A recent survey conducted by Censuswide has revealed concerning statistics regarding gambling among university students in the UK. The study followed up on a previous report by safer gambling organizations Gamstop and YGAM, which found that 35% of British university students have resorted to borrowing money to gamble.
Key findings from the survey include:
- 71% of students had engaged in gambling activities in the past year.
- Among those who had gambled, 28% were considered to be at a “moderate risk” and 24% were categorized as having “problem gambling” behavior.
- 48% of students gamble with the intention of making money, but only 11% reported winning money on a weekly basis.
- One in five students admitted to borrowing money from friends and family or using payday loans to fund their gambling activities.
- More than 40% of students have purchased cryptocurrency within the last twelve months.
Furthermore, the survey revealed that gambling has a significant impact on students’ university experience:
- Half of the respondents expressed that gambling negatively affected their attendance, grades, assignments, and ability to cover essential expenses like food and accommodation.
- 4.5% of the students surveyed admitted to gambling because they were unable to stop, highlighting potential addictive behavior.
- Alarmingly, 45% of student gamblers were unaware of the support available to them from their universities.
The report emphasizes the need for proactive measures to address the issue:
- Investing in universal gambling risk education for students prior to entering university.
- Incorporating gambling harm prevention strategies into university health and wellbeing initiatives.
- Increasing funding for additional research on preventative measures.
YGAM CEO Dr Jane Rigbye stressed the importance of educating young people about the potential dangers of gambling. YGAM has been actively touring UK university campuses to engage with students, train staff, and raise awareness on this issue. Dr Rigbye calls on universities to actively engage with the problem and provide support to students when needed.
