By Amy Kugler, Communications and Outreach Manager for the
National Center for Responsible Gaming
Even though they didn’t advance to the championship game, I
was ecstatic to cheer for my hometown team, the Wichita State University Shockers,
in the NCAA Final Four Men’s Basketball tournament. College students around the
country also enjoy getting in on the March Madness action by filling out a
bracket – and maybe even placing a wager on a game. Research shows that 75
percent of college students gambled in the past year. Many college students
assume gambling is a risk-free activity, but research has shown that for about
6 percent of the population, gambling for fun could turn into a serious
problem.
To help students, university administrators, campus mental health
professionals and parents address gambling and gambling-related harms on
college campuses, the National Center for Responsible Gaming (NCRG) developed CollegeGambling.org. The website brings together the latest research and
best practices in responsible gaming and the field of addiction awareness and
prevention. CollegeGambling.org also provides free resources, fact sheets,
presentations and other useful program materials that allow universities to
address this issue in a way best suited to the needs of each campus.
The NCRG also has an interactive quiz on CollegeGambling.org that explains both the research on college
gambling and the trivia behind the NCAA basketball tournaments. You might even
learn a few key research facts and trivia to use during watch parties for next
year’s tournament.
Even though the tournament is over, make sure to
take the interactive quiz, visit CollegeGambling.org and pass the information along to any college students or their
parents.
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