Gambling, for some, can be a fun-filled activity -- but experts say for others it can mean throwing away a career, losing a family and getting into serious trouble.
A study conducted by Harvard Medical School researcher Howard Schaeffer found college students have the highest of problem gambling rate in the population.
Jeremiah Weinstock, who is a counselor at The University of Memphis' gambling clinic, said gambling problems among students exist on all campuses.
"They are reluctant to say they have a problem," Weinstock said of students on campus.
Ryan May, also a counselor at the clinic, said he sees more community members than students.
Weinstock, who is a doctoral student in clinical psychology, said he was interested in conducting his own study to see if student-athletes gambled more than regular students. He said his interest was generated by the student-athlete gambling scandals at Northwestern University and Boston College in the mid-'90s. Several students from these schools were accused of betting against their own teams, and some were accused of conspiring to fix games.
Dennis Lundy, a former running back for Northwestern University, was sentenced to one month in prison and received two years probation for lying to a grand jury. He also admitted to purposely fumbling, which allowed him to win a $400 bet.
Jamal Anderson, who played for Boston College, was accused of betting against his own team. He, in turn, accused his coaches of being aware most of the players on the team gambled. Anderson was one of six players who was eventually kicked off the team.
Weinstock said he surveyed athletes and regular students at four different universities throughout the United States. So far, he said he's come to some of the same conclusions as the Harvard Medical study.
"Preliminary results found students-athletes are not all that different in their gambling behavior than other students," Weinstock said. "Males are more likely than females to gamble."
The U of M Psychological Service Center started the clinic five years ago, May said, after someone inquired about finding help for their gambling problem. He said counselors tried to refer the person to another location which specialized in gambling addictions, but were unsuccessful.
"So we took a successful program for drugs and alcohol and modified it for gamblers," May said.
May said there are a variety of reasons why people gamble.
"Some are looking for a social scene," May said. "They are lonely. Some do it for debt reduction."
The clinic serves both the community and the campus.
The Gambling Clinic is a one-on-one program with a therapist, but it involves participating in five to seven weekly sessions. May said the cost is $90 for non-students. A discounted rate exists for students.
Call 678-3491 or go to www.gambling.memphis.edu for more information.
