As attention surrounding poker games continues to flourish, campus counseling services are keeping a keen eye on students’ gambling addictions.

Marty Martinez, staff psychologist at the Student Counseling Center, says increased media attention to poker games such as Texas Hold ’em concerns him.

Martinez says cases of students with gambling problems started to increase in late 2003 and early 2004. This is around the time when shows such as “World Series of Poker” on ESPN became popular and made games such as Texas Hold ’em a staple among students, he says.

“I’m sensing now there’s a plateau reached, but the Internet could increase that,” he says.

“More people are dabbling — playing cards, betting with friends or playing online.”

Martinez says online gambling could be a cause for concern for three main reasons.

“One reason is you can bet a lot more money online,” Martinez says. “The second thing is it’s so accessible. Online you can go on anytime.”

Also important, Martinez says, gambling online pulls a student away from people and takes away the socialization aspect of cards.

Although there is not a huge gambling addiction epidemic on campus, Martinez says it does not mean it is a problem that should be ignored.

“I think, usually where you will first notice serious problems is not how much they are playing, but how much their playing interferes with their life,” he says.

Skipping classes, problems with relationships, and lack of money to buy basic needs are all signs of someone who may have a problem, Martinez says, but it is important to know everyone is different.