West Texas A&M University (WTAMU) blocked access to online gambling sites on Tuesday, including WiFi, according to multiple reports. Effective immediately, WT students, faculty, and staff are not allowed to access any online gambling site using state resources.

WTAMU has blocked access to online gambling sites via WT-owned cell phones, laptops, tablets, desktops, etc.

The ban includes any WT-owned cell phones, laptops, tablets, desktops, and other internet-connected devices. Online gambling websites will also be blocked for anyone using WT-provided WiFi.

This applies to visitors at Palo Duro Canyon State Park, Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum, the WT Enterprise Center, and Harrington Academic Hall WTAMU Amarillo Center.

“College students at a particularly formative stage in their lives can develop habits and lifestyles that are akin to drug and substance abuse,” said President Walter Wendler.

“There is not a single thread of evidence showing predatory gambling has a positive impact on academic excellence. With the rise of online gambling and sports betting apps, access to gambling has never been easier.”

Three out of four college students have gambled in the past year

Wendler is mostly aiming to protect WTAMU students. Undergraduates with gambling debts are more likely to use student loans, credit cards, and personal loans to pay their debts and finance future bets.

Three out of four college students have gambled in the past year, whether legally or illegally, according to the National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG).

An estimated 2% to 3% of U.S. adults suffer from a gambling addiction. However, the percentage of college students with a gambling problem is potentially twice that number – up to 6%

Per the nonprofit news organization The Conversation, 6% of college students do in fact have a gambling problem. Sports betting and casino gambling remain banned in the Lone Star State.

Though, West Texas A&M University students could be placing bets via offshore sites.

FDU poll shows that 10% of young men between the ages of 18 and 30 are problem gamblers

A recent poll conducted by Fairleigh Dickinson University (FDU) also reveals that 10% of young men between the ages of 18 and 30 are compulsive gamblers.

The survey also shows that such problems are closely related to online betting on sports and online slot machines.

“Gambling is generally marketed as entertainment, and for most gamblers it’s just that,” said Dan Cassino, a professor of Government and Politics at Fairleigh Dickinson, and the Executive Director of the poll.

“But there’s always some chance of gambling turning into problem behaviors. … Online gambling is proving to be much more dangerous than other kinds.”

The FDU poll was conducted between August 17 and August 20, 2024, using a voter list of registered voters nationwide. This was also carried out by Braun Research of Princeton, New Jersey.