By Dr. Robert Mathner
Robert Mathner, PhD, is Assistant Athletics Director at the University of Central Florida. He has also worked in the athletics departments of Syracuse University, Florida State University, and the University of Montana. He can be reached at: rmathner@mail.ucf.edu.
Athletic Management, 18.4, June/July 2006, http://www.momentummedia.com/articles/am/am1804/nosafebet.htm
Mention gambling to most athletics administrators and the first thing they think of is sports wagering. After all, few things can devastate an athletics department the way a point-shaving scandal can. That’s why most schools have established programs to educate student-athletes about the risks associated with gambling on sports.
However, we need to look beyond sports wagering and simply keeping student-athletes from running afoul of NCAA gambling rules. Another danger of gambling that warrants special attention is the addictive behavior commonly known as problem or compulsive gambling. Problem gambling is as destructive as any other addiction and, if left unchecked, it has negative effects on all aspects of a student’s life. It can affect their studies, their family and social life, and their overall well being.
For those who go into debt through gambling, paying it back can even lead to crime. Greg Hogan, Lehigh University Class of 2008 President and son of a Baptist minister, was charged with robbery in December 2005 after allegedly handing a bank teller a note that said he had a gun and demanded money. He reportedly left the bank with more than $2,800, and he now faces 20 years in jail if convicted. His motive for robbing the bank? He was $5,000 in debt due to online poker losses.
For a student-athlete, paying off a large gambling debt could instead lead to shaving points in a contest they are playing in. Think it never happens? University of Pennsylvania economist Justin Wolfers told the New York Times in March that he evaluated the results of more than 40,000 NCAA Division I men’s basketball games played over the last 16 years and found evidence of possible point shaving in roughly five percent of contests with large point spreads. Athletes generally don't try to lose games on purpose, rather they tweak the margin of victory for gamblers’ benefit. Since proving point shaving in individual cases can be extremely difficult, student-athletes who have become involved with gambling in this way may fly under your radar.
Further complicating the picture is a conundrum: In order to get help, an athlete has to admit he or she has a problem. Yet, if a gambling addiction has progressed to betting on sports, coming forward could put an athlete’s eligibility and scholarship at risk under NCAA rules. Meanwhile, administrators are put in the position of having to report any known violations while also trying to help a student-athlete with an addiction.
The reality is that once a student-athlete is deep into gambling, educational programs probably will not help. The key is to educate them before they place their first bet.
WHERE DOES IT START?
It’s easy to say, “never on my campus,” or “my coaches would know if a kid had a gambling problem.” But in reality, a gambling addiction can start in a very benign way, often before an athlete ever sets foot on a college campus, betting with friends in a poker game or checking out gambling Web sites. (See “18 and Under” below.)
While student-athletes receive constant messages reminding them of the risks and penalties associated with sports wagering, other forms of gambling have become accepted in many parts of our society. Student-athletes in most states have easy access to state-run lotteries, and casinos have flourished well outside their previous boundaries of Las Vegas and Atlantic City. Multi-million dollar poker tournaments routinely appear on television, sometimes immediately before or after college sporting events.
Online, the number of Internet casinos has skyrocketed to the point where some students spend more time playing poker or other casino games than they do studying. Students don’t even have to leave the comfort of their dorm room to wager amounts of money that few on-campus bookies could ever hope to handle. As a result, student-athletes can find themselves deeply in debt and struggling with a gambling problem without violating any rules.
NCAA rules mandate a one-year suspension for any student-athlete who gambles on sports or provides information to someone with known ties to gambling or organized crime and a lifetime ban for betting on their own team or attempting to alter the outcome of a contest. Yet despite these well-known prohibitions, studies conducted by the NCAA, the University of Michigan, and the University of Cincinnati all indicated that NCAA student-athletes are gambling at an alarming rate.
The NCAA has tackled the issue head-on, raising awareness among member schools and the general public by providing posters, videos, and presentations. It has also fought for federal legislation that would make all wagering on collegiate games illegal. Despite the Association’s best efforts to step up educational programming and encourage schools to do the same, there appears to be one inherent weakness in the strategy: Educational programming is centered on adhering to NCAA rules, not on addressing gambling as a possible addiction.
How can we better educate our student-athletes about the dangers of addictive gambling and foster change in a culture increasingly tied to gambling? Those are tough questions, but in the interest of student-athlete welfare, they need to be explored, researched, and addressed before we face an epidemic of student-athletes heading down a destructive path, not to mention the accompanying damage that can be done to an educational institution and its athletics program.
