A Maryland lawmaker is pushing for lessons on the risks associated with gambling and prevention of gambling addiction to be included in the high school health curriculum as discussions for the legalization of sports betting in the state are underway.
Sen. Bryan Simonaire is leading the effort with his recently introduced Senate Bill 322. The bill passed the state Senate earlier this month and is set to be heard in the House Ways and Means Committee on March 18.
Sen. Simonaire has said that the gambling expansion Maryland has seen in the past decade or so has raised concerns about increased gambling addiction and abuse issues, which has prompted the introduction of his bill.
A 2008 referendum authorized the opening of five slots-only casinos in Maryland. Four years later, a ballot question allowed for the addition of table games at the state’s existing casinos and the opening of one more casino. That new casino – MGM National Harbor – opened doors in Prince George’s County in late 2016 to become Maryland’s largest full-blown gambling venue.
The state’s casinos are required to contribute some of their gaming revenue to the Maryland Center of Excellence on Problem Gambling. In addition, the venues also direct money to the Problem Gambling Fund that is managed by the state Department of Health.
Additional Preventive Measures Are Needed
Sen. Simonaire said during a hearing earlier this month that while he acknowledges that money is being contributed to help people stricken by gambling-related problems, more preventive measures need to be introduced for the state’s youth.
Under his bill, lessons on the risks of gambling would be added to the curriculum for the 2021-2022 school year.
Sen. Simonaire said that the state education community has had a direct role in the recent gambling expansion in the state and that it should now “have a direct role in supporting the students who are adversely affected from this.”
However, the Maryland teachers union and local school boards often oppose any state efforts relating to their curriculum. The Maryland State Education Association subjected written testimony against Sen. Simonaire’s bill before the first hearing on the piece.
After a meeting with the Maryland State Department of Education, the legislator scaled back the bill and it now requires the department to create lesson plans for local education agencies to choose from. The state department will have to report which jurisdictions have implemented those plans after two years.
Sen. Simonaire said he modeled his bill after the 2014 Smart Choices program introduced by the state Center of Excellence on Problem Gambling. Under the Senator’s piece of legislation, the curriculum would consist of three hour-long lessons that would teach students refusal skills in a health class during their four years in high schools. No additional costs would be applied.
Despite the amendments implemented to the bill, the Maryland Association of Boards of Education is still opposing the effort, arguing that health educators already have too much to teach.
Source: Maryland lawmaker wants youth educated on risk of gambling
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