Abstract:
This study investigated gambling activities of students‟ sport bettors of the
University of Cape Coast and the effects these activities on the patterns ones
study habits. The purpose of the study was to examine the correlate behaviours
of problem gambling and the effects on study habits of students‟ sports bettors
in the University of Cape Coast. The descriptive survey design of the
quantitative research approach was employed in this study. The study used
both adopted and adapted questionnaires to elicit responses. The data were
analysed using descriptive statistics (means, standard deviations, frequency
counts, percentages and percentile ranks) and inferential statistics (Ordinal
logistic regression and multivariate analysis of variance). It was found that
more than one-third of students sampled engaged in student sports betting at
varying degree of intensity. Also, it was discovered that betting for money was
the main motivation of students‟ sports bettors. On the basis of the findings, it
was recommended that the university through its new initiative to establish
Students‟ Support Office (StuFSO) which intend to provide support to brilliant
but needy students, should also widen their scope in amassing resources to
also provide for average students the opportunity to apply for a semester
bursary which will cater for the student‟s basic needs within a semester. Also,
the activities of the Study Habit Unit of the counselling centre in collaboration
with the department academic advisors, hall counsellors and the recommended
“Gaming Research Unit” of the Department of Psychology and Education
should intermittently run open forum where students can test their study habit
level
