Gambling Addiction in Dorm Room

Gambling Addiction Makes Its Way to the Dorm Room


Gambling is an addiction that is hard to shake when it gets ingrained into a person’s habits. This is especially true now that gambling venues are so easy to find and you don’t even have to leave the house. A Casino Gambling Web report focused on the growing number of college-aged students engaged in online poker games. Representatives are calling for online gambling regulations in the United States and reports of increased usage highlights this need.


In a report from the Florida Council on Compulsive Gambling, it seems that gambling addiction is afflicting college-aged kids to the point that they are two times as likely to develop gambling problems as the general public.

The Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act went into effect in 2006 and was supposed to curb online gambling. Its effect seems to be waning as online gamblers in the U.S. have only increased in the country since the law was enacted.

Regulating online poker appears to be a desired focus for Florida lawmakers as the state has one of the largest bases of Internet gamblers in the country. Playing poker is now considered a viable profession by a whole generation of kids.

While online gambling regulations have been discussed in the past, the biggest opposition was the assumption that it would drive college students to simply access gaming websites in their dorm rooms. Studies have shown that this is already happening and there is not current protection for students in terms of wager limits or verification of age. Without restrictions in place, students are developing addictions and parents are left to pay the bill.