Monday, September 13. 1999
The University Daily Kansan
Section A·Page 7
Winning isn't the cure for gamblers
Continued from page 1A
Often, students and other gamblers won't get second chances.
Chad Ott, Valencia, Calif., junior,
said that he and his roommates
regularly spent between $400 and
$500 collectively a week on gambling
or betting. While he said they
preferred to bet on sports events,
they also had visited the casinos in
Kansas City, Mo., The Woodlands
Racetracks and even Las Vegas.
"I first went to Vegas when I was 16 with a fake ID," Ott said. "Now I go every year at least a couple of times."
Donna Doolin, a clinical coordinator and certified compulsive gambling counselor at Topeka's St. Francis Hospital and Medical Center, said for Todd and other adults who regularly gambled, quitting wasn't that easy.
"Just because someone wins a lot of money, doesn't mean that they will quit," Doolin said. "Gambling is similar to other addictions. Sometimes it's not about the money."
Ott said that he and his roommates had participated in online betting and had utilized a bookie to raise the stakes for their weekend football game bets. Big payoffs on Labor Day weekend included the Nebraska Cornhuskers and Louisville Cardinals football games, which paid the house residents about $250.
said so would his gambling.
As football season continues, Ott
"We just got our Direct TV satellite hooked up," he said. "It's going to be gambling headquarters here."
Brian Phenix, Sr, Lawrence, and Chad Ott, Jr, Valencia, Calif., watch football on Sundays hoping their teams will make them some money. Ott and Phenix place bets on college football games. Ott and Phenix also bet in a Fantasy Football league. Photo by Aaron Lindbergh/KANSAN
Doolin, who specializes in helping people addicted to gambling, said that college students such as Ott and his roommates tend to prefer betting on sports events. She said that situations easily could arise in which the students fell deep into debt without a way out.
"At that point, it's like other addictions," she said. "With limited options, they are at risk of suicide or other problems."
According to the findings of the National Opinion Research Center survey, which was commissioned by the National Gambling Impact Study Commission last year, more than 5 million Americans are pathological or problem gamblers. At least another 15 million people are at risk of becoming so.
About 64 percent of adults between 18 and 24 years old said they had placed a bet in the past year, and according to the survey, college graduates are more likely to be at-risk gamblers than those at other education levels.
For most people, however, Doolin said there were various reasons why gambling was satisfying.
"Money is just the tool," she said. "Gambling isn't about winning money. It's about the thrill and the escape."
Ott agreed.
"We look forward to it every
weekend," she said. "It's exciting and it makes the games more fun to watch."
Chad Ott, Jr, Valencia, Calif., goes online to check scores and place bets while watching a football game he has money riding on. Ott can bet on anything from stocks to horse races online at www.intertops.com. Photo by Aaron Lindberg/KANSAN
Despite Doolin's view of money's power when gambling, for the Havilands and some students, money is their downfall.
Phyllis Harrison, credit counselor and education programmer for Consumer Credit Counseling Service, said that controlling a budget was impossible unless the problem was fixed first. Most of the compulsive gamblers that she has helped have been in debt.
"The good news is that while it's a severe problem, there is help," she said. "It's about setting goals and learning to pay bills on time."
Ott said that he and his roommates had their budget under control. While the most they have won on a single game was about $800, they've lost about that much as well.
"We always pay our bills first, and we're not playing with our college money," he said. "We also don't consider it another income."
For other students, losing money isn't nearly as easy.
Mike Elliott, Wichita junior, said he first went to a casino in Minnesota when he was 18 years old, where it was legal. He's returned to other casinos recently, but said losing money was the biggest turnoff.
"You go up a few hundred and then down again," he said. "It's not
fun."
While gambling exists at the University of Kansas, even within KU housing, there is not a Gamblers Anonymous program on campus or in Lawrence. With at least six casinos an hour away, plus numerous betting pools during football and basketball seasons, students who find themselves addicted to gambling must drive to Topeka or Kansas City for Gamblers Anonymous meetings.
David Ambler, vice chancellor of student affairs, said that while he hadn't heard about too many students addicted to gambling, some of his staff members confirmed that the University was not exempt from this problem.
He said that although there were not gambling counselors readily available, students were encouraged to contact Counseling and Psychological Services at Wattkins Memorial Health Center.
Ambler also said that if KU students attempted to organize a Gamblers Anonymous program, the University would assist.
Ott said that he and his roommates didn't need help, even though he was unsure as to whether he would be considered an addict.
"There's always going to be a part of me that will want to put a bet on a game," he said. "Who knows if that's going to go away."
—Edited by Brad Hallier
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