NCPG: operators should not incentivize college students to bet

Report says young adults are especially vulnerable to gambling addiction.

The National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) on Tuesday released a report from its Prevention Committee titled, “Recommendations on Partnerships Between Higher Education Academic Institutions and Sports Betting Operators.”

According to the NCPG, as wagering on sports becomes legal in more states, it’s important for sports betting operators, institutions of higher learning and state governments to work together to help mitigate against the potential rise of problem gambling among young adults.

The report’s authors said recommendations are needed because young adults are “especially vulnerable” to gambling addiction. They cited research that found college and university students tend to have higher rates of problem gambling compared to the general population. And college student athletes were found to have an even greater risk for gambling problems than the general college population.

The report gave separate recommendations to each party, saying, in part, sports betting operators shouldn’t offer incentives, especially monetary incentives, to institutions of higher learning based on participation in sports betting by individuals, nor provide data to schools on betting activity and patterns to inform problem gambling efforts. They should also set strict age-gate verification policies and operations that “go beyond lip service and self-verification.”
The report also said state governments should conduct surveys to identify potential adjustments, provide funds at a minimum of 1% of sports betting revenue to address gambling addiction, and establish stringent responsible gambling regulations for sports betting operators and vendors.

 “We hope gambling operators, institutions of higher learning and state officials each feel a sense of urgency in adopting these responsible gambling policies and problem gambling treatment measures, whether sports betting is legal or might be in the near future,” said NCPG executive director Keith Whyte in a statement.

Michael Bartlett

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