Colleges Need to do More About Gambling Addiction

The links between problem gambling and other mental health and addiction issues are manifold. "Gambling disorders tend to be highly co-morbid with other disorders such as alcohol abuse and so on," says Reilly. "And we know that kids who binge drink also gamble a lot, for example. There are a lot of connections."

Recently, a task force convened to look into the issue found that the overwhelming majority of colleges and universities don't even have formal policies for dealing with problem gambling on campus, according to Dennis Miller of the Behavioral Health Central Blog.

The report, A Call to Action: Addressing College Gambling and Recovery from Addiction, includes a list of 10 policy recommendations its authors say schools should consider adopting.

They are as follows:

              1.                  Establish a campus-wide committee to develop and monitor a comprehensive policy on gambling.

2.Ensure that college policies are consistent with applicable local, state, and federal laws.

3.Strive for consistency and universal application with prohibitions and restrictions on gambling and alcohol use at special events.

4.Promote campus-community collaborations that focus on reducing problems with student drinking and gambling.

5.Encourage adjustments in disciplinary actions applied to violators of gambling rules if the student seeks assistance from health or counseling services.

6.Make reasonable accommodations for students focused on recovery from a problem with gambling or alcohol.

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.

           10.                  Strengthen the capacity of counseling services to identify and treat gambling disorders.

Only 22 percent of colleges have programs to deal with problem gambling. 

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