underage gambling are enforced.
5. Encourage adjustments in disciplinary action applied to violators of
gambling rules if the student seeks assistance from health or
counseling services.
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Task Force Recommendations
6. Make reasonable accommodations for students focused on
recovery from a problem with gambling or alcohol.
 Allow students who need time off to focus on recovery from a gambling or alcohol
disorder to take a medical leave of absence.
 Make reasonable accommodations allowing students involved in off-campus
treatment to continue in classes.
 Allow students who withdraw and are no longer eligible for a refund to appeal the
process citing gambling or alcohol problems as an extenuating circumstance
beyond the control of the student involved.
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Task Force Recommendations
7. Measure student attitudes, behaviors, and problems with gambling
through campus surveys or by incorporating such measures into
existing campus health-related surveys.
8. Promote campus-wide awareness of (1) pathological gambling as a
mental health disorder that has a high rate of comorbidity with
alcohol use and other addictive disorders, and (2) responsible
gaming principles.
9. Employ evidence-based strategies to identify and help students
with gambling and alcohol problems.
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Task Force Recommendations
10. Strengthen the capacity of counseling services to identify and treat
gambling disorders.
 Assess the ability of counseling staff to meet the needs of students with gambling
problems and provide additional training if necessary.
 Encourage referrals to off-campus treatment providers who are certified
specialists in the area of addiction treatment.
 Specify the availability of services and promote them to students through a wide
variety of media.
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A Call to Action
Addressing College Gambling: Recommendations
for Science-based Policies and Programs
Available for free download at
www.ncrg.org
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<SCHOOL’S> Resources to Address Gambling
<ADD INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR SCHOOL’S EXISTING EFFORTS,
PROGRAMS AND INITIATIVES HERE.>
NATIONAL CENTER FOR RESPONS
For More Information
National Center for Responsible Gaming
www.ncrg.org
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