A degree in gambling – nice one or nonsense?
It’s been almost 14 years since the first gambling degrees hit higher education in the UK, but have things moved on in line with gaming industry?
The University of Salford (UK) Centre for Gambling Studies which opened its doors in 1994 offers a three year full time BA (Hons) Gambling and Leisure Management at the Salford Business School (University of Salford) which offers students travel incentives and the opportunity to learn a language. Modules also features in Psychology and Criminology, Bsc (Hons) and Business Economics, BSc (Hons), including food and beverage management, accounting, ethics, gambling operations and business studies.
The University of Hull offers a full time Electronic Gaming Systems degree and some colleges have included Advanced Diplomas in Casino Operations in their curriculum, but other than a few poker classes hitting Harvard, there seems to be little acknowledgement or interest towards gaming in education systems outside of the UK. This is particularly interesting due to the increase of gaming provision with online casino and poker companies.
Any gambling degree has links with industry professionals, and can almost guarantee a heads up in a gaming career. But does the gaming industry need people who have limited experience fresh from college? There are training establishments such as the iGaming Academy and Playtech Academy which provided specialist training in house. Is it necessary for individuals to be trained for the gambling industry or are the external training academies enough?
Does the lack of growth and interest outside of the UK mean that gambling courses are a waste of time? Or is it actually worthwhile study and the gaming world is simply being left behind?
