Oregon Problem Gambling Helpline

College Students

Gambling is one of the most overlooked issues on campus. For most college students, gambling is a social or recreational activity. It is fun and entertaining. However, it is not without risk. A certain percentage of college gamblers will go on to develop a gambling problem, which can be a major threat to academic success and financial well-being.

Quick Facts:

• An estimated 5.6 percent of college students are problem gamblers, almost double the rate of the adult population (2.7 percent). ¹
  
• A recent national survey of young people aged 14 to 22, found a 20 percent increase in monthly rates of card gambling. Cards, specifically poker, are the new game of choice replacing sports betting. ⁴
• Those who play cards are also more likely than other gamblers to gamble on the Internet. ⁴
• The average college student receives about 25 credit card solicitations per semester. (National Public Radio)
• According to the National Council on Problem Gambling, about 4.5 million of the nation’s 15.3 million college students (29 percent) will gamble on sports this year. (National Council on Problem Gambling)
• A 2005 Harvard School of Public Health Study of colleges found that all the colleges surveyed had alcohol policies, yet only 22 percent had a gambling policy.