British Students Gamble Away Their Loans.
Gambling Charity ‘Gamcare’ has identified British students as one of the cohorts most in danger from becoming addicted to gambling. The charity statistics show that over a third of all troubled gamblers they deal with are aged 18-25.
Adrian Scarf from Gamcare says “Young people enjoy the buzz of gambling and over a period of time they might have fun, but the house always wins.”
Mathematics student, William Wrisdale enjoys gambling online and still thinks there is an opportunity to make money from it. “I think there is skill involved and it is possible to win but I would never be reckless enough to risk large sums of money. While the stakes are low it remains fun but the enjoyment goes if things get out of hand.”
Most mathematics students are far from being at risk as the skills they acquire through their course allow them to understand the risks and judge when to stop, but other students see online gambling a easy way of making money and they begin to play with understanding what is at stake. “They see maths students – who understand the risks – and believe they can do it, too,”- Andy McLellan, the organisation’s chief executive.
Judith Carey, The University of Lincoln says “Students receive their loans and then play games like poker as they think that it is a game of skill, but can quickly get themselves into financial trouble as gambling can often get out of hand.” She also warns “It is important to remember that, while some people do make money out of gambling, the casinos and gambling sites would not exist if the odds weren’t seriously in their favour,”
The problem occurs when students begin placing bets and gambling on everything available to them online. They see gambling as a quick, skilful way to make money from the comfort of their own rooms, ignoring the fact that in games such as poker there is no skill involved, it is a game of luck and the real skill is knowing when to walk away.
