In the contemporary global educational landscape, the alarming proliferation of gambling addiction among adolescents presents a multifaceted public health and social challenge that demands urgent and innovative preventive strategies. This article explores the conceptual and pragmatic potential of legal literacy as a foundational, preventive educational tool aimed at mitigating gambling-related harms within adolescent populations.

The research foregrounds the imperative of embedding legal literacy within secondary education curricula globally, emphasizing its strategic relevance in the context of burgeoning online gambling markets, regulatory ambiguities, and socio-economic disparities that exacerbate youth vulnerability. Against this backdrop, the study draws upon an integrative review of extant literature and empirical research conducted in Romania, specifically within the educational institutions affiliated with the Bucharest University. This investigation systematically examines the intersections of adolescent cognitive development, risk perception, socio-legal education, and behavioral outcomes related to gambling addiction.

Methodologically, the article employs a mixed-methods approach encompassing quantitative analyses of survey data assessing adolescents’ baseline legal knowledge, gambling attitudes, and addiction risk indices, complemented by qualitative insights derived from focus groups, interviews with educators, legal experts, and affected families. This multidimensional methodology facilitates a nuanced understanding of the efficacy, challenges, and contextual determinants influencing the implementation of legal literacy programs aimed at addiction prevention.

Findings reveal that comprehensive legal literacy interventions—characterized by interactive pedagogy, scenario-based learning, and integration of real-world legal case studies—substantially enhance adolescents’ capacity to navigate gambling-related legal frameworks, recognize manipulative gambling industry tactics, and cultivate informed decision-making skills. The research further identifies critical systemic factors influencing program success, including educator preparedness, curricular flexibility, socio-cultural attitudes towards gambling, and digital media influences.

Moreover, the article advances a novel preventive model that synergizes legal education with psychosocial support mechanisms, advocating for multisectoral collaboration among educational authorities, legal institutions, health services, and community organizations. This model promotes a proactive, rights-based approach to adolescent empowerment, situating legal literacy as a vital component of comprehensive gambling addiction prevention strategies.

In conclusion, this study contributes to the global discourse on adolescent addiction prevention by positioning legal literacy as a transformative educational vector capable of addressing the complex socio-legal dimensions of gambling addiction. It offers empirically substantiated, policy-relevant recommendations to educators, policymakers, and researchers seeking to harness the preventive power of legal education to foster resilient, legally informed youth populations within increasingly digitized and risk-laden social milieus.

Keywords: Digital addiction early detection, legal and ethical education frameworks, student psychosocial resilience, interdisciplinary preventive strategies, digital literacy and well-being.