Thursday, February 01, 2007

The Responsible Gambling Council is 'betting' that college-age students will
be smarter about gambling once they 'Know the Score.'
The council, a non-profit, independent organization committed to problem
gambling prevention, is running the program this week at Fleming College in
Lindsay.
Co-ordinator Tim Hawkes said that while most people gamble responsibly,
gambling online, especially poker, is on the rise among college and
university-age youth.
In a study conducted in 2005, the council found that while fewer people in
Ontario are gambling, the 18 to 24 age group of gamblers is growing,
especially in poker and other online games. "It's just so easy to play
online, and the 'celebrity factor,' where they see people winning big money
or making a living playing poker makes it pretty attractive," said Mr.
Hawkes. "The aim of the program is to educate the students about gambling
responsibly." The program is broken into four parts. The first dispels the
myths about gambling. The second outlines the signs of addiction. The third
highlights treatment agencies and the fourth shows ways to limit the risks.
Mr. Hawkes said students aren't the only ones who have shown interest in the
program, which is visiting more than 30 colleges and universities in
Ontario.
"We even have faculty members who have noticed students who seem to have a
problem," he said. Problem gambling is an addiction, Mr. Hawkes said, adding
the signs are there. They might start skipping classes, lying to their
family and friends, or spending money to win back losses. Student Shawn
Parks took the quiz, and told This Week that while he doesn't gamble much
himself, some of his friends "are really into the Pro-Line sports online."
"It's usually just a couple of bucks here and there, but you could get into
trouble," he said. "But, most of my friends are pretty good; it's just for
fun."