College Students Nationwide Are at a Greater Risk of Problem Gambling
Published: August 2, 2021
Whether it’s poker, fantasy sports, or online gaming, college students are gambling in more ways than you might think. In fact, three out of four college students have reported engaging in some form of gambling.
As that number rises, so does the rate of college students who struggle with a problem with gambling. Currently, the rate of problem gambling among college students nationwide is 6% — that’s more than double the general population.
Between classes, jobs, and maintaining a social life, college is a stressful time that could lead to using gambling to cope and escape those stressors.
That’s why Before You Bet is proud to announce the launch of new resources specifically for college students. The College Student Community Toolkit offers tips and resources to help keep gambling habits responsible.
Responsible gambling starts with knowing the signs of a problem, which are not always easy to see. A few signs of problem gambling to look for include:
- Missing assignments or class due to time spent gambling
- Gambling more often or with more money
- Withdrawing from relationships
- Hiding gambling behavior from friends and family
- Borrowing money
Before You Bet hopes this toolkit will help Ohioans know that there are ways to find free help for those experiencing gambling harms. If you think you or a loved one might have a problem with gambling, support is here 24/7. For immediate help, call the free, confidential helpline at 1-800-589-9966 or text 4HOPE to 741741.
Questions? Co-branding requests?
Our agency partner Origo Branding is happy to co-brand these new resources for organizations at no charge, as well as answer any questions. Please email Beth Burson at beth@origobranding.com.
Ohio for Responsible Gambling sincerely thanks all organizations and individuals working to raise awareness about the importance of responsible gambling and the resources available to help prevent or treat problem gambling. Learn more about responsible gambling at BeforeYouBet.org.