AN APPRAISAL OF ONLINE GAMBLING ON UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS’ ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE IN UNIVERSITY OF ILORIN, ILORIN, NIGERIA

Abstract

The convergence of gambling and ICT has meaningful implications for gambling among youths most especially students as ICT makes the play and practice of gambling increasingly familiar and easily accessible to ICT users. Most University students are youths and ICT savvy and are prone to get lured into online gambling practice hence the study examined the influence of online gambling on academic performance among the University of Ilorin students. The study adopted a descriptive survey method. The sample of the study was 199 undergraduate students. Responses from the questionnaire were analyzed and findings revealed that over 50% students have performance that qualifies them for a second-class lower degree; students averred to online gambling; and there was a significant relationship between undergraduates’ attitude towards online gambling and academic performance in school. From the findings, it was concluded that students’ online gambling has eroded the time needed to study, increases their stress level through anxiety and ultimately affected their performance through cumulative grade point average. It was therefore recommended that university authority should monitor online gambling participation through blockage of websites that promote online gambling, amongst others.