States Implement In-School Youth Programs
Responsible gaming programs focused on disordered gambling awareness and prevention are targeting a new audience: children and teenagers. While gambling is illegal for those under 18 - and, for most casino gambling, those under 21 - state governments are recognizing the importance of early intervention because scientific research has shown that youth are at a greater risk of developing gambling problems than adults.
The Missouri Alliance to Curb Problem Gambling has created one of the most progressive programs to educate youths about disordered gambling. During the 2001-02 academic year, the alliance launched "All Bets Off," a seminar program for middle-school students. Presented by the Second Chance Foundation, a nonprofit organization specializing in youth education, the seminars used role-playing and other interactive techniques in a classroom setting to educate youths about disordered gambling. The classes identified the risks of underage gambling and urged students to avoid situations involving disordered gambling.
Due to the success of "All Bets Off," the alliance expanded the program this year to reach larger audiences. In order to achieve this goal, the alliance adjusted the program - renamed "Addiction: The Game No One Wins" - that is presented during in-school assemblies. According to Shelly Perez, a spokeswoman for the alliance, the assemblies are an effective way to educate a large number of young people about disordered gambling.
"In the classroom, we weren't impacting the number of kids we wanted to," Perez said. "With the assembly program, we're getting to more kids, and we're getting as much information out to them as possible."
Sometimes explaining this topics to youngsters is more effective with an interactive discussion. The Missouri alliance addresses this with the program "Addiction:Choose the Right Path." Through a video presentation and classroom discussion, youngsters are encouraged to participate in healthy activities rather than harmful ones. The program also emphasizes that any behavior or activity, including gambling, can be dangerous when done in excess.
Other states also are taking steps to prevent young people from gambling. In Louisiana, some schools have implemented a math curriculum that explores the mathematics of gambling. Developed by Harvard Medical School's Division on Addictions in association with the Institute for Research on Pathological Gambling and Related Disorders, "Facing the Odds: The Mathematics of Gambling" aims to raise awareness among middle-school students of the realities of gambling by teaching probabilities and the odds of winning. Launched in 2001, the curriculum has been taught in six schools in the state.
Plans to implement "Facing the Odds" in Indiana also are under way. The state recently purchased the curriculum to distribute to Indiana teachers interested in incorporating it into their lesson plans. In addition, officials in the Hoosier State are planning to launch an advertising campaign warning children about the risks of underage gambling. The ads are scheduled to run early next year during the NFL playoffs and the NCAA basketball championships.
In addition to states with casino gaming, at least two states with lotteries are making strides in youth education. Both Ohio and Kentucky have created campaigns to remind children that playing the lottery is illegal until they turn 18. In Ohio, the state lottery commission has created a special in-school curriculum to promote this message as well as educate students about responsible gambling. Lottery officials in Kentucky are developing a series of public service announcements with the same objective.
