Student Gambling: University-wide approaches to awareness and education efforts

1. Student Gambling: University-wide approaches to awareness and education efforts Presented to NASPA Colleagues March 22nd, 2005 Tampa, FL Presenters: Dr. Thomas Hardy, Associate Director for Residential Communities, The University of Alabama and Mr. Chris King, Associate Athletics Director, The University of Alabama

2. Outline: • Brief review of general population College Student Gambling salient points • Brief review of College Student Athlete Gambling salient points • Short review of the literature • Establishment of UA’s Gambling Action Team (GAT) and Purpose • Plan of Action and Assessment methods for GAT • Educational Initiatives regarding College Student gambling • Translation to other campuses • Q&A

3. General population College Student Gambling • The availability of varied forms of gambling is widespread (internet, fraternity house bookies, lotteries, racetracks, casinos) • College Students tend to be risk-takers at heart and gambling is just another form of risk-taking similar to sexual promiscuity, alcohol use, and illegal drugs. • Student gambling has been largely ignored or even promoted on most college campuses (casino nights, bus trips to casinos, etc.)

4. General population College Student Gambling • Gambling can be just as addictive as drug abuse and alcohol abuse • Our campuses all tend to address the above concerns, but not gambling • Gambling among college students tends to be masked and those seeking help, seek help for financial concerns, alcohol issues, etc, not the gambling

5. General population College Student Gambling • It is estimated 5.5% of our college-aged population has a gambling problem. • Are we willing to write-off that many students and not offer help?

6. Review of Literature Historical/Legal perspective • Gaming Act of 1710 (Statue of Anne) • English Common Law still on books today

7. Review of Literature Historical/Legal perspective • Seminole Tribe of Florida v. Butterworth (1981) • Established Native American Casinos and growth of riverboat casinos

8. Review of Literature Risk-Taking behaviors among college students • Milgram (1974) • Conformity and Obedience to peer thought

9. Review of Literature Risk-Taking behaviors among college students • Smith and Brown (1998) • Alcohol and sexual activity interconnectedness to risk-taking

10. Review of Literature Psychology of the gambler • Freud (1928) Analysis of Fyodor Dostoyevsky • Skinner (1953) Behaviorism: variable-ratio reinforcement

11. Review of Literature Studies on College Student Gambling • Lesieur, et.al (1991) - Multi-institution comprehensive study on gambling among college students.

12. Review of Literature Studies on College Student Gambling • Lorenz (1983) • Two institution study on college student gambling

13. Review of Literature (cont.) Studies on Student Affairs responses • Ackerman and Piper (1996) • Statement on Student Affairs responsibility towards issue

14. Review of Literature Studies on Student Affairs responses • Bailey and Dickens (1997) • CSAO’s perceptions of college student gambling

15. Review of College Student-Athlete Gambling • NCAA’s Position on Gambling • Recent NCAA Study • NCAA Legislation • Consequences for Student-Athletes and Athletic Department Staff Members • College Gambling Scandals • NCAA Initiatives

16. NCAA POSITION ON GAMBLING The NCAA opposes ALL forms of illegal sports wagering. Sports wagering has the potential to undermine the integrity of sports contests and jeopardizes the welfare of student-athletes and the intercollegiate athletics community. Sports wagering demeansthe competition and competitors alike by a message that is contrary to the purposes and meaning of “sport”. Sports competition should be appreciated for the inherent benefits related to participation of student-athletes, coaches, and institutions in fair contests, not the amounts of money wagered on the outcome of the competition.

17. Recent NCAA Study • NCAA Study Finds Sports Wagering a Problem Among Student-Athletes • Discuss National Study on Collegiate Sports Wagering • Summary • Survey • Initial Findings • Handouts

18. NCAA Gambling Rule Staff members of a member conference, staff members of the athletic department of a member institution and student-athletes shall not knowingly: • Provide information to individuals involved in organized gambling activities concerning intercollegiate athletics competition. • Solicit a bet on any intercollegiate team • Accept a bet on any team representing the institution • Solicit or accept a bet on any intercollegiate competition for any item (cash, shirt, dinner) that has a tangible value; or • Participate in any gambling activity that involves intercollegiate or professional athletics, through a bookmaker, parlay card, or other method of organized gambling.

