Gamblers place their bets on sports for the first time at Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket, Conn., on Sept. 30, 2021. Connecticut lawmakers are considering legislation that would require public colleges and universities to offer a program on problem gambling for students at least once each academic year.
Susan Haigh/Associated Press
HARTFORD — As the UConn men’s and women’s teams competed for national basketball championships again, state legislators are proposing a bill that would require state-run colleges and universities to offer programs to combat problem gambling.
The bipartisan legislation is in response to an uptick of young people in colleges around the state admitting to having engaged in problem gambling and suffering accompanying harms, including financial loss, debt, and social and relationship damage.
Article continues below this ad
A research study for the state Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services found the highest prevalence of problem gambling among students attending the 12 public community colleges. Overall, University of Connecticut researchers who conducted the study for the department reported about 70% of approximately 1,300 students surveyed across 30 private and public institutions of higher learning in 2023 reported they had gambled in the previous 12 months.
Diana Goode, executive director of the nonprofit Connecticut Council on Problem Gambling, said problem gambling among college students has worsened since then.
Calls to the council’s 24/7 help line have been progressively coming from younger callers, including many college students, since the advent of legalized sports betting and online gambling in Connecticut in 2021, she said.
Article continues below this ad
Make CT Insider a preferred source on Google to see more of our journalism when you search.
Add Preferred Source
State legislators on the Higher Education and Employment Advancement Committee voted 17-1 to move forward a Senate bill directing public colleges and universities to provide an on-campus problem gambling program at least once each academic year. It would be required to include information about campus and community resources for treatment and rehabilitation.
State Sen. Derek Slap, D-West Hartford, the committee’s Senate chair, described the proposal as a modest start to tackling the growing issue of problem gambling among college students.
“This bill is a good first step,” he said.
Article continues below this ad
The bill defines problem gambling as compulsive gambling or an uncontrollable urge to continue gambling regardless of its negative impacts on a person’s life. The legislation would permit each public college and university to contract with a nonprofit organization to offer the problem gambling program. But it would require giving priority to organizations that receive funding through the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services for treatment and rehabilitation programs for compulsive gamblers, including the Connecticut Council on Problem Gambling.
The legislation was introduced at the request of the council, Slap said. The proposed mandate would guarantee the council has access to campuses, including UConn, to provide information to students about gambling, Goode said.
“We just want to give out our information and make sure that kids know there is a toll-free number. And if they need help, we can help them,” she said. “We used to think the problem gambler was the little old lady at the slot machine. Now, it is the 20-something male betting on sports. And a lot of those are college kids, and the number of calls we get from these college kids and their parents has skewed all our figures. It is over 50%.”
Paul Tarbox, the council’s director of public policy and communication, testified before the committee that the trained specialists fielding the lines have received “quite a few horror calls” from students who gambled away their tuition, book money, or other funds from home.
Article continues below this ad
The survey of 1,300 students from 30 colleges and universities in Connecticut also found that about 13% of student gamblers stated they had gambled weekly and 5.1% reported gambling on daily basis.
It also found that 17.2% of all students reported a moderate level of problem gambling with some negative consequences, including 8.3% who reported serious gambling with negative consequences and possible loss of control. These students reported that they most frequently engaged in internet and sports betting.
The highest percentage among this student cohort who reported a moderate level of problem gambling was 21.6% among students attending community colleges, followed by 17.6% among students attending public universities, and 13.2% for students attending private institutions, according to the study.
In addition to the Connecticut Council on Problem Gambling, the Mohegan Tribe, which partners with FanDuel for online and retail wagering at its Mohegan Sun casino, testified in support of Senate Bill 381 and offered its assistance. The Connecticut Community Nonprofit Alliance also supported the legislation.
Article continues below this ad
The legislature’s budget office estimated the proposed mandate could cost up to $105,000 annually, but the costs could be significantly reduced or eliminated if the selected nonprofit organization providing the programming covers a portion or all of the cost. Slap and Goode said they believe the programming could be provided at little to no cost.
The legislation now awaits action in the Senate. The full legislature has until May 6 to approve the bill before the 2026 session adjourns.