A SERIOUS PROBLEM
Like many students, athletes like to gamble. A 2003 NCAA study on gambling found that about 69 percent of male student-athletes had participated in at least one form of gambling during the previous year. The numbers were significantly higher for Division III male athletes (76 percent) than Division I and II male athletes (67 percent and 63 percent respectively).
The rate of gambling for female-athletes was far lower with 47 percent reporting any gambling activity in the previous year. Female student-athletes also reported lottery tickets as their most popular form of gambling while male athletes were most likely to play card or board games for money or bet on games of skill, such as pool or darts.
About three percent of male athletes were classified as problem gamblers and 12 percent were identified as potential problem gamblers. Less than three percent of female athletes were classified as potential problem gamblers. This means an athletics department with 300 athletes is likely to have about nine problem gamblers and more than 40 potential problem gamblers.
By definition, an addict is someone who is habitually or obsessively dependent on something. Gambling can become an addictive behavior if driven by a fixation on wagering something of material value. Some people become consumed by the idea of making the big win, often to pull themselves out of previously acquired gambling debt. For others, winning or losing becomes secondary to the thrill of simply putting their money at risk.
Problem gamblers have uncontrollable urges to gamble and are preoccupied with gambling. The time they spend gambling and thinking about gambling places stress in other areas of their lives, such as sports and academics. Their gambling habits and addictions can also lead to other undesirable behaviors. With the relative ease of obtaining credit cards and the proliferation of internet gambling sites, it is now easier than ever for athletes to drawn into the gambling world and quickly end up over their heads in debt.
Furthermore, once an athlete falls into a gambling addiction, it can open portals to other dangerous activities. Problem gamblers often lie to others about their gambling and may turn to selling drugs, stealing, or other criminal behavior in order to get money quickly. According to one study, a third of problem gamblers resorted to illegal acts to pay their gambling debts.
Compounding the problem, the general qualities that lead to success in athletic competition also can be found in gamblers. Generally, gamblers believe they control their own destiny, feel they have the skill needed to succeed in their endeavors, and are not averse to taking risks.
For all the above reasons, it’s clearly important that we as athletics administrators be proactive about gambling. We need to take the problem seriously, develop policies that address the issue, and set up effective education and prevention programs.
CHANGING THE CULTURE
Robert Minnix, Associate Athletics Director at Florida State University, recently proposed that all NCAA institutions should be required to develop a written sports-wagering policy, similar to the recruiting policy mandated for Division I schools. This sports-wagering policy could mandate, among other things, that schools create a campus-wide committee to address the issues of problem gambling and sports gambling.
Even without that mandate, each high school, college, and university should recognize the benefits of implementing such a policy and committee on its own. The makeup of the gambling-awareness committee can differ at each school, but it should always include athletics department staff members, coaches, and student-athletes. Since addictive gambling goes beyond the athletic walls, other students and administrators should be involved as well, including representatives from recreation and wellness departments, victims’ services, campus police, and residence life, especially if there are any addictive-behavior specialists on those staffs. Non-profit anti-gambling organizations in the community are another potential source of expertise, knowledge, and resources.
The basic goals for the committee should be to:
• Observe and assess the current level of problem gambling behavior among students and student-athletes.
• Observe and assess the current department and campus environment in terms of messages, policies, practices, or behaviors that may foster gambling.
• Explore the connection between gambling and other addictive behaviors on campus, such as alcohol, drug, and tobacco use.
• Recommend a policy on gambling based on the above assessments. Discussion should center on what message needs to be sent to administrators, students, and athletes regarding gambling and sports wagering. For example, will the policy call for zero tolerance, responsible behavior, or a more laissez-faire approach?
• Propose changes to existing practices that may conflict with the new policy. For example, many schools use fundraising activities that involving gambling, such as bingo games or casino nights.
EDUCATIONAL IDEAS
With a committee and policy in place, the next step is to put together a proactive gambling educational program for student-athletes, staff, and the campus community. Here are some ideas that are being used across the country, including here at the University of Central Florida, to address sports wagering:
Guest Speakers: There are several different groups of people who can speak about the dangers of addictive gambling to your students and staff more effectively than administrators ever could. Sometimes hearing the message from someone outside the athletic department can lead to better retention and sensitization to the issues. Bringing in recovering gambling addicts, local non-profit anti-gambling groups, and law enforcement officials is a great way for students to hear the message straight from the horse’s mouth.
