Abstract

Two recent phenomena have marked gambling on university campuses: an increase of Internet gambling and a surge of interest in poker (McComb & Hanson, 2009). Accompanying them, greater participation and problem gambling rates among university students have been observed (Griffiths & Barnes, 2008; Wood et al., 2007). This thesis aims to describe online poker gambling patterns and the associated risks among university students, and to determine if the Internet as a context is linked to a greater risk of problematic and excessive gambling engagement and related problems. It compares online to offline poker players. The sample (N=1,256) was drawn from the University Student Gambling Habit Survey 2008 (ENHJEU) conducted among undergraduate students in three universities and three affiliated schools in Montreal, Canada. The analyses revealed that compared to offline poker players online poker players were more likely to be male and born outside of Canada. Their gambling patterns also suggested greater gambling engagement. Online poker players were much more likely than offline poker players to be identified as problem gamblers and to report problems in various major life areas. Virtually no differences were found in co-occurring risky behaviours, such as smoking, alcohol and substance use between the two groups. The findings point to an increased risk for gambling and other problems associated with the Internet and poker gambling for university students. Discussed are potential reasons including the enabling nature of the Internet setting with respect to gambling, as well as the prevailing perception of poker as a skill-based gambling format.