TOLEDO, Ohio — Since sports betting became legal in 2023, Ohioans have even more access to gambling.
The Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Resources finds nearly 1 in 5 Ohioans are at risk of problem gambling. Of those people, the Zepf Center said college students are becoming a growing population.
This year the organization is working with the University of Toledo to connect with college students when talking about the dangers of problem gambling in college by attending college football games.
The Center sets up a table to take survey questions about gambling and to talk about the risks and what necessary procedures one can take if they believe they have a problem.
The Zepf Center's Manager of Problem Gambling Treatment, Megan Poliquin, said the goal is to not stop anyone from gambling but to help manage if the gambling has become a problem.
"We are really focusing on spreading awareness and assertive outreach to the college students and specifically that 18 to 24 year old population," said Poliquin. "The data, we have, suggests that 18 to 24 year olds and college students are a very vulnerable population when it comes to developing a gambling problem."
She explained the issue appears to be growing year after year. The Center's 2022 data found 19.8% of Ohioans could be categorized as low risk, moderate risk or problem gamblers. When looking at the college student population it's at 6%, and 3 out of 4 college students have gambled in the last year, alone.
Poliquin also said it's not uncommon for friends or family members to call the Zepf Center when they're concerned about a loved one's problem gambling. The Center is not against gambling, but definitely wants to highlight it when it's a problem.
"Gambling is a form of entertainment and we want you to treat it as such. We are pro-responsible gambling. Our mission is to make sure that people aren't suffering needlessly from a gambling problem. They're either able to gamble responsibly and enjoy that or they're making the choice to cut back or not gamble at all,' Poliquin said.
For information about how the Zepf Center can help with problem gambling, click here, or call (419) 841-7701.