Math, Data, and Cognitive Bias: Educating Teens to Make Informed Decisions About Gambling

Session Title

Player Protection, Gambling Literacy, & Risk Reduction

Presentation Type

Paper Presentation

Start Date

28-5-2026 12:00 AM

Abstract

This presentation introduces the Gambling Awareness Initiative (GAI), a program designed to educate teens about the risks of sports gambling using data, probability, and cognitive-bias research. While many interventions focus on stories of addiction, GAI emphasizes the math behind gambling and the ways cognitive biases—such as the illusion of control—affect decision-making. Participants will see how simple simulations, coin-flip activities, and expected-value visualizations reveal the true odds and long-term outcomes of gambling. The session demonstrates how applied statistical reasoning can empower teens to recognize and resist harmful gambling behaviors. Implications extend to educators, parents, and community advocates seeking evidence-based approaches to prevention, bridging research and practice in a highly engaging, interactive format.

Author Bios

Arty Smith has over 30 years of experience working with high school and college students and holds a Distinguished Teaching Chair at Kent Denver School, where he teaches AP Statistics and two electives in Data Science. A national leader in modernizing the math curriculum, he has presented widely on integrating data, statistics, and AI in the classroom.​As a fellow in 50CAN’s inaugural Data Science Fellowship, Arty joins a national network advancing K–12 math and data education. He serves as an Academic Ambassador for Tableau and a spokesperson for Just Equations.​Before retiring from coaching, he led the Sun Devils boys' soccer team to five State Championships, earned Colorado Coach of the Year eight times, and was a three-time finalist for National Coach of the Year.​Arty is also the founder of the Gambling Awareness Initiative, a data-driven program teaching students, parents, and educators about the risks of sports gambling. His work focuses on youth gambling prevention, sports betting awareness, and interactive data-driven presentations that equip students with the knowledge to make safer decisions.

Share

COinS
 
May 28th, 12:00 AM

Math, Data, and Cognitive Bias: Educating Teens to Make Informed Decisions About Gambling

This presentation introduces the Gambling Awareness Initiative (GAI), a program designed to educate teens about the risks of sports gambling using data, probability, and cognitive-bias research. While many interventions focus on stories of addiction, GAI emphasizes the math behind gambling and the ways cognitive biases—such as the illusion of control—affect decision-making. Participants will see how simple simulations, coin-flip activities, and expected-value visualizations reveal the true odds and long-term outcomes of gambling. The session demonstrates how applied statistical reasoning can empower teens to recognize and resist harmful gambling behaviors. Implications extend to educators, parents, and community advocates seeking evidence-based approaches to prevention, bridging research and practice in a highly engaging, interactive format.