- p V_ -T w wI w I 6B - The Michigan Daily - WeekDe Ia Zie - Thursday, October 23, 2003 The Michigan Dailv - Weckcia MuMne - I11VMIchImn 1 DAIILfiy w- IVkeUl{nd maVaz { "e ! _ . y _. Sports gambling prevalent among college students B et you can't guess how much Americans spent gambling in 2002. According to the Christiansen Capital Advisors, a professional firm dealing strictly with gaming and entertainment practices, that number was $68 billion. That marks over a 4-percent increase in revenue for the gaming industry from 2001. It also means that Americans spent seven times more money gambling than they did going to the movies (approximately $9 billion). Perhaps the biggest reason that the gaming industry has M become a multi-billion dollar market is the surplus of choices people have when trying to satisfy their thirst for a quick buck. In addition to the many casinos and under-the-radar book- ies operating throughout the United States, gaming has reached new heights of success online as well. According to GambleTribune.com, there are close to 2,000 sites where one can experience the thrill of Las Vegas. Of course, the specific number of online locales is impos- sible to pinpoint, as the market expands on a daily, if not hourly basis. U.S. law prevents online sites from springing up across the country, but that's a problem that many businesses have gotten around by setting up camp in places like Costa Rica, Trinidad and Tobago and Canada. In addition, online I Once the sport of kings to some, horse racing is now just another gambling option. sportsbooks and casi- nos are extremely popular overseas in Europe and Asia. The ever-growing popularity of online gaming led the International Gaming Council to project 2003 world- wide revenue for Internet sites at $4.2 billion combined. And while that seems like a small chunk compared to the near-$70 billion Americans alone spent last year, it's A study by the Gambling Problem Resource Center found that 97 percent of men and 85 percent of women, at two Minnesota colleges,.participated in gambling win a two-month time span. impossible to ignore the rapid growth of online gaming and the gambling market in general. It's a spurt that comes thanks in no small part to high school and college students. MAJOR MARKET There's little question that college-age men and women are eager to make a quick buck. Be it to pay tuition, buy some books or simply have some spending money, those attending universities are always on the look- out for a good bargain. That factor makes them particularly susceptible to the allure gaming - either in person or online - brings. The Massachusetts Council on Compulsive Gambling reported that 5.5 percent of all adults have a gambling prob- lem. That number, however, is two to three times higher among high school and college age people, at somewhere closer to 17 percent. A report by the Gambling Problem Resource Center took the study even further. Surveying random students at two Minnesota colleges over a period of 12 months, the Center determined that 97 percent of males and 85 percent of females participated in gambling during that time. Those numbers probably come as little surprise to students at Michigan. Just a stone's throw away from casinos in Mount Pleasant, Detroit and Windsor, in addition to the booming online gaming world, the opportunity to place a bet is omnipresent. "We probably head to Windsor at least once a month," said one LSA junior who wished to remain anonymous. "I know plenty of people over 21 that head to Detroit pretty often, too. It's a pretty entertaining way to spend a night, and there's always the possibility that you might hit it big." PLAYING THE LINES egal sports gambling has also risen to new heights, accounting for a multi-million-dollar portion of the gam- i g industry. In addition to bets placed with sportsbooks on the Internet or through Las Vegas, there are countless other wagers laid down on athletics under-the-radar. The improvement in online capabilities has sparked this industry, as finding out the days odds and placing a wager takes little more than the click A University stu of a mouse. percent of stu "It's so easy to bet on sports gambled online, I don't think people real- had gambled1 ize how simple it is," said anoth- one time or a er LSA senior, who also wished that five perc to remain anonymous. "If Ia wanted to bet on a game tonight, athletes had it would literally take me less information o than two minutes to get to a site, to play poorly find a good line and put some money down." This particular student also pointed out that Internet sportsbooks aren't the only way to make some money. "I've heard other people say that it's not that tough to find a bookie," the student said. "I've never tried, and I would assume that most people would prefer to do it online now - it's just safer and easier." According to a University of Michigan study concluded in id, in e pr r . 1998, though, gambling is part of every student's life - even student athletes. The study polled 758 student athletes, and found out that 35 percent of them had gambled on sports at one time or another. Even more shocking, the report found that 5-percent of male athletes had provided inside information or taken money to play poorly. It's a problem that has constantly come before the NCAA, with many coaches and administrators firmly in favor of elimi- nating gambling on college sports. For now, though, the busi- ness is thriving. NEW AREAS s the gaming industry continues to thrive, new aspects have sprung up to grab a piece of the action. Two new, xtremely popular versions of gaming have sprung up online to try to grab a piece of the action. Leaning on the back of coverage from The Travel Channel and ESPN, poker has revived itself as one of the country's most popular games. And now, it's eas- ier than ever to sign online and sit y found 35 down at a virtual poker table to ent athletes test your wits against poker play- ers across the country in sports at Most of the sites offer any- other and thing from small bet tables to nt of male high stakes tournaments, and ovided inside have given a whole new meaning to the friendly, neighborhood taken money poker game. "It's more convenient than hav- ing to drive to a casino," said a University senior from the Engineering school who goes by the alias PoktAces on Pokerstars.com. "You don't have to spend a lot of money to play online." The second new fad is the art of online video game betting. The Associated Press reported last week about two new web- sites, YouPlayGames and the Ultimate Arena that allow users to log on and place wagers against other online players for combat games such as "Counter-Strike." Show me the money. While the videogarr the rest of the online g will soon be part of ga T he increase in increase of expc into the 21st ce in the online world. The majority of i will occur in the onli of thousands. > FOREST CASEY/Daily Nearby casinos offer easy access to students who wish to gamble.