Did you know that according to the National Council on Problem Gambling, nearly 67% of all college students bet on sports?* This figure doesn’t even include those who also bet on the lottery, card games, mobile games or casinos. 

If your student chooses to place bets during football season, here are some tips, strategies and resources they can use to avoid risky behaviors and find support if needed. 

1. Evaluating habits 

Gambling and sports betting are not inherently wrong or bad. However, it is important to remind your student that gambling sites, games and apps are all designed to keep them betting. Sites do this by stimulating the brain’s reward center, much like alcohol and other drugs do, which can lead to addictive behaviors. 

If you or your student are interested in how the brain reacts to gambling wins and losses, you can read more about the science behind gambling. Being familiar with how their body reacts beyond their control can help them be more mindful and know when it’s time to take a break. 

It’s also a good idea to check in with your student to review their gambling habits. Ask your student to think back over the past 12 months to answer the following questions: 

• Have you gambled more often or with more money? 
• Have you withdrawn from relationships? 
• Have you borrowed money to cover gambling debts? 
• Do you hide your bets or gambling habits from others? 
• Do you feel the urge to keep betting even when you’re losing? 
• Has gambling caused you any health-related issues, including stress or anxiety? 
• Have you ever felt guilty or remorseful about the way you gamble or what happens when you gamble? 

If your student answered yes to these questions, it may be time to reassess your gambling habits. They can also take this quick free quiz to get help evaluating their current habits. 

2. Putting limits in place 

Setting limits on how much money or time your student spends gambling can help them avoid unwanted financial consequences. Here are some potential limits you can talk through with your student.  

• Set time and money limits. Encourage your student to take advantage of features available on gambling sites that can help them monitor their play and know when they’ve gone over their time or money limit. You can also discuss ways to resist the urge to keep betting or playing once they’ve reached this limit. 
• Budget for gambling. Ask your student what they can reasonably afford to spend on gambling. Encourage your student to set a budget and stick to it. If your student struggles to keep track of their spending, encourage them to remove their credit or debit card information from their phone or laptop so it can’t autofill on sites. Additionally, if they’re going out somewhere to bet, encourage them to leave their cards at home. It’s also important to remind your student to never borrow money or use money that is intended for basic needs (e.g., rent and food) to place bets. 
• Know how it works. Encourage your student to research how a specific game or betting system works before they place any bets. For instance, some bets may depend on the outcome of the game, while others may rely on a point spread or games that will be decided in the future. Knowing what types of bets they’re making and how the system works can help reduce their risk of losing more than expected. 
• Only bet what they can afford to lose. All gambling comes with risk. Sometimes they’re up and sometimes they’re not. Remind your student that this is a normal part of gambling. You should also discuss how much money they’re truly willing to lose before they place any bets. Remind them that if they lose money, they should not try to win it back. This often results in bigger losses than would have been incurred if they had let the money go. 

3. Finding a balance 

Gambling for long periods can make it difficult for students to keep track of their time and money. Stepping away regularly can help them clear their head and foster a healthier relationship with gambling. Here are a few tips that can help your student strike a balance between gambling and other activities:    

• Balance recreational gambling with other hobbies or interests. 
• Delete gambling apps from their phone, laptop and other devices. 
• Remove their credit or debit card information from the ‘autofill’ function on their phone, computer or other devices. 
• Set time limits or block sites that they’d like to spend less time on using software like Bet Blocker or GamBan. 
• Avoid betting or playing when their emotions are heightened (e.g., stressed, upset, angry, frustrated, etc.). 
• Avoid gambling while under the influence of alcohol or other substances. This may cause them to take more risks than they normally would when betting. 

4. Sharing your experience 

It’s common for people to be more open about their experiences when they result in success or winnings. However, it’s also important to address losses both you and your student may have experienced. 

Encourage your student to start having open, honest and balanced conversations around sports betting and gambling. Being vulnerable and sharing your own real-life experiences with the highs and lows of sports betting can help them identify habits or tactics that are working for you as well as those that aren’t. It can also provide insight into how others view gambling, what limits they have in place and how it impacts people’s lives differently. 

Here are a few questions you may consider talking through: 

• How does betting impact the enjoyment of watching sports for you? 
• How risky do you believe sports betting is compared to other types of gambling? 
• What types of sports do you bet on? 
• How hard/easy is it to make money betting? 
• Have you experienced any losses this year? What was it like? 
• How do you see your relationship with betting changing over the next few years?  

5. Seeking support 

When betting becomes problematic, it not only increases students’ financial risks, but it can also increase their risk of anxiety, depression, suicidal thoughts and relationship issues. 

Some people may also experience compulsive gambling. Compulsive gambling happens when someone has an uncontrollable urge to keep gambling despite the toll it takes on their life or finances. When someone is engaged in compulsive gambling, they tend to chase bets that lose more often, use up their savings, get into debt or resort to theft or fraud to fund their gambling habits. 

If you’re concerned about how gambling is affecting your student’s life, there are resources and programs available to help. 

On-campus resources

Off-campus resources