A brief report on student gambling and how UK universities can support students

Abstract

Purpose An estimated 1.2 million students gamble, equating to approximately two in every three students. In the UK, university students have reached the legal age to gamble; many have received significant sums of financial support and will be responsible for managing their own finances. Some UK universities have acknowledged that students engage in gambling activity and the need to provide gambling-related support. However, more research is needed to better understand student gambling activities and how universities can optimise provision of support. The purpose of this study was to enhance this understanding. Design/methodology/approach A total of 210 university students completed an online survey to provide details of their gambling behaviour and views on the types of support that they felt would best support students. Findings Both gambling and non-gambling students reported a preference for specialised gambling-related support within student services without the requirement for gambling-focused workshops (p < 0.01). Follow-up analysis revealed a significantly greater proportion of females did not gamble (p < 0.01), that males spent more money when gambling (p < 0.01) and were higher risk gamblers than females (p < 0.01). Originality/value These results provide evidence for gambling support to feature overtly as part of university support and well-being services.