Gambling Disorders Among College Students

Fact: Seventy-five percent of college students gambled during the past year (legally or illegally) and about 18 percent gambling weekly or more frequently. 

Gambling is rampant on many college campuses and it can have a negative impact on student health. Lotteries, card games, pools (including raffles charitable small stakes gambling), sports betting and games of skill (e.g., bowling, basketball, pool, golf, backgammon, darts) are the most frequently chosen gambling activities by college students, according to the National Center for Responsible Gambling (NCRG). 

With “March Madness” or “April Suicide” around the corner, we thought it was a good time to take a look at some facts about gambling and gambling disorders to help you or someone you love make healthier decisions when it comes to betting. (Suicide rates and the use of suicide prevention hotlines rise in April and June over other months, at the conclusion of March Madness.)

Here are a few need-to-know facts from the NCRG:

• Six percent of college students in the U.S. have a serious gambling problem that can result in psychological difficulties, unmanageable debt and failing grades.
• Teenagers and college-aged adolescents are most vulnerable to gambling disorders because they are more impulsive. 
• Male college students are more likely to have gambled in the past year; gambled with more money; and reported having gambling problems than female college students.
• Students without gambling problems are more likely to use tobacco, drink heavily or binge drink, smoke marijuana or use other illegal drugs, drive under the influence and have a low GPA.

Addiction Help is Available
Not sure if betting for fun has turned into problem gambling? The National Council on Problem Gambling suggests being on the lookout for the following warning signs:

• Preoccupation with betting
• Lying about how much money has been bet
• Feeling anxious or sleepless due to betting activity
• Borrowing money to continue betting or to cover losses
• Keeping it secret from family or friends

It’s important to seek help before any type of addictive behavior takes over your personal life, relational connections, and financial well-being. Contact us today so we can help or someone you love you on the road to recovery from a dual diagnosis. Call: 866-930-4673.

Gambling Addiction & The Brain

For many people, gambling is just a diversion. Unfortunately, like other addictions, it can quickly progress into a compulsion that robs people of their financial security and drastically changes their behavior, relationships, and priorities. In recent months, mental health professionals and scientists have begun classifying gambling as an addiction, placing it in the same category as drug and alcohol abuse.

Research indicates that gambling shares many diagnostic criteria with drug dependence, such as tolerance, withdrawal, and radical disruption of one’s life. Gamblers also report significant urges and cravings when they are unable to place a bet.

According to Jon Grant, addiction researcher at the University of Chicago, “People will get inured to the high of gambling at a certain point and need to gamble with bigger bets and riskier betting options. When people try to stop, they go through withdrawal, with insomnia, agitation, irritability, and a feeling of being ill at ease, similar to what we see in some substance abuse disorders.” Gambling problems also seem to run in families, alongside street drug, prescription drug, and alcohol addictions. So—if your family is prone to addictive behaviors, you may be driven to impulsivity and reward-seeking behaviors, too.

Symptoms of Gambling Addiction 
If you’re not sure when betting for fun has turned the corner toward a gambling addiction, watch for these signs:

• Lying or being secretive about financial decisions
• Borrowing money from credit cards, banks, or family members
• Gambling when you cannot afford to make house or utility payments
• Always betting “more” to get a gambler’s high
• Experiencing depression & anxiety that results in sleep deprivation or health problems
• Exhibiting restless or irritable behavior when you can’t get your fix
• Returning to bet more in order to “chase a loss” from a previous day
• Prioritizing gambling over eating, sleeping, or socializing

When study participants watch videos depicting gambling, or participate in virtual gambling games during brain scans, there are changes in blood flow to certain areas of the brain. Gambling has thus been reclassified as a behavioral addiction because these imaging studies show that the brain’s reward system “lights up” during gambling just as it does during substance use. These types of studies tell us that behaviors can impact the brain just as powerfully as chemicals—and that it is important to seek help before any type of addictive behavior takes over your personal life, relational connections, and financial well-being.