Addressing College Gambling: A Look at Science-Based Policies and Programs for Preventing and Reducing Gambling-Related Harms

NATIONAL CENTER FOR RESPONSIBLE GAMING | 2 ''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.

Research on College Gambling NATIONAL CENTER FOR RESPONSIBLE GAMING | 3

NATIONAL CENTER FOR RESPONSIBLE GAMING | 4 75 Percent of College Students Gambled During the Past Year, Whether Legally or Illegally Barnes et al., 2010 (83 percent male; 67 percent female) Estimate of at risk/problem gambling: 6 %

Games College Students Play GamePercentage Lottery41% Card Games38% Office pools, raffles, charitable38% Sports betting23% Games of skill (bowling, golf, basketball)20% Casino gambling15% Bingo13% Slot machines, poker machines10% Dice8% Pull tabs8% Horses, dogs7% Video keno4%4% Trading cards3 % Internet gambling3% Barnes et al., 2010

NATIONAL CENTER FOR RESPONSIBLE GAMING | 6 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

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 Correlates of College Student Gambling LaBrie et al., 2003 NATIONAL CENTER FOR RESPONSIBLE GAMING | 7

NATIONAL CENTER FOR RESPONSIBLE GAMING | 8 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

NATIONAL CENTER FOR RESPONSIBLE GAMING | 9 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

NATIONAL CENTER FOR RESPONSIBLE GAMING | 10 College Policies on Alcohol and Gambling

NATIONAL CENTER FOR RESPONSIBLE GAMING | 11 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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NATIONAL CENTER FOR RESPONSIBLE GAMING | 13 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

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 | 15 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

NATIONAL CENTER FOR RESPONSIBLE GAMING | 16 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

NATIONAL CENTER FOR RESPONSIBLE GAMING | 17 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

NATIONAL CENTER FOR RESPONSIBLE GAMING | 18 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

NATIONAL CENTER FOR RESPONSIBLE GAMING | 19 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

NATIONAL CENTER FOR RESPONSIBLE GAMING | 20 A Call to Action Addressing College Gambling: Recommendations for Science-based Policies and Programs

NATIONAL CENTER FOR RESPONSIBLE GAMING | 21 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

NATIONAL CENTER FOR RESPONSIBLE GAMING | 22 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.

NATIONAL CENTER FOR RESPONSIBLE GAMING | 23 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.

NATIONAL CENTER FOR RESPONSIBLE GAMING | 24 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.

NATIONAL CENTER FOR RESPONSIBLE GAMING | 25 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.

NATIONAL CENTER FOR RESPONSIBLE GAMING | 26 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.

NATIONAL CENTER FOR RESPONSIBLE GAMING | 27 A Call to Action Addressing College Gambling: Recommendations for Science-based Policies and Programs Available for free download at

NATIONAL CENTER FOR RESPONSIBLE GAMING | 28 Resources to Address Gambling

NATIONAL CENTER FOR RESPONSIBLE GAMING | 29 National Center for Responsible Gaming For More Information