19. Consequences • Student-Athletes • Minimum year suspension from collegiate participation; and/or • Possible ban from all collegiate participation (bet on school sporting contest) • Athletics Staff: • Impacts employment

20. Don’t Bet on It!!! • Don’t Risk It: • There are many examples where student-athletes did risk it, and suffered the consequences. We will look at four examples later in the presentation. • NCAA Rules and the Consequences • The NCAA rules are clear: Student-athletes cannot bet on any collegiate or professional sporting event, and cannot give information to anyone who does bet on college or professional sports, including internet gambling, sports pools, or collegiate sports that don’t involve their own team. • The consequences are clear as well. If a student-athlete bets on any team at their school, the student-athlete is permanently ineligible to play any sports. If the student-athlete bets on any college or professional team that is not their own, the student-athlete is ineligible for one year. Student-athletes can also go to jail – sports wagering is a crime!

21. Risk of Gambling: Student-Athletes • Removed from team • Expelled from college • Humiliated in news stories • Embarrassment to their family and team • Banished from professional sports • Victim of bookies and organized crime • Ruined financially and perhaps even hurt physically • Turned down for future jobs • Sent to jail

22. Why is NCAA so tough on Sports Wagering? • Threatens a student-athletes personal integrity and safety • Corrupts sports • Illegal • Attracts organized crime • Chris King Rule: It is not part of the educational mission and could tarnish the reputation of an educational institution!!!

23. How do student-athletes wager? • Fantasy Leagues • If the fantasy league charges an entry fee in order to be able to participate and there is a prize at the end, it would be a violation of NCAA gambling legislation for a staff member or student-athlete to participate • Video Game Tournaments • Sports Pools • NFL, NBA, Baseball, Golf Tournaments, March Madness, etc. • Internet Gambling

24. Internet Sports Gambling • The NCAA has stated that Internet Sports Gambling specifically violates NCAA Bylaw 10.3, and therefore is prohibited to student-athletes. • Currently, there are bills in the United States Congress that will clarify whether internet gambling is illegal in states where sports gambling is illegal (It is illegal in Alabama). • Internet gambling is seen as the most dangerous and addictive method of gambling for college students. • Student-athletes are not protected by using the internet, a former Florida State football and basketball player was kicked off the team for alleged bets placed on the internet.

25. College Gambling Scandals • ARIZONA STATE • Gambling Offense:Shaved points in four games during ASU’s 1993-1994 season. • Penalty: • One year in prison • Three years probation • $8,000 fine • FLORIDA • Gambling Offense: • Student-athlete violated NCAA prohibition against betting on college sports games. • Penalty: • Declared ineligible to play basketball in his senior year at Florida. • NORTHWESTERN • Gambling Offense: Four players shaved points in 3 Big 10 Conference games during 1995. • Penalty: • One month in Federal Prison • Provided gambling talks to other colleges for 5 years • Two years probation FLORIDA STATE Gambling Offense: Student-athlete and team manager bet on Florida State games through campus bookie. Penalty: Coach Bowden kicked the student-athlete off the Florida State football team during his freshman year.

26. NCAA Gambling Resource Literature & Materials • Review NCAA website: www.ncaa.org/membership/enforcement/gambling/index.html • “Don’t Bet on It” NCAA Brochure • “Don’t Bet on It” Bracelets • Posters • Videos

27. NCAA Initiatives: Solutions to the Problem • Communication between state high school athletic associations and the NCAA; • Education: Videos, posters, brochures; • Speakers; • High school/college coaches and administrators being role models; • Presentations by former student-athletes; • Assistance from FBI, law enforcement; • Mandatory rules education for students and student-athletes.

