Michelle Tee 
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An article on gambling addiction in colleges and universities written by Steve Friess talked about gambling addiction in college and university students, and how this issue has not truly been addressed the way that it should.
According to the article, only 22 percent of campuses in the U.S have written policies on gambling on campus. Unfortunately, gambling problems are silent addictions, and it is much harder to recognize a college student with a gambling addiction than a student with a drug or an alcohol problem.
One of the biggest problems is the fact that gambling is seen as socially acceptable, where overindulging in drugs and alcohol is not.
Plus, poker games are totally glamorized by college students, in addition to going to local gambling casino establishments which can be found very close to college campuses.
In addition, the proliferation of online casinos and easy access to these games is truly a problem regarding gambling addiction and college students. It is just way to easy for these students to start playing games online. An nobody will know about this.
When I attended college, there was not such thing as online gambling, and poker was not a popular “sport” like it is now. The campus culture is so different nowadays because of the introduction to gambling, and the popularity of gambling among the college students.
When reading the article by Mr. Friess, he discussed the powerful endorphins which are released when a person is gambling. These endorphins, or “feel good” chemicals are what makes gambling addiction so powerful.
What many do not understand, is the fact that these chemicals act like a drug in the brain. So the person who is addicted to gambling is technically addicted to the drug being made in his or her brain.
College students are just beginning their lives, and when a gambling addiction in a college student begins at such a young age there are true risks that are involved here.
When a person has a gambling addiction in college, it is important that the student gets help to stop gambling and keep the addiction from harming them throughout their adult years.
Gambling addiction truly ruins lives, and to start ruining the life of an 18-21 year old is a very very sad state of affairs.
More needs to be done on the college campuses to address gambling addiction and help those students in need break free from the grips of a truly devastating addiction.
Michelle Tee
