Massachusetts wants students to know about the dangers of gambling

• Massachusetts is increasingly worried about underage gambling, with 22 schools now teaching students about the risks
• Teens are finding easy workarounds to access betting apps, from fake IDs and parents' accounts to older friends
• The goal isn't to ban gambling outright, but to help students understand the risks and act responsibly

Massachusetts is increasingly concerned about underage gambling, with teenagers and childrenreportedly finding ways to access gambling products, potentially leading to damaging consequences.

Massachusetts high and mid schools take the fight against underage gambling

To help address this and prevent the life-lasting consequences that come from early exposure to gambling, the Bay State is now seeking to raise awareness about the risks that the activity carries and how students may steer clear of the dangers therein.

It all starts with a new curriculum at Medfield High School, which aims to raise awareness of these inherent risks, with the teacher leading the class, Paul Coutinho, emphasizing the urgency of the matter:

"We have to do something about it now before it gets too out of hand, and it is already out of hand."

Medfield is not alone in the Bay State in attempting to broach what it sees as a crucial topic in class, with a total of 15 high schools and seven middle schools now doing the same, as they witness more underage gambling take place.

"It's not just a game. It's the gambling of your life and your friends, your family and your income," Coutinho emphasizes. Underage gambling is simpler than many think, as the students in his class attest.

Children and students can simply use their parents’ IDs to register, or ask older friends to register on their behalf, and then the app is free to use as long as they have the login details.

Or, failing that, students can get fake IDs, which they describe as a rather easy thing to do. At the same time, the industry has doubled down on making sure that underage individuals are not "targeted," as attested by Sports Betting Alliance’s President, Joe Maloney. However, he acknowledges the current system is not foolproof.

The key is making students understand how to engage safely - steer them clear of pathological behavior

"Are teenagers going to find ways to do this and perhaps deploy any type of methods to get around rules and restrictions, perhaps? But overwhelmingly, when a teenager is using a legal and regulated online app, it's because someone is permitting access," Maloney attests.

This is why many, including Medfield High School, believe that the key to ensuring that underage gambling happens less frequently is to engage with young people earlier - in middle school.

Youth Sports Betting Safety Coalition, an organization led by AG Andrea Campbell, adds that it is important to work with middle and high school students and ensure that students understand the risks of gambling and make sure that they act responsibly and stay safe.

Notably, the efforts are directed at driving awareness and deeper understanding rather than a blanket prohibition that is unlikely to achieve anything meaningful.

Image credit: Unsplash.com