28. Establishing UA’s Gambling Action Team (GAT) • UA implemented a University Gambling Action Team to facilitate campus wide awareness of the problems associated with problem and compulsive gambling and to develop assistance strategies to address such problems for the UA student body, faculty, and staff.

29. Establishing UA’s GAT(con’t) • UA’s Division of Student Affairs and Intercollegiate Athletics formed a partnership to provide a proactive, comprehensive education and awareness progam on gambling-related issues.

30. The University Gambling Action Team • Members include: • Division of Student Affairs • Intercollegiate Athletics • Counseling Center • Office of the Dean of Students • Student Health Center • UA Police Department • University Relations • Human Resources • Various UA Academic Departments

31. Purpose of GAT • The purpose of the UA Gambling Action Team is to facilitate campus-wide awareness and assistance strategies to address problem gambling and related issues. The panel’s responsibilities include providing practical information, learning opportunities, and educational and awareness programs to the student body, targeting the student body -student-athletes, Greek system, graduate students, freshman and faculty/staff.

32. GAT’S PLAN: • Be comprehensive • Be proactive, rather than reactive • Programs are designed to heighten awareness and provide access to additional resources for education and assistance

33. GAT Plan of Action • Goal #1: Develop a comprehensive gambling education program for the student body and faculty/staff under the direction of the UA Gambling Action Team. • Goal #2: Provide consultation services to the student body on problem gambling and debt management. • Goal #3: Develop an approach to raise awareness regarding problem gambling and related issues on campus. • Goal #4: Ensure compliance with local, state, and federal laws (and NCAA rules and regulations).

34. Objectives for Goal #1 • Objective #1: Develop an annual calendar of events for educational sessions each academic year. • Objective #1(a): Develop educational sessions for student-athletes on an annual basis. • Objective #1(b): Develop educational sessions for the Greek system on an annual basis. • Objective #1(c): Develop educational sessions for the graduate students on an annual basis. • Objective #1(d): Develop educational sessions for the general campus community/residence halls on an annual basis. • Objective #1(c): Develop educational sessions for faculty and staff on an annual basis (includes coaches and athletic staff members). • Objective #2: Host a Campus Gambling Symposium each spring. • Objective #3: Provide educational resources and materials for the student body and faculty/staff. • Objective #4: Maintain gambling link on the athletics compliance web site at www.rolltide.com on an ongoing basis. • Objective #5: Secure speakers from the professional sports community, law enforcement, or gambling industry to host educational sessions for the Gambling Action Team on an annual basis.

35. Objectives for Goal #2 • Objective #1: Provide confidential consultative services and assistance for problem gamblers through the Russell Student Health Center. • Objective #2: Provide financial consultative review (debt management) and assistance for students with gambling problems. • Objective #3: Identify local resources for students with gambling problems, including, but not limited to forming working relationships with local Gambler’s Anonymous groups. • Objective #4: Provide Gambling Action Team members and others with training and information on gambling problems from outside organizations.

36. Objectives for Goal #3 • Objective #1: Incorporate gambling education and awareness into the following programs: • Objective #1(a): First Year Orientation Program • Objective #1(b): Student-Athlete Freshman Life Skills Course • Objective #1(c): General Campus Community/Residence Halls Quarterly Meetings • Objective #1(d): Greek Life Orientation Week/Fraternity New Member Programming • Objective #1(e): Graduate School Orientation Week • Objective #1(f): New Faculty/Staff Orientation • Objective #2: Distribute literature and advertisements outlining the warning signs of gambling, 24-hour contact number, and information on debt management around campus. • Objective #3: Provide athletic public service announcements to be shown during home football and men’s basketball, and on television during games by either the President or the Director of Athletics.

37. Objectives for Goal #3 (con’t) • Objective #4: Partner with the Crimson White newspaper on quarterly articles on gambling during the opportune times of year (i.e., NCAA College Bowl Games, Super Bowl, March Madness). • Objective #5: Utilize current studies and surveys on student gambling behavior for education and awareness programs and materials. • Objective #6: Provide an annual assessment report to the President, Provost, and the Vice President for Student Affairs.

