Tens of millions of American dreamers each and every year try and hit the jackpot. They put their money on the line in hope of risking a little to win a lot. But few ever fulfill their dream. Still, betting a couple of dollars is as American as apple pie. George Washington owned and bred race horses, and often he would spend his nights playing cards. And in 1832, money that Yale University and Harvard University received for school development was generated from lottery revenues. Gambling has survived since colonial days and has now found its way into almost every city in every state in the country -- and the University area is no exception. University students are certainly not above the gambling craze -- many going into the wee hours of the night to play another round of blackjack in an Atlantic City casino or one more hand of poker with friends. Others students prefer taking chances betting on sporting events. But whatever avenue of gambling students choose to take, they are placing large money wagers and doing it often. A Wharton freshman named Austin, who wanted his last name to be withheld, spent 40 hours over three consecutive nights in Atlantic City casinos last week, gambling until "five or six in the morning." The first night of Austin's gambling trip left him up $1,050. But the rolls went against him the next evening when Austin lost his previous winnings plus an additional $200. Luckily, he returned to the University on Sunday morning after winning back what he had lost the previous day. Austin called the roller coaster ride exciting. "It's a pretty good rush," he said. "But it can be an expensive rush sometimes." Austin is not the only University student who occasionally makes the hour-long journey to Atlantic City. Many students pack their cars with people to make the trip across the river. Other students said they find mass transit more convenient, although more expensive. They said they take a bus to Atlantic City and often do not return until dawn the next day. Experts from Gambling Anonymous say students are attracted to the bright lights and the excitement. Students find gambling to be a social experience and sometimes get addicted to the rush of successful risk taking. A College senior, who wanted to remain anonymous, spent eight evenings last semester in Atlantic City. He has yet to go this year because he said he can no longer afford an evening of gambling. On average, he said he would bring just $100 and identification, to play blackjack and craps until he lost it all. Students said they often limit the amount of money they bring with them so that if they lose they can only lose a set amount. This College senior said he would never bring credit cards or a MAC card to the casino. This way, he said, he could not get additional funds. "If I get more and have a bad night, I would lose it all" said the senior. College sophomore Sundeep Bhatia echoed the senior's sentiment. "I bring as much as I'm willing to lose," said Bhatia. "The odds are against you." But some students are not afraid to lose, refusing to limit the money they wager. Without the tightened purse strings, students can easily find themselves winning or losing more than they originally expected. A Wharton freshman, who also wished to remain anonymous, said he is one student who does not set limits on his gambling. He said he has lost as much as $200 in one evening. "If I set [a limit], I don't necessarily follow it," said the freshman. Wharton sophomore Amar Lalvani, who described himself as "not a big gambler," traveled to Atlantic City "to basically see what the place looked like." The evening before the excursion his roommate showed him the finer points of blackjack. Lalvani thought the pre-trip tutoring he received had paid off after he had won $100. But the beginner's luck eventually ran out and Lalvani was down $50 by the end of the evening. His only previous gambling experience was with his roommate. The two stayed up until the early morning hours pitching cards into a bucket. In the end, Lalvani found himself up almost $600. Rather than collect, Lalvani settled on his roommate buying him three CD's. Not all students are able to make the journey to the New Jersey shore and have to rely on poker games with friends to satisfy their betting urges. When Austin is not at the blackjack tables in Atlantic City he can be found playing poker with fellow students once a week. Austin will find himself winning or losing up $150 in an evening depending "on the number of high-rollers" and "who has the balls to bet." But students have found difficulties in wagering with friends. They express apprehension in collecting debts from buddies, which has led people to even give up their poker games. College sophomore David, who also asked to have his last name withheld, plays poker and a game called "guts" with a group of friends three or four times a week. David said this week he had won a total of $750 during first semester, but he added he has not played regularly this semester. "The same people kept losing money," said David. "And they didn't want to play anymore." Typically a hand in "guts" would go for $50 per player, according to the College sophomore. He said he and his friends once had a $260 pot in a poker game which was eventually split four ways. Engineering and Wharton senior Ken Kitkowski used to play poker and blackjack frequently with friends. "We could sit there and play all night," said Kitkowski. "The bad part is you are kind of taking money from your friends." Still other students prefer to bet on sports with friends and sometimes even with bookmakers. College freshman Howard Kozoloff typically bets every week with friends at the University and at the University of Wisconsin. "It is a little bit of a risk, somewhat of a thrill," said Kozoloff. "But it is a chance to win some money." He said he started gambling when he was 16 in a "very controlled manner" on college basketball games. Kozoloff has recently stopped betting because of "a lack of money." On the other hand, College freshman J.B. Cohen has been graced by "Lady Luck." He has won a "substantial amount" since high school. Cohen described himself as "a huge sports fan" who "follows [sports] very closely." He will rarely bet with friends because he has bookies both in Hartford and in Philadelphia. He began gambling with a high school basketball coach. Cohen now calls the coach who places Cohen's bets through his bookmaker and keeps track of winnings. Cohen does not see himself as a problem gambler. He added his bookie uses a saying to characterize the typical compulsive bettors. "The regular gambler is an average asshole," said Cohen. Cohen bets only when he finds a game he likes, betting a minimum of $25 per game. If he begins to lose money, Cohen will bet smaller amounts on fewer games until he is back in the black. One game that Cohen will always bet on is the University's men's basketball games. Cohen also said he has traveled to Atlantic City but said he "never got into it." He was disappointed because of the lack of sports betting in Atlantic City and he said he has "no idea how to play cards." But for every winner there is at least one loser. Some students have found sports betting not quite so lucrative. Many students have often bet large amounts of money and lost. And in gambling, losing large sums of cash can sometimes become dangerous. A College senior, who wished to remain anonymous, said he gambled because he "likes risk." He said he began going to the race track with friends a few summers ago and enjoyed the track for a while. Soon he said his gambling progressed to Atlantic City trips, but he also grew tired of the casinos. "Ten dollars never seemed enough anymore," said the senior. "It was just little chips with different colors." Before winter break, one of this senior's friends turned him on to bookmakers who handle sports betting. The senior "started betting on six games a night" at $100 to $300 per contest, even though he was "not that well off [financially]." At one point he had won $650 but his winnings quickly turned into heavy losses totaling $2,500. He said he arranged a meeting with his bookmakers to settle his debt. But the senior could not come up with the cash and he never met his appointment. According to the senior, the bookmakers became anxious to collect, calling his apartment "15 to 20 times a day." After consulting with his mother and friends he re-contacted the bookmakers and arranged a payment plan he could afford. The senior said he was lucky that he did call the bookmakers because they said they were getting ready to "send someone over and collect." But the University does not leave students to handle gambling problems alone. Although there are no specific support groups on campus that solely focus on gambling, many University support groups are able to assist those students in need. The Reach-A-Peer Helpline, or the RAP line, is a peer support service run by University student volunteers who provide support, information and referrals for other students. RAP line President Mary McGuire said if the RAP line got a call from a habitual gambler, they would refer the caller to either University Counseling Service, the Office of Judicial Inquiry, University Police or Gamblers Anonymous.
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