Reading Comprehension Questions:

1. How many young people are gambling these days? How has this number changed from the past? What kind of gambling is most popular among teenagers?

2. When did legal gambling become more common in the United States? How much revenue is generated with legal gambling?

3. What are parental attitudes toward gambling according to researchers?

4. What is dangerous about gambling? How can it impact the body?

5. Besides money problems, how can problem gambling impact teens' lives?

6. Where do many teens gamble? What does this mean for age regulation enforcement?

Discussion Activity (more research might be needed):

1. Should teens be able to gamble? If so, what kind of regulations should be in place? Explain your reasoning.

2. According to the article many states are legalizing gambling, especially through lotteries, because of the extremely large profits. Some of the money raised is spent on schools and education. Is this a good idea? Why or why not? Explain your answer with clear examples.

3. According to the article, with a growing number of teens at risk of developing compulsive gambling habits, experts are pushing the government to hold hearings to address the issue. They want public service announcements or warning messages to educate the public on the dangers of excessive betting.

Create a public service announcement that you think would appeal to teenagers and convince them of the dangers of gambling. Where would you show this announcement?

Write a 300-500 word essay on any of these topics providing clear examples. Send your completed editorial to NewsHour Extra [extra@newshour.org]. Exceptional essays might be published on our Web site.