38. Objectives for Goal #4 • Objective #1: Develop a Gambling Policy for the following groups, with the inclusion of the state of Alabama law: • Objective #1(a): Student Code of Conduct • Objective #1(b): Student-Athlete Code of Conduct (NCAA rules application) • Objective #1(c): Staff Code of Conduct • Objective #1(d): Faculty Code of Conduct

39. Gambling Action Team: Educational Initiatives • Speakers • Former Bookies/Organized Crime Figures • Counselors/Debt Management • FBI • Local Law Enforcement • Gaming Industry • Brochure/Flyers • Problem Gambling • Compulsive Gambling • Recognizing and Addressing Gambling-Related Problems • Programs and Services • Debt Management/Financial Assistance • Hotline, Warning Signs, Etc.

40. Gambling Action Team:Educational Initiatives • Advertisements/Announcements • Radio and Television Public Service Announcements • Student Newspaper • Local Newspaper • Press Releases • Resident Hall/RA Meetings • Orientation sessions in summer • Freshman Orientation • Greek Pledge Classes • Graduate Students • Life Skill Courses • Website development • Student Affairs • Athletics • Counseling Center

41. Intercollegiate Athletics: Student-Athlete Educational Initiatives • Gambling Symposium • NCAA Involvement On-Campus • Put Articles from Internet/Flyers/Posters in Lockers/Locker Room/Bulletin Boards in Athletic Facilities • Provide Gambling Information to Staff Members, Coaches, Alumni, and Boosters

42. UA Intercollegiate Athletics: Student-Athlete Educational Initiatives • Advertisements during home football and basketball games • Fall Gambling Meeting with all student-athletes • Incorporate into Student-Athlete Freshman Life Skills Course • NCAA Position on Educational Initiatives: • “Each institution’s gambling prevention program should be all-encompassing.” • UA’s Position: Minimum one initiative, each month during academic year.

43. Gambling Action Team: How to get started • Identify administrative support • Gauge interest from campus partners to be broad-based • Determine short-term and long-term goals • Identify start-up and continued funding • Identify focus and own plan of action • Assess regularly and change direction as needed

44. Gambling Action Team and Strategies • Develop a comprehensive gambling education program for the student body, faculty, and staff. • Provide consultation services to the student body on problem gambling and debt management. • Develop an approach to raise awareness regarding problem gambling, as well as gambling and sports wagering related issues, on-campus. • Ensure compliance with local, state, and federal laws, as well as NCAA legislation.

45. Gambling Prevention Program Overview • Information and Awareness Strategies • Pamphlets • Posters • Public Service Announcements • Billboards • Newsletters • Etc.

46. Gambling Prevention Program Overview (con’t) • Education and Skill Development Strategies • Professional Development Seminars for administrators, faculty, coaches, and staff • Life Skills training for student-athletes and student body • Etc.

47. Gambling Prevention Program Overview (con’t) • Community Development, Capacity Building, and Institutional Change Strategies • Engage university community in a targeted gambling reduction prevention plan • Review of the institution’s and athletic department’s current gambling prevention policy

48. Gambling Prevention Program Overview (con’t) • Public and Social Policy Strategies • Develop and implement a gambling policy at the institution. • Student Code of Conduct • Student-Athlete Code of Conduct • Staff Code of Conduct • Faculty Code of Conduct

49. Gambling Prevention Program Overview (con’t) • Intervention Strategies for Individuals at High Risk • Develop programs for at-risk populations (e.g., freshman orientation, Greek/pledge class, student-athletes, etc.) • Develop policies and procedures for referring first time offenders of institutional gambling policy • Debt management education and programs

50. Gambling Prevention Program Overview (con’t) • Recognize the Problem • Additional research is needed to understand the problem!!! • More counseling and education should be made available!!!