A national gambling task force report released last week calls for more gambling policies on U.S. college campuses.

According to the report, which is a compilation of more than a year of research, about 80 percent of college campuses have inadequate gambling policies and 45 percent of students have gambled in the last year. Researchers also estimate that 3 percent to 11 percent of college students have a serious gambling problem that can result in “psychological difficulties, unmanageable debt and failing grades.”

The task force, a project of the National Center for Responsible Gaming and Harvard Medical School’s Division on Addictions, included a doctoral student from the University of Missouri.

Officials at area universities, where gambling on campus is prohibited, hadn’t had a chance to delve into the task force recommendations, but boast highly visible preventive campaigns on their campuses.

Surveys at Northwest Missouri State University and Missouri Western State University show that a below-average number of students are putting their funds at risk. About 17 percent at Northwest and 23 percent at Western say they gamble. Neither campus has reported many problems of students with gambling addictions.

“I don’t think it’s something that comes up much,” said Beau Dooley, assistant director of health services at Northwest.

Likewise, Dave Brown, director of the counseling center at Western, said gambling addiction is something that’s only popped up a couple of times in his many years there. Regardless, students are peppered throughout the year with preventive information on campus.

“In most cases, it’s not addiction,” Mr. Brown said of students who have reported problems related to gambling. “It’s poor choices.”

Christine Reilly, task force member and executive director of the Institute for Research on Gambling Disorders, said lotteries are the most popular form of gambling among college students, but that “friendly sports betting” and card playing also rank high. More recent studies might show an increased interest in online gambling, she said.

Fellow task force member Kristy Wanner, gambling prevention coordinator at the University of Missouri, said many schools don’t perceive gambling as a “big enough issue” to warrant formal policy. But, she said, research shows that giving students a clear understanding of policies leads to fewer problems.

Western and Northwest participate in “Keeping the Score,” a statewide initiative to educate students and college staff about issues related to gambling. They also participate in “Partners in Prevention,” a similar program that targets high-risk drinking. Despite taking these measures, Mr. Dooley said the task force report suggests more could be done.

“As with a lot of things,” he said, “if you start looking for it or increase the surveillance, you might start seeing more of it.”

Jimmy Myers can be reached

at jimmym@npgco.com.