The Barometer Online

Issue date: 3/6/07 Section: News

Media Credit: Andrew Burton

It's a social event, an intellectual challenge and a chance at some easy cash. Between 60 and 70 percent of college students gamble, but as many as one in five of those students may have trouble keeping it under control.

Monday marked the beginning of National Problem Gambling Awareness Week, a program that started five years ago. Its stated goal is "to educate the general public about the warning signs of problem gambling and raise awareness about the help that is available both locally and nationally."

Information provided by Marcy Nichols, Gambling Officer for Linn and Benton Counties, states that "Oregon has more forms of legalized gambling and offers easier access to gambling than almost any other state."

So it should come as no surprise that 10.7 percent more gamblers in Oregon were treated in 2005-2006 than in the previous year. Nearly 69 percent of those surveyed said they preferred video poker over other games, and the average debt among problem gamblers was about $23,331 each.

The statistics also contained some surprising revelations. NCAA rules do not allow student athletes to "place any bet of any sort on any college or professional sports event," yet 45 percent of male athletes do so regularly.

In addition, one in 20 of them admitted to having bet on a game they were playing in, provided information to others who were betting on such a game, or even accepted money in exchange for intentionally performing poorly.

This information is a general percentage coming from national sources, but OSU may not be any different. According to a 2005 study by Harvard School of Public Heath, all colleges surveyed had alcohol policies, but only 22 percent had gambling policies. According to OSU's Web site, it does not have a gambling policy.

Ellen Taylor, director of OSU Counseling and Psychological Services, said that although compulsive gambling is on the rise, it is not a matter of addiction for most of the people who play.

"It's entertaining," Taylor said. "Students gamble for lots of reasons. It can be exciting; there can be some intellectual intrigue. If it's poker, there really can be some intellectual stimulation that comes with it. There's some natural adrenaline associated with it. And that's why I say it's not always a problem, but it certainly can be."

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