University of Kansas - Jayhawker Yearbook (Lawrence, KS)

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High stakes Gambling was a common activity that often became a dangerous addiction. Eyes glued to the sports ticker, the pool cue or maybe the straight flush in his hands, Iohn Doe ignores his fellow bar- going friends. john was too concerned with the outcome of the game and, more impor- tantly, the sum of money he was either going to win or loose. This scenario was familiar to many University of Kansas students who chose to partake in the gambling scene. Iohn Doe was a student at the Univer- sity who wished to remain anonymous because of his addiction to gambling. Doe said that he knew of lots of other students besides himself who gambled on a regular basis, and that gambling was a past time that was not foreign to the Unviersity. While most students considered gambling a harmless pasttime activity, for others it became a way of life that often interfeared with their social lives. Gambling is fun, but it is very time consuming, Doe said. People won't talk to their friends at bars because they're watching the sports tickers. Although Doe considerd himself a former gambler, he did have his share of wins and losses to reflect upon. I never won a lot of money doing it and I did loose some, Doe said. lt was a bad habit. There were nights that l had hundreds of dollars on the line. Now is the time where I have to be more responsible. Doe assumed responsibility for his risky behavior and kicked the gambling habit, however others were not so fortu- nate. For some people gambling became a 18 .Student LW story by Keri Hillard lt is an emo- tionaligand 4 fn . ff: ', ' a high. - Gam-Anon ' i'f 'iif lil, spokesperson job, and a dangerous job at that, Doe said. Some students had to stay away from gambling areas because of outstanding debts. Others would never make up for their losses. Ian I., whose last name had to be kept anonymous, was a facilitator at the Kansas City Gam-Anon organization. Ian said that gambling problems could begin at a very young age. Many children began the gambling process betting on arcades in malls. As they grew older, these people moved to sports and then to the river boats and casinos. Problems arose when individuals lost sight of the reasons for gambling. For some, betting stoped being a casual past time and became a way of life. First it's for money then later it becomes a question, Ian said. There comes a point when it's no longer about money. It's the thrill of betting and it doesn't matter if you win or loose. When a gambler becomes addicted, the symptoms are difficult to perceive. Ian said that, because there were often not evident physical signs with gambling addictions, the emotional symptoms could be hidden. The ease of hiding symptoms and the availability of betting money and gam- bling facilities made gambling the hardest addiction to cure Ian said. Difficult to cure, gambling addiction became even more serious when physical addiction later appeared. lt is an emotional and physical addiction, Ian said. The adrenaline rush Gambling continued on page 20