State Rep. Adam Scanlon (D-North Attleborough) was appointed by Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell to serve as a member of The Youth Sports Betting Safety Coalition, a unique public-private collaboration to educate young people on the laws, risks, and public health harms associated with sports betting, as it increasingly permeates our sports culture.
One of the priorities is to work with the Massachusetts Gaming Commission to strengthen consumer protections against the risks inherent in gambling, particularly recently legalized sports betting, which is now just a swipe away on millions of phones throughout the Commonwealth.
“Massachusetts has always been a leader in supporting initiatives to curb problem gambling through prevention and research,” said Scanlon in a statement. “Problem gambling is an addiction that maintains the highest rate of suicide compared to any other addiction according to the National Association of Addiction Professionals. There is no cure for people impacted by problem gambling. States across the country are looking to us to continue to set the strong example we have made to preserve public health.”
Accordingly, building on a proposal by the Mass Council on Gaming and Health, one of the leading responsible gaming organizations in the country, the Attorney General’s office, the Massachusetts Gaming Commission, and the Civic Action Project are working together to develop a sports betting education, training and safety curriculum for middle school, high school and college-aged young people, ages 12- 20, throughout the state.
