A meta-analytical synthesis and examination of pathological and problem gambling rates among college athletes

Limited attention has been paid specifically to college athlete gambling in the body of literature. This research article is the first meta-analysis of its type, presenting an up-to-date proportion of those athletes exhibiting gambling pathology as assessed by the South Oaks Gambling Screen (SOGS). A thorough literature review and coding procedure yielded data estimates retrieved from 6 studies conducted between 1987 and the present, surveying 2,130 college athletes in the United States. The estimated proportion of probable pathological gamblers among college-athletes was computed at 6.46%. Overall rates of subclinical problem gambling were computed at 8.97%. Statistical significance was found in the influence of the percentage of non-White students on problem gambling rates. The implications of these results as well as recommendations for future practice in dealing with college athletes and disordered gambling on campus are outlined and described in detail for administrators, faculty, university staff, and coaches.