Panel weighs gaming curriculum for kids

Terry Webster

Thursday, Aug. 9, 2001 | 11:11 a.m.

If you are rolling a die, what is the probability you will roll a six?

The answer is around 17 percent.

What are the chances of drawing a queen from a complete deck of shuffled cards?

Based on the number of cards and queens, it's about 8 percent.

Gambling-related math problems like these may soon be weaving their way into the middle school curriculum of the Clark County School District.

It's part of a plan to teach students how to figure out the actual odds associated with gambling, rather than viewing odds through ritual or superstition.

It is not, casino executives and educators say, a how-to course on gambling.

The concept comes from a curriculum developed by the Harvard Medical School's Division on Addictions. The curriculum uses several examples, gambling being one.

The program is being piloted in school districts in Louisiana and is under review by other districts nationwide.

A panel discussion on the topic was held Wednesday at Sam's Town hotel-casino.

Panelists included Augie Orci, deputy superintendent of curriculum; Donald Snyder, president of Boyd Gaming, and Carol O'Hare, executive director for the Nevada Council on Problem Gambling.

The event was in conjunction with the American Gaming Association's responsible-gaming education week.

Officials say using gambling in math problems involves "real life examples" and opens discussions about compulsive gambling and its consequences.

O'Hare said that although gambling is illegal for people under the age of 21, youths still engage in it.

"The law is by no means a perfect barrier," she said.

Gambling problems begin when people start believing in superstitions or "luck," she said.

"Kids believe in magic," O'Hare said. "That's part of growing up. But in making the transition from childhood to adulthood, they need to move away from magical thinking and into understanding reality."

O'Hare also suggested that schools provide education on what gambling is so they can identify problem behavior.

Snyder said casino executives are eager to work with various groups to educate them about problem gambling.

"This is not a new issue," he said. "We understand that one problem gambler is one too many."

But even the thought of mentioning gambling in the classroom makes some people uneasy.

"I personally do not like the idea," School Board member Denise Brodsky said. "I don't like the appearance it gives."

Brodsky said there are plenty of other examples to use in statistics aside from gambling.

"I think parents would go ballistic if they heard we were teaching the probabilities associated with gambling," she said.

Lorrie Curriden, a parent and board member of the Staton Elementary School PTA, also is leery of the idea.

"I'm sure the intentions are good, but I would prefer it not to be taught," she said. "In a way, it would be like teaching kids to figure out how many drinks they have to have before their blood alcohol level is over the limit.

"If we want to use games, why not use Yahtzee or Monopoly?"

Orci, a former casino executive, said the district will consider using gaming examples in middle school math classes.

He said it would likely involve using examples instead of instituting a curriculum designed around addictions.

Orci also said proper teacher training would need to be provided on how to present the material.

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