Young People at Greater Risk for Gambling Problems

The fervor of the upcoming NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament (“March Madness,”) brings with it a multitude of opportunities to gamble, particularly for high school and college students.

While the vast majority of people can gamble without significant negative consequences, the latest research out of Harvard Medical School/Division on Addictions indicates that young people are 2 – 3 times† more likely to experience a gambling problem than adults from the general population.

“This is the first generation of Americans born into an environment where so many types of gambling are socially acceptable,” said Dana Forman, president of Forman Consulting, a private company dedicated to raising awareness about problem gambling and other associative behavioral disorders. “Clearly there is a need to educate further our young people about potential outcomes of excessive wagering, an activity which left unchecked, can become equally as harmful as alcohol or other-drug dependency.”

Although low-stake office pools and small bets among friends typically serve as healthy recreation, larger wagers through bookmakers or the Internet hold potential for financial and emotional harm. This is an especially critical time for the estimated 5.5%* of college-age people who have a relatively severe gambling problem. Therefore, as a consultant in the field of problem gambling, I will be available to give comment or answer relevant questions during the week of the start of the NCAA tournament. To arrange an interview, or for further information about problem gambling or sports betting, call 978-979-9000, or contact us here.


Dana Forman

Forman Consulting


†Shaffer HJ. Hall M. Updating and Refining Meta-analytic Prevalence Estimates of Disordered Gambling Behavior in the United States and Canada; 2000.

Forman Consulting is a private company dedicated to enhancing the overall mental health of individuals in schools, private companies, and various health settings by reducing the harm associated with problem gambling and other addictive behaviors.