Colleges Must Face Problem Gambling, Expert Says

Madison, Wis. — Sept. 25 — Problem gambling doesn’t receive as much attention on college campuses as it should, says a public health expert who focuses on preventing and responding to gambling addictions. Institutions might believe that speaking with students about problem gambling isn’t part of their job. However, students sometimes leave school because of debt or use financial aid to fund their habits, says Jeffrey Marotta, problem gambling services manager with the Oregon Department of Human Services.

Growth in online poker, particularly popular with young adults, has fueled the problem, he says. As a result, about one in 20 college students has a problem with gambling, and a total of about 15 percent are considered at risk for developing a problem, Marotta says.

Oregon is leading the way in facing the issue by partnering with state campuses to develop prevention and treatment services. Steps campuses can take to prevent and respond to problem gambling include

formulating a policy response, such as discouraging access to gambling sites through campus computer networks or equipment
designing educational programming for National Problem Awareness Gambling Week (March 5-11, 2007)
funding a stipend for a student or student organization to sponsor on-campus awareness activities.

Marotta and colleague Wendy Hausotter will review these and other options during the Magna Publications online seminar “Facing Problem Gambling among College Students” on November 1. To participate in the live, online session or pre-order a CD or transcript of the event, visit www.magnapubs.com/calendar/101.html.

To listen to a two minute introduction by Jeffrey Marotta, click here (http://www.magnapubs.com/images/gamblingpreview.mp3).

Magna Publications (www.magnapubs.com) is a leading publisher of newsletters and other information products in the higher education segment. Magna also manages onsite and online conferences on topics of interest to higher education.

For more information please contact David Burns, Publisher, Magna Publications, Inc., at 608-227-8109, or dburns@magnapubs.com.