New Jersey High School Students Could Soon Be Taught About Gambling Risks
Posted on: June 25, 2025, 10:04h.
Last updated on: June 25, 2025, 10:19h.
- A bill in New Jersey would require public high school students to learn about gambling risks
- New Jersey is the second-richest commercial gaming state in the country behind only Nevada
- New Jersey has many forms of easily accessible gambling
English, math, science, social studies, foreign language, and … gambling? Legislation in New Jersey seeks to standardize education about the risks associated with gambling in the state’s high school curriculum.
Senate Bill 3666 would require public school districts to provide instruction on the risks of compulsive gambling to high school students. If enacted, gambling courses would become part of the New Jersey Student Learning Standards in Comprehensive Health and Physical Education.
When minors gamble, they risk their futures. Approximately 20% of teenagers have a gambling problem or are at risk of developing one. Those who gamble are also more likely to use drugs or alcohol, as well as suffer from anxiety or depression,” said New Jersey Senate President Pro Tempore Shirley Turner (D-Mercer/Hunterdon), a primary sponsor of SB3666 with Senate Deputy Majority Whip James Beach (D-Burlington/Camden).
“By passing this legislation, we can make teens aware of these risks and ensure they grow up with the knowledge they need to make responsible choices,” Turner added.
Gamblers in New Jersey lost a record $6.3 billion last year, which trailed only Nevada in terms of commercial gaming revenue. New Jersey is home to nine casinos in Atlantic City, iGaming, retail and online sports betting, fantasy sports, parimutuel wagering, and a state-run lottery.
Bill Progress
New Jersey lawmakers have for several years been trying to pass legislation to include education on gambling in high school curricula. The odds continue to lengthen that 2025 will be the year of passage.
Shirley and Beach’s SB3666 was carried over last fall ahead of the 2025 session. It passed the Senate State Government, Wagering, Tourism, & Historic Preservation Committee in February with a unanimous vote, but has since stalled. Why isn’t clear, as the measure hasn’t fielded any public opposition.
The Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey naturally supports SB3666.
Educating students about compulsive gambling will help to prevent problem gambling, especially given the abundance of gambling opportunities and related advertising in our state,” a CCGN statement read.
The Casino Association of New Jersey didn’t respond to a request for comment in time for this report. Responsible gaming, however, is a key pillar of the CANJ mission.
“Atlantic City’s casinos are committed to promoting responsible gaming. New Jersey has been at the forefront of casino gaming for many years, so we understand how critical this issue is to our industry, patrons, and the entire State of New Jersey,” Mark Giannantonio, CANJ and Resorts president, said in March during Problem Gambling Awareness Month.
Virginia Leads in High School Gambling Ed
If SB3666 does find momentum and becomes law, New Jersey wouldn’t be the first state to provide gambling education to public high schoolers. In 2022, two years after Virginia opened the floodgates to new forms of commercial gambling, lawmakers passed legislation for the “instruction on problem gambling and the addictive potential thereof.”
As a result, the Virginia Board of Education developed guidelines for such instruction. The curriculum provides high school teachers with instruction on how to warn students about recognizing the symptoms of problem gambling and how to prevent gambling among youth.
The tutorial additionally teaches kids about how the odds are stacked against gamblers and that gambling should always be considered a cost-expenditure form of entertainment and not a money-making endeavor.
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