National gambling task force outlines steps to curb student addiction

The work of a national task force dedicated to addressing gambling addiction was the subject of a recent Associated Press article, as well as a news story in the Morning Call. Maddy Eadline, director of the Office of Special Projects at Lehigh, served on the collaborative effort between Harvard Medical School’s Cambridge Health Alliance and the National Center for Responsible Gaming.

The group’s findings, released in late September in a report titled “A Call to Action,” suggest that the nation’s colleges and universities should address gambling addiction as a behavioral problem similar to alcohol abuse.

As a result of their work, the group members issued 10 recommendations for addressing the issue, including enhancing counseling services, promoting campus-community collaborations that focus on reducing the problem, and employing evidence-based strategies to identify and help students with gambling and alcohol problems.

The Morning Call article noted that several of these measures are already embraced by Lehigh University and are grounded in the university programs Eadline oversees, which work to curb high-risk drinking.

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Double down on student gambling, task force urges 

Task force to colleges: Treat betting like booze