WASHINGTON — It’s no secret that one of the most popular ways people enjoy the national college basketball tournament is by placing a friendly wager with a friend or co-worker. But, for some, wagering of any kind brings with it unintended negative consequences.
As the NCAA college basketball tournament approaches, the National Center for Responsible Gaming (NCRG) is launching a public awareness initiative to encourage college administrators, campus health professionals and students to learn more about college gambling and gambling-related harms. The campaign also helps to educate students who are of legal age about how to make responsible decisions about gambling.
The centerpiece of the campaign is www.CollegeGambling.org, a science-based resource developed by the NCRG to help colleges and universities address gambling and gambling-related harms on college campuses. The website brings together the latest research and best practices in responsible gaming and the field of addiction awareness and prevention. CollegeGambling.org provides free resources for university administrators, campus health professionals, students and parents to help address this issue in the way best suited to the needs of each campus. To view the NCRG's multimedia release about CollegeGambling.org, which includes interviews and information about how the website can be used on campus, visit http://www.multivu.com/mnr/54256-ncrg-resource-educates-universities-and-students-about-college-gambling.
“As we head into the peak of the college basketball season, it’s important to provide college students with resources to learn more about gambling problems on college campuses,” said Alan Feldman, chairman of the NCRG. “The NCRG remains committed to helping schools educate students about the risks of gambling disorders and provide recovery-oriented measures for those who need help.”
Research finds that 75 percent of college students gambled during the past year (whether legally or illegally, on campus or off), and one in five of those students may have placed a bet on a sports game or other game of skill.
“While a majority of those old enough to legally gamble can do so responsibly, research estimates that 6 percent of U.S. college students have some form of gambling problem that can result in psychological difficulties, unmanageable debt and failing grades,” said Christine Reilly, senior research director of the NCRG. “For those who are not of legal age to gamble, there is no level of responsible gambling.”
CollegeGambling.org provides collateral materials about college gambling and responsible gaming, such as brochures, fact sheets, posters and toolkits. The website also houses customizable presentations that university counselors, peer educators and student leaders can use during their educational programming opportunities. The website materials are available as free downloads.
“Universities are expected to provide a variety of types of support for students, and institutions often look for outside resources to help address these issues,” said Karin Dittrick-Nathan, Ph.D., clinical assistant professor at the University of Denver and member of the NCRG’s Task Force on College Gambling Policies. “One such resource is CollegeGambling.org – it offers a range of resources for campuses to easily integrate into their own educational programs and policies.”
The NCRG strongly encourages all colleges and universities to link to CollegeGambling.org from their institutions' websites to help distribute the research and resources to all faculty, staff and students.
For more information, visit www.CollegeGambling.org. To learn more about the NCRG, visit www.ncrg.org. To view the multimedia release, visit http://www.multivu.com/mnr/54256-ncrg-resource-educates-universities-and-students-about-college-gambling.
