*Names changed to protect identities Numbers, not letters.  Those numbers were all senior John Smith* could think about in English class. A $10 bet. A $1,000 win. A three-month betting spree. $6,000 of debt. Smith’s losses have resulted in death threats from bookies — college students that placed his bets illegally — whose numbers he’s blocked to avoid paying losses. But that didn’t keep the bookies friends from taunting him over text. As a result, Smith works overtime at his $12-an-hour job and asks his parents for money — saying it’s for McDonald’s — but still can’t pay off his debt. Smith isn’t the only teenager who wagers money. In the past year, 60-80% of high school students reported gambling, according to the National Council on Problem Gambling. In the wake of Kansas legalizing sports betting on Sept. 1, the practice has become more accessible and prevalent among students at East and nearby schools, despite it still being illegal for anyone under 21. To read the rest of I...