If any of these individuals require an honorarium or charge a speaking fee, partner with other schools or agencies to defray the costs. In addition, the NCAA and law enforcement officials will often provide a speaker to your school at little or no cost. Plus, many NCAA conferences have educational funds set aside for such programming and local non-profit anti-gambling agencies may be a source for educational funds.
Internal Media: Another valuable tool in providing relevant educational programming is your athletics department or compliance department newsletter or Web site. Anti-gambling messages should not be reserved for the Super Bowl and March Madness. Having regular anti-gambling articles in a monthly newsletter keeps the message in the forefront and conveys a commitment to your policies. While articulating the perils and pitfalls of gambling in any message, do not forget to include a toll-free number to gambling helplines, such as Gamblers Anonymous, so that individuals who recognize they may have a gambling problem can access professional help in a timely manner.
Public Service Announcements: At UCF, we have produced public service announcements that air on stadium and arena video scoreboards and on the university dormitory cable television station. This gets our message out on a consistent basis. When producing a public service announcement, do not forget your campus communications department. Often, students need projects to fulfill academic requirements and will produce these public service announcements for little or no cost.
Reach Out: Finally, while most of your efforts will focus on your student-athletes, do not forget to include your surrounding community in your educational programming. Sponsor gambling awareness symposiums and invite local agencies and high schools to attend. In addition, ask the state high school athletics association about involving its member coaches and administration. A gambling symposium should include experts in the fields of addictive behavior and law enforcement.
While the creation of committees and approval of anti-gambling policies could be the impetus for meaningful change, it will not guarantee that your athletics department will be immune to gambling scandals or other related problems. However, we owe it to our youth and our schools to take these important steps.
Resources
For more information on the National Council on Problem Gambling, go to: www.ncpgambling.org.
NCAA sports gambling educational resources, including its 2003 study of sports wagering, can be found at: www2.ncaa.org/portal/legislation_and_governance/eligibility_and_recruiting/index.html.
The Florida Council on Compulsive Gambling home page can be found at: gamblinghelp.org.
Sidebar: 18 and Under
The idea that gambling starts in college is a myth. A recent study of middle and high school students conducted by the Florida Department of Children and Families showed that 56 percent of sixth to 12th graders in its state had gambled in the previous 12 months and about four percent of its adolescents are considered to be problem gamblers. A study of incarcerated youth within the state’s Department of Juvenile Justice facilities demonstrated a direct correlation between gambling and crime among minors.
The Florida Council on Compulsive Gambling, Inc. (FCCG) recently initiated a program called the Youth Problem Gambling Prevention Program. This statewide initiative was launched in the Fall of 2005 to educate middle and high school aged students about the dangers of gambling.
The program is similar to drug and alcohol abuse prevention and education programs found in many schools. Topics include the risks and consequences associated with gambling, the impact it has on individuals and families, odds of winning, the financial impacts of gambling, and ways to help problem gamblers.
Sidebar: Problem Signs
Although problem gamblers may show few outward signs of addiction, a 2003 NCAA study found some correlation between problem gambling and other risk-taking behaviors. For example, problem gamblers were more likely than those without a problem (including non-gamblers) to have had two or more traffic tickets, make impulse purchases, steal goods, or engage in risky sexual behavior. Problem gamblers were also more likely to use and abuse substance such as tobacco and alcohol, and have friends and parents who have gambled.
According to The National Council on Problem Gaming, there are many tools used to identify potential problem gamblers. One measures the answers to two questions: Have you ever felt the need to bet more and more money? Have you ever had to lie to people important to you about how much you gambled? A yes to either question indicates a current or potential problem gambler.
Another screening test consists of the following 10 questions. A yes to any of them indicates a possible problem.
• Have you often gambled longer than you had planned?
• Have you often gambled until your last dollar was gone?
• Have thoughts of gambling caused you to lose sleep?
• Have you used your income or savings to gamble while letting bills go unpaid?
• Have you made repeated attempts to stop gambling?
• Have you considered breaking the law (or broken the law) to finance your gambling?
• Have you borrowed money to finance your gambling?
• Have you felt depressed or suicidal because of your gambling losses?
• Have you been remorseful after gambling?
• Have you gambled to get money to meet your financial obligations?