Virginia Senate passes bill to educate on gambling dangers at high schools

A bill to require school instruction about the addictiveness of gambling has been passed by the Virginia legislature.

US.- Delegate Sam Rasoul‘s bill to require school instruction about the addictiveness of gambling has passed the state senate after approval last month in the House of Delegates. House Bill 1108 next goes to Governor Glenn Youngkin for signing into law.

The statute seeks to instruct the Virginia Board of Education to provide public state high schools with programmes tailored towards educating adolescents about gambling and its addictive potential.

“I had some parents approach me … there are stories of some of our youth who have really struggled with gambling addiction,” Rasoul told The Roanoke Times. “Now, especially since we have allowed for online gambling to proliferate so much, it’s so easy for that to happen.”

According to data from the National Center for Responsible Gaming, up to 7 per cent of young people experience gambling addiction, compared to about 1 per cent of adults. It also says 14 per cent of young people are at risk of developing a gambling addiction.

“Digging deeper into it, I found out that the fastest growing segment of new gamblers are our youngest gamblers,” Rasoul said. “It is a cause for concern right now and in Virginia. I think it’ll only get worse.”

“Now you can even buy lottery tickets online. You can do all kinds of things, including the sports betting,” Rasoul added. “Even many of those who are not legally old enough yet begin with fantasy apps, and those apps can transition right into gambling.”

Sports betting has been legal since last year in Virginia and there are several casinos on their way to the state.