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NFHS Launches a Free Course to Educate the High School Community on the Risks of Sports Betting

New NFHS Learning Center program targets growing concerns around gambling exposure, mental health and student-athlete integrity.
Gary Adornato|
The NFHS has launched a new course to educate the high school sports community on the risks associated with sports betting.
The NFHS has launched a new course to educate the high school sports community on the risks associated with sports betting. | NFHS

The National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) has introduced a new free educational course aimed at addressing the growing concerns surrounding sports betting among high school students.

Released Thursday, the course is available through the NFHS Learning Center and is designed for coaches, administrators, student-athletes and parents. It focuses on the rapid rise of sports betting, the risks of problem gambling, prevention strategies and the importance of maintaining integrity in high school competition.

“The NFHS Learning Center is pleased to help raise awareness of the mental health challenges and risks sports betting can pose to young people,” said Dan Schuster, NFHS Director of Educational Services. “We value the opportunity to educate individuals nationwide on this critically important issue.”

A Rapidly Changing Landscape for Teens

The launch comes as today’s high school students are increasingly exposed to sports betting through apps, social media and mainstream sports coverage. With betting odds and promotions now embedded into broadcasts and digital platforms, gambling has become more visible — and more normalized — than ever before.

That accessibility has raised concerns, particularly given that adolescents are still developing decision-making and impulse control skills. While sports betting is illegal for minors and prohibited for high school athletes by state associations and schools, the ease of access has contributed to increased participation among teens.

The expansion of the industry traces back to a 2018 U.S. Supreme Court decision that paved the way for legalized sports betting across many states, fueling a multibillion-dollar market.

Alarming Data Underscores Need for Education

Recent studies highlight the scope of the issue. According to a University of Michigan Health national poll, only one in four parents have discussed online betting with their teenager, while one in six said they would not know if their child was gambling online.

Additionally, a national study on youth gambling found that 68 percent of individuals between the ages of 12 and 21 reported gambling within the past year. Of those, six percent were identified as at-risk, and two percent met the criteria for problem gambling.

The NFHS course aims to bridge that awareness gap by helping families and school communities better understand the warning signs and consequences of gambling behavior.

Education as Prevention

The course outlines how sports betting can impact student-athletes beyond finances, including mental health struggles, strained relationships and potential long-term consequences. It also emphasizes how gambling-related issues can affect team culture and damage a school’s reputation.

Launched in 2007, the NFHS Learning Center offers more than 100 online courses — including over 75 free options — and has delivered more than 29 million courses nationwide. The course is available at NFHSLearn.com.

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Gary Adornato
GARY ADORNATO

Gary Adornato is the Senior VP of Content for High School On SI and SBLive Sports. He began covering high school sports with the Baltimore Sun in 1982, while still a mass communications major at Towson University. In 2003 became one of the first journalists to cover high school sports online while operating MIAASports.com, the official website of the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association. Later, Adornato pioneered market-wide coverage of high school sports with DigitalSports.com, introducing video highlights and player interviews while assembling an award-winning editorial staff. In 2010, he launched VarsitySportsNetwork.com which became the premier source of high school media coverage in the state of Maryland. In 2022, he sold VSN to The Baltimore Banner and joined SBLive Sports as the company's East Coast Managing Editor.