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State of Play’s TL;DR
- The Connecticut Council on Problem Gambling has produced a guidebook that covers problem gambling risk factors, prevention strategies, and treatment options.
- Nearly 26% of Connecticut high-schoolers reported gambling in the previous year in a 2025 survey.
- Public release was expected by the end of October.
The Connecticut Council on Problem Gambling (CCPG) has developed an 88-page sports betting guidebook for adolescents and college-age adults, bringing a public-health focus to gambling education.
The guidebook addresses sports betting alongside online casino gambling and gambling-like features in video games.
Its focus extends beyond wagering itself to early exposure, gambling literacy, and the harms associated with athlete harassment.
Connecticut surveys underscore the need for education
The council developed the “Connecticut Sports Betting Guidebook” in partnership with problem gambling educator Daniel Trolaro of Integrity Compliance 360, said Kaitlin Brown, director of programs and services for CCPG.
“CCPG created the CT Sports Betting Guidebook in response to the rapidly changing sports betting landscape and the need for accessible, reliable information about its potential risks and impacts.”
The report puts Connecticut’s high school gambling participation figure at nearly 26% in 2025, compared with 18.4% in 2021, the year the state legalized sports betting and online gaming.
Among surveyed college students across 30 Connecticut higher education institutions, nearly 74% reported gambling within the previous year. More than 8% met the criteria for serious problem gambling, according to the report. These findings describe surveyed students, rather than establishing a rate for every Connecticut college student.
The issue also has a national dimension: A 2023 NCAA study found that 67% of 18- to 22-year-olds living on college campuses identified as sports bettors.
Guidebook looks beyond betting apps
The guidebook says online sports betting platforms and mobile apps make gambling easier for high school and college-age individuals to access.
It also describes loot boxes as a “primary training ground for gambling mechanics” and says third-party websites operating in legal gray zones can allow teens to use video game skins for online betting and gambling.
For athletes, Trolaro highlighted another concern: Proposition bets, or wagers on specific outcomes within a game, can contribute to threats and harassment. He also said some NCAA athletes do not know they are prohibited from betting on sports with an NCAA championship, including college and professional competition.
Trolaro framed the guidebook’s message as pro-education rather than anti-gambling, with an emphasis on understanding personal risk and finding support.
As reported by theday.com.
