As the Mega Millions jackpot has reached record levels, the National Council on Problem Gambling urges consumers to protect themselves against excessive gambling and calls upon lotteries and the media to promote responsible gambling messages.
Responsible gambling efforts should be made by lottery operators and players alike. Here are four simple responsible gambling tips to know and share:
Set a limit of time and money spent gambling.
Don’t gamble to escape feelings of anxiety, stress or depression.
Know where to get help for a gambling problem.
Minors are prohibited from most forms of gambling.
“The media and consumer interest in high lottery jackpots creates an opportunity to provide responsible gambling messages designed to help people who choose to gamble make informed decisions about their play…Lotteries play an important role in reminding retailers and players about the minimum age to play and in educating their players about simple steps to promote responsible gambling.”
— Keith Whyte, Executive Director of the National Council on Problem Gambling
State lotteries and media are asked to incorporate responsible gambling messaging and the National Problem Gambling Helpline (1-800-522-4700) into their upcoming promotion and coverage of the Mega Millions jackpot.
The National Problem Gambling Helpline (1-800-522-4700 or www.ncpgambling.org/chat) is the single national point of access for problem gambling help. Help is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, in all 50 states. All calls are confidential and offer local information and referral options for problem gamblers and their families. In 2017 the Helpline received 233,000 calls, an average of one call every two minutes.
About the National Council on Problem Gambling
NCPG is the national advocate for problem gamblers and their families. NCPG is neutral on legalized gambling and works with all stakeholders to promote responsible gambling. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call or text the National Problem Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700 or visit www.ncpgambling.org/chat for confidential help.
A lot of you may be wondering about the potential impacts of the recent Supreme Court decision in Murphy v. National Collegiate Athletic Association. On May 14, 2018 the US Supreme Court declared the federal ban on sports betting to be unconstitutional. By repealing the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA), the Supreme Court opens the door for any state to legalize sports betting. The National Council on Problem Gambling believes the ruling by the Supreme Court is the largest potential expansion of gambling in our nation’s history now that an additional 49 states have the opportunity to legalize sports betting. We believe the expansion of legalized sports gambling in the United States will likely increase gambling participation and gambling problems unless serious steps are taken to minimize harm.
Approximately 85% of Americans either gamble or approve of it. We know that there is already a vast amount of illegal sports betting occuring across America. And kids are already frequently exposed to parental gambling plus advertising and promotion for unregulated offshore gambling in media and online outlets. Expansion will likely increase availability and acceptability of sports gambling and thus increase participation, which may lead to more gambling problems. Unfortunately, this has not been uniformly accompanied by appropriate—or in some cases any—funds to prevent or treat gambling addiction. As a result current public problem gambling prevention and treatment services—especially for youth—are insufficient in most states and nonexistent in many.
Approximately 2% of adults experience gambling problems, or approximately 5 million people. Gambling addiction is a rare but serious public health concern similar to other disorders that can ultimately lead to psychological, financial and legal problems. Additionally, gambling problems are strongly associated with increased incidence of suicide attempts, substance use disorders, and other behavioral health conditions. These social and economic impacts must not be ignored.
The NCPG Board of Directors issued a Resolution on the Legalization of Sports Gambling in February 2017 that included specific recommendations on preventing problem gambling and encouraging responsible gaming for three key stakeholder groups: legislators and regulators; leagues and teams; and the media. In March 2018 the Board followed up by issuing Responsible Gaming Principles for Sports Gambling Legislation. Over 20 states have filed legislation to legalize sports betting, few with the types of consumer protections we recommend. Sadly it looks like we may see a rise in gambling addiction over the next few years, which affects all of us.
About National Council of Problem Gambling
NCPG is the national advocate for problem gamblers and their families. NCPG is neutral on legalized gambling and works with all stakeholders to promote responsible gaming. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem in the United States, call or text the National Problem Gambling Helpline Network at 1-800-522-4700 or visit www.ncpgambling.org/chat for confidential help. We are proud to use iCarol for our text and chat program.
Guest blogger Keith Whyte has served as Executive Director of the National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) since October 1998. NCPG is the national advocate for programs and services to assist problem gamblers and their families.
Guest blogger views and opinions expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official position of CharityLogic and iCarol
