The extent and magnitude of gambling on college campuses will be the focus of the Committee on Responsible Gaming when the National Council of Legislators from Gaming States (NCLGS) holds its Summer Meeting from July 12-14 in Minneapolis. This examination comes as studies show that 18 percent of college students gamble weekly or more frequently.

Committee Chair Keith Pickard, a Senator from Nevada and Vice President of NCLGS, believes that legislators owe it to the young adults in their states to understand the implications of gambling.

He said: “With abundant opportunities to gamble both legally and illegally, we need to examine both the extent of this activity on college campuses and whether this is just good fun or a real problem. Importantly, we need to know how the addition of legal sports betting can impact gambling behavior on campus.”

The Committee will hear from a panel of experts comprising Christine Reilly, Senior Research Director, National Center for Responsible Gaming; Susan Sheridan Tucker, Executive Director, Northstar Problem Gambling Alliance; and Ryan Martin, Associate Professor, Department of Health Education and Promotion, East Carolina University.

Included on the the NCLGS Summer Meeting agenda are six legislative committee sessions covering casinos, emerging forms of gaming, Indian gaming, lotteries, responsible gaming, and state-federal relations.