Chips sit on a roulette table at the Hard Rock casino in Atlantic City N.J., on May 17, 2023. With large numbers of high school students saying they are already gambling with friends or online before they are old enough to do so legally, several states are moving to require classes on the risks of gambling as part of high school curriculum. – As a high school senior, Nick was blessed with a deadly accurate jump shot from the three-point range — something he was quick to monetize.
Ten years ago during Nick's last year of high school, there was no such thing as courses on the risks of gambling, the consequences of wagering, or the impact on personal finances. Other states are trying as well, including New Jersey and Michigan. Similar legislation failed in Maryland and West Virginia in recent years, but they're expected to try again.Keith Whyte, executive director of the problem gambling council, recently spoke to a group of 40 high school juniors in Virginia.
"They laugh at losing hundreds of dollars over a weekend,” she said. “When I was their age, I was busy working to earn money, and losing what they lose over a weekend was what I made in a month. I think these kids are the future tip of the iceberg.”