STUDENTS are spending almost as much on gambling as they are on their weekly groceries shop, a new study has found.

The research, commissioned by Ygam and GamStop – the national online self-exclusion scheme, has also revealed more than one in six students who gamble is in the ‘problem gambling category’ – which is four times higher than the general population.

Male students were found to be more likely to be in this category, with their mean spend on gambling 1.7 times higher.

It also found 17% are using their student loan to fund gambling.

The study found that weekly spend on gambling was £33.54, with their male students had a weekly grocery spend only slightly more at £36 per week.

While one in ten revealed their weekly gambling spend was between £51-£100 per week, which was much more than the average food shop.

One in four male students take part in online sports betting, with 45% of all students saying they gamble ‘to make money’ – which rises to 50% in just males.

One in five claim to make money from gambling but 40% say it has affected their experience at university – with 10% even admitting to struggling to afford food.

While 53% have said they’re aware of university support being available, the Student Gambling Survey, conducted by Censuswide, made four key recommendations. Those were:

• More targeted prevention education, taking into consideration cultural differences to better meet the needs of students from BAME backgrounds.
• Universities should make gambling harm prevention and support an integral part of their strategies to improve student health and wellbeing, upskilling staff and doing more to
  communicate the availability of support.
• More education about the risks relating to in-game purchases in video games and their similarities and differences with regulated gambling products.
• Further research, including investigating the discrepancy between students’ motivation for gambling and the amount they spend gambling in a typical week

Fiona Palmer, Chief Executive Officer at GAMSTOP, said: “The Student Gambling Survey is an important piece of research that confirms the need for targeted support for the student community.

“Although gambling has decreased slightly in universities, the risk of gambling harm is far higher than in the general population and students need to be educated about the consequences of gambling in the expectation of making money.

“We know from the university roadshows we run with Ygam that there is an appetite amongst students to learn more about the support available, which includes self-exclusion to take a
break from gambling”.

Dr Jane Rigbye, Chief Executive Officer at Ygam, said: “Ygam is now working with universities in every region of the UK, and while we welcome the decrease in the number of students experiencing gambling-related harms, students remain a cohort that engages in gambling in significant numbers.

“This makes our collaboration with universities essential to ensuring they have the tools to effectively support and safeguard students. It is important to recognise trends and understand the factors influencing these behaviours, including economic and social pressures.

“With much of student life now digital and online, we must continue to guide and educate to increase understanding and build resilience
against the potential harms of gambling.”