1. Hira, T. K., December 5, 1996 1 College Students and Gambling Tahira K. Hira, Ph.D., CFP Professor Human Development & Family Studies Iowa State University

2. Hira, T. K., December 5, 1996 2 Gambling in Iowa u between 10,000 & 31,000 are currently “compulsive gamblers,” u 33,000 to 62,000 are “problem gamblers.”

3. Hira, T. K., December 5, 1996 3 Gambling among College Students “... it was impossible to visit a campus and not find at least a handful of sophisticated operations run by students....” (Sports Illustrated AP. 10,1995. PP 68-79)

4. Hira, T. K., December 5, 1996 4 Objectives of the study were to determine the: u extent & type of gambling activities common among ISU students u Students’ attitudes, opinions and beliefs about gambling u reasons for gambling u need for education and information (type and sources)

5. Hira, T. K., December 5, 1996 5 Sources of Data Data were collected in Summer & Fall ‘96 u ISU survey (n = 797) u Des Moines survey (Students =162)  focus groups (n = 10)

6. Hira, T. K., December 5, 1996 6 Characteristics u Five colleges were represented u Males 51% u Part-time employed 52% u Residence Status: –Off-campus 46% –Residence halls 38%

7. Hira, T. K., December 5, 1996 7 Proportion of college students gambling over half (52% ) of those participating in the survey indicated they gambled

8. Hira, T. K., December 5, 1996 8 Des Moines survey (n=162) u mean age23yrs u mean income $9,103 u mean debt $6,416 u gamblers 48% u females 61% u had C.C. loans32% u had consolidated loans 32% u used ATMs44%

9. Hira, T. K., December 5, 1996 9  According to 22% of the students... “Sports gambling at ISU is widespread!” What about sports gambling?

10. Hira, T. K., December 5, 1996 10 How prevalent is student gambling According to participants in students focus groups..... u“easily half of the students gamble” u“virtually everybody I hang out with seems to gamble a little bit or follow sports, where we know something is going to happen.” u“a majority of students gamble in some sort. Whether it be on a football game or whatever.”

11. Hira, T. K., December 5, 1996 11 Student Involvement in Different Types of Gambling and Average Amount Spent

12. Hira, T. K., December 5, 1996 12 u “I started out maybe a couple of times a week, towards the end I was gambling almost every day. u “I started with playing for small amounts of money ($2 to $5), and it got to the point I had to go to the bank before going to play golf. I had to have more money just in case I lost.” it starts casually?

13. Hira, T. K., December 5, 1996 13 “Tell them it starts as fun, and soon people can’t quit.” It starts as fun....

14. Hira, T. K., December 5, 1996 14 Its all around.....  gambling is becoming more prevalent  kids grow up in an environment where people in the family gamble....  so you learn about it from the moment you start talking to people.

15. Hira, T. K., December 5, 1996 15 Student gambling behavior  “I usually take $30-40. But then my problem is, you've got your cash cards, checks, etc.. I’ve gone through about $300 at one time.”  “I initially played a $10 bill, soon I was spending $40, but by the time winter came around I had $80-100 when I would go.”

16. Hira, T. K., December 5, 1996 16 Students say: “when we first started going we would take $200 in cash, now that they have put ATM’s there....if you lose, you can easily get more money out to play.” Easy access to cash & credit- the allure of gambling

17. Hira, T. K., December 5, 1996 17 Main reason they gamble? u Entertainment67% u To win money29%

18. Hira, T. K., December 5, 1996 18 Men and woman gamble for different reasons. u men gamble to win u women gamble for entertainment

19. Hira, T. K., December 5, 1996 19 Main Reason for Not Gambling: u Can’t afford16% u Other26% u age, money, time, transportation  religion,

20. Hira, T. K., December 5, 1996 20 What do their parents think about your gambling? A majority (70%) said their parents knew about their gambling but...  “They don’t care”43% u “It’s fine with them”41%

21. Hira, T. K., December 5, 1996 21 Parents’ & Friends’ Involvement in Gambling

22. Hira, T. K., December 5, 1996 22 Extent of problem gambling those who sought help for serious gambling problems for: u friends (6%) u family members (2%)

23. Hira, T. K., December 5, 1996 23 Should there be an age restriction for gambling? Yes......................77%  Age 16-18 48%  Age 19-21 29%  Age 22 and up 24%

24. Hira, T. K., December 5, 1996 24 Who should provide help to those facing problems due to gambling? u 1-800-BETS-OFF68% u Student Counseling Service54% u ISU Financial Counseling Clinic47%

25. Hira, T. K., December 5, 1996 25 Type of Help/Information u pamphlets that can be picked up confidentially u “hot-line/help-line where people can call and talk confidentially...” u “a place to talk about addiction” u “financial counseling for those who don’t want to admit they have gambling addiction”

26. Hira, T. K., December 5, 1996 26 Give facts about gambling u “probability of winning and losing” u “specific information on how much money is lost and how much is won” u “how fast one can lose money” u “information on how to rig the machine”

27. Hira, T. K., December 5, 1996 27 He says it all... “I would say just make them aware- that you are going to lose, it’s not even a 50-50 chance of winning.., be aware of the consequences of it.”

28. Hira, T. K., December 5, 1996 28 Include Information about..... u “signs of gambling addiction” u “characteristics of compulsive gamblers” u “real life stories about the impact of gambling losses on people’s lives” u “before and after photographs” u “testimonials of people who have gotten in trouble for gambling”

29. Hira, T. K., December 5, 1996 29 “In our society what we are doing is promoting you don’t have to work for your money.” Our students say........

30. Hira, T. K., December 5, 1996 30 Where to... from here... u important to accept that it exists –increasing numbers of students on campuses are involved in gambling u gambling problems have long term effects on students : –personally and professionally u develop programs –to prevent problem gambling –to help those who are in trouble due to gambling