College Golfers Becoming Gambling Addicts: 21 Percent Bet on Sports

The NCAA over the past nine years has attempted to prevent college athletes from engaging in reckless behavior such as gambling. 

According to data from the NCAA's quadrennial survey on gambling behaviors and attitudes, there is a noticeable uptick in gambling among college-age golfers.

The study found that 21.3 percent of male college golfers in Division I admitted to gambling on sports at least once a month, a rate more than double any other sport.

"It's certainly an issue because the numbers are just so high across the board (for golf) in any gambling activity, not just sports wagering," said Mark Strothkamp, the NCAA's associate director of enforcement on sports gambling issues. "It's the culture within that sport. In any country club in America, you can go see that type of activity going on. That's the norm within that sport, and we need to combat that norm."

One-third of men and nearly 18 percent of women admitted they began gambling while in High School.

"It's difficult to make inroads sometimes when you have entrenched behaviors," said Tom Paskus, the NCAA's principal research scientist.

- Gilbert Horowitz, Gambling911.com