gambling effects thesis

Over the past three decades the gaming industry has expanded at unprecedented rates, growing tenfold since the mid 1970s. Beginning with a shift in policy legalizing state lotteries, widespread casino legalization in the 1990s and the recent advent of online gambling, total gaming revenue expenditures increased by nearly 75% in the past decade alone (AGA, 2006). Concurrently, the majority of prevalence studies measuring problem and pathological gambling began in the 1980s. Although several problem and pathological screening tools and diagnostic measures have been developed, there still remains a lack of understanding, assessments, and preventative and educational programs designed for special segments of the population, including the college student population. Although for most college students gambling is a relatively benign activity, students are a segment that is particularly vulnerable to developing problem and pathological gambling issues. Being among the first generation to grow up in the culture of widespread legalized gambling availability and its promotion, college student’s lifetime prevalence of problem gambling is estimated to be almost three times that found in the general adult population. Developing a solid understanding of gambling attitudes, behaviors, awareness, and motivational factors of the college student poses numerous challenges for college leaders. This requires these leaders to look at the extent of student gambling, to determine the types of gambling students engage in and to better understand positive and negative attitudes their students have toward gambling. By collecting this information, college administrators can begin the first steps toward designing effective 55 education and awareness based programs. Curriculum based gambling education providing students with knowledge concerning gambling odds, fallacies, awareness, problem gambling identification and prevention strategies