Shooting dice in a bathroom or betting money on a card game is what James P. Whelan considers a rite of passage for students who gamble. Whelan, the associate professor director of the Psychological Services Center, says that 75 percent of college students gamble.
There are more ways to gamble then going to a casino or buying lottery tickets. Gambling can also be in the form of sports betting, board games and animal fights.
Adolescence does not end until the age of 25. This is around the time the brain stops growing. In Tennessee, the legal age to play a lottery ticket is 18 and to partake in casino games is 21. “Adolescent gambling usually starts private and illegal,” said Whelan. According to the professor, a habit can form at the age of 13, congruent to the age of the illegal consumption of alcohol and cigarettes.
Whelan asserts that the typical gambler is a minority, a male and comes from a family that gambles.
Rickey King, a junior criminal justice major, said that he gambles once every six months. He explains that his parents rarely gamble, and he decided to follow in that direction.
“I gamble for the thrill, but I know it’s a must to be smart with my money,” King said.
He stated that he doesn’t feel he’s at risk to become addicted to gambling because everyone is different.
“If I have the money, I may play. If I don’t then I just don’t. I’m not going to make sacrifices to gamble,” King said.
King said that he learned his lesson from a game of Black Jack and vowed to never put himself in that position again.
There’s no definite way to determine who is at risk for a gambling problem, but there are many factors that go into it. A student picking up other habits because of gambling is a false assumption.
“Adolescent gambling may lead to committing a crime because many times there was a law that had to be broken in order to gamble, but that doesn’t mean they’ll lead a life of crime because they gamble,” Whalen said.
Because students generally have a roof over their heads and are able to eat three meals a day, there’s not much risk that students take to gamble, according to Whalen. On the other hand, he explained, “Gambling can screw up their school lives and detract from positive relationships.”
“It’s a game of chance, and you shouldn’t set your life around your habit,” King said.
If there are symptoms of a gambling problem, receiving treatment is beneficial. Symptoms aren’t as noticeable as a college student but they shouldn’t be overlooked. The frequency of someone’s gambling habits does not determine if they have a problem. The consequences the player faces as result is what’s important.
According to the Gambling Clinic, there are many myths about gambling. There are statistics surrounding the problem, and studies suggest that those with a gambling problem should do their research and seek help.
For more information about controlling a gambling habit, visit http://www.memphis.edu/gamblingclinic/resources/
