Students speak out on gambling

by Shane Sadler
THE POST

Editor's note: Because of the legal questions surrounding gambling on college sports, The Post agreed to use only sources' first names.

Recent studies by the NCAA on the topic of gambling each have come to one basic conclusion: Gambling is becoming increasingly prevalent on college campuses across the nation.

Ohio University has its share of students who place wagers on a regular basis in an attempt to put money in their pockets.

Gambling can be viewed in two ways.

For some, it is merely an innocent hobby, which allows the student to place money on a person or team that they believe will win.

Some people, however, have serious problems with gambling. These problematic gamblers sadden their close friends with their inability to control the urge to place large amounts of money on collegiate or professional contests, several students said.

Chris, who serves as a bookie on OU's campus, said most of the students he deals with are those who think gambling is fun and place small amounts of money on games that they think are safe bets.

"The people who place bets with me are your average petty bettors who are looking to have some fun with their extra money, and if they are lucky, they will win," Chris said. "I try not to get involved with people who want to bet a large amount of money on games, or who are obviously addicted, because it is just a repeating cycle they cannot get out of. And often they are not able to pay in a timely fashion because their debts are so big."

Chris said it is bad for business when a bookie gets involved with people who cannot control their gambling for two reasons.

"Allowing someone who has an addiction to gambling to bet with you is not smart at all because it is often a hassle to get them to pay you. They are often in the hole so much that they can't cover their bets, and you do not get paid," he said. "That leads to you having to work to get your money, and if you do something that the bettor doesn't like he always has the opportunity to turn you in."

Tony, who has a bookie other than Chris, admits to placing bets on a regular basis. He said he understands how college students can be infatuated with betting.

"It is not that hard to comprehend why someone in college would be addicted to gambling," he said. "All it takes for some people is to hit that one big jackpot one time and they are hooked because it puts money in their pockets that they did nothing for, except for place a bet.

"Students in college are very susceptible to making money with the least amount of effort, and that is why gambling appeals to them. However, if a person gets addicted, it is a sad sight, because it is like any alcohol or drug addiction; those people do not know when they have gone too far, and all they can see are dollar signs," Tony said.

And the Internet has increased the opportunity for collegiate students to gamble. There are numerous Web sites that allow anyone with a valid credit card to place a bet online.

Scott is a student who has dealt with the same bookie since he was in high school, and said he has considered transferring his bets into an Internet account.

"I am thinking about getting an Internet account because it seems like it would be easier to deal with now that I am in college...I would not have to wait so long for my money to be sent to me from home," he said. "Another appealing factor about the Internet is that I think it is legal because the banks are located in foreign countries. It would be really difficult for me to get caught right now, but it is obviously safer if it is totally legal."

Chris, Tony and Scott said they have gambled for a significant amount of time, and they have seen all different types of bettors.

They said there are those who bet as a leisurely activity, and there are those who have serious gambling problems. All three said anyone who thinks they might have a problem should immediately try to get help because the situation will never get better. Those who think they might have a problem can contact the Columbus chapter of Gamblers Anonymous at (614) 262-9022.