How is the global Coronavirus pandemic affecting mental health providers, clients, and the gambling industry? Are you interested in learning more about gambling addiction and responsible gambling?
Join international experts and attendees from around the world at the virtual National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) National Conference, November 5-6 and 12-13. Virtual sessions will run from 12 to 4 pm EST with optional networking from 4 pm to 5pm.
The conference is the oldest and largest gathering that brings together local, national and international experts, professionals and individuals to discuss and learn about responsible gambling and problem gambling.
A wide range of topics will be presented, with something for experts and relative newcomers alike with content on public health, community, prevention, treatment, advocacy, recovery, research, regulatory, and the gambling industry, including online gambling, sports betting, military and veterans issues, and specific populations. Recordings of each day’s sessions will be available to registrants for at least 30 days.
Registration starts at $63/day – or less for groups 3 or more. Discounts available for NCPG members!
14 CEs, NAADAC approved.
Figuring out the perfect gift to give can be difficult, and that’s especially true if you’re buying for teens and young adults. And if you feel gift cards or cash are too impersonal, that puts you in an even tighter spot. It might be tempting to give a teen a scratch off or lottery ticket, but according to the National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG), that’s not a good idea.
According to NCPG, research shows that early childhood gambling experiences, including those with lottery products, can be a risk factor for gambling problems later in life.
As a result, each year since 2002 NCPG runs the Responsible Gambling Holiday Lottery Campaign. The campaign’s goal is to raise awareness about the risks of underage lottery play during the winter holiday season. NCPG is joined by their partners at International Centre for Youth Gambling Problems and High-Risk Behaviors at McGill University in this effort. The campaign is also endorsed by World Lottery Association, North American Association of State and Provincial Lotteries (NASPL), and the European Lottery Association (EL). And this year, 100% of United States and Canadian lotteries, along with numerous international lotteries and non-lottery organizations, have joined the Campaign to promote responsible gambling.
“The Responsible Gambling Holiday Lottery Campaign educates communities that lottery tickets, the form of gambling with the broadest participation, are not child’s play.” — Keith Whyte, NCPG Executive Director
Click here to learn more about this campaign, and to see a full list of participants.
From July 22-25, 2020, the National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) will hold their 34th National Conference on Gambling Addiction and Responsible Gambling in Washington, D.C.
NCPG is currently accepting proposals for presentations to be offered at the 2020 conference. They encourage submissions on the following topics:
Promising and proven advances in treatment including brief interventions, pharmaceutical trials, alternative therapies, co-occurring disorders, outcome studies, and research to practice;
Professional and clinical ethics in treatment, research, and prevention;
Innovative and novel prevention programs and models that demonstrate results across different domains and populations;
Recovery-oriented systems of care, self-help, relapse prevention, and recovery supports;
Developments in responsible gambling policy, programs, legislation, and regulation;
Data and measurements for responsible gambling program efficiency;
Re-framing the conversation, positive play and beyond;
Outreach, concerns, and research for special populations such as seniors, youth and racial/ethnic groups;
This week, the National Conference on Problem Gambling holds its 33rd National Conference on Gambling Addiction and Responsible Gambling. This is the largest and oldest conference of its kind bringing together leaders in prevention, education, treatment, responsible gaming, research, and recovery.
Problem gambling helplines do wonderful work to strengthen families and improve health and wellness by reducing the economic, social, and personal costs caused by problem gambling. With the growing popularity and reduced legal barriers to sports betting, focus on awareness, education, and prevention are more important than ever.
NCPG has also focused its efforts on supporting members of the military after their research found that 56,000 servicemembers meet the criteria for a gambling disorder and that military personnel and their families are exposed to more than 3,000 slot machines on military bases located Outside the Continental United States (OCONUS) where over $100 million is gambled away every year. Research showed that military personnel are up to 2-3 times more likely to experience problem gambling. Yet, due to the stigmas associated with the disorder, less than ten percent of those with gambling problems seek help. The lack of protections against gambling addiction extend beyond active duty members: a 2019 study of veterans with gambling disorder discovered that they are twice as likely to attempt suicide as compared to veterans who do not have a gambling addiction, and 40% of veterans seeking problem gambling treatment report suicide attempts.
NCPG leadership influenced the introduction of a bipartisan, bicameral bill, the Gambling Addiction Prevention (GAP) Act of 2019. The proposed law would require the US Department of Defense to develop policies and programs to prevent and treat gambling problems, in coordination with the Department’s other behavioral health efforts. On military sites where gambling activities take place, such policies and programs would include providing educational materials and promoting responsible gambling behavior. It also requires the Department to update its regulations, instructions, and guidance to explicitly include gambling disorder within 180 days of the passage of the Act.
iCarol is the chosen provider for a national chat and text collaboration platform for the National Council on Problem Gambling. Several centers and organizations from around the U.S. participate to provide help in states where they provide services. Help seekers from around the U.S. can contact the NCPG National Helpline through phone, SMS/text, or live chat, and are routed to centers serving their local community whenever possible possible. If there is not a designated center available, a trained back-up center helps the person in need. Contact us if you are interested in a model like this at your organization or network.
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
From our friends at the National Council on Problem Gambling:
The National Council on Problem Gambling announces the results of the elections for officers to guide the organization for the 2017-2018 term. Marlene Warner was elected President, Chip Polston was elected as Vice-President and Julie Hynes as Secretary. Ray Pineault was re-elected as Treasurer. All officers serve one year terms, with the President subject to a limit of two terms. To see the complete press release click here.
If you’re going to be in Portland for the 31st National Conference on Problem Gambling this week, be sure to stop by and say “hi” to Mary from iCarol who will be there for the pre-conference and will be at our booth in the exhibitor’s area. We’re proud to be a part of this event; the largest and oldest conference of its kind bringing together leaders in prevention, education, treatment, responsible gaming, research, and recovery.
We’ll be joining the Pre-Conference beginning July 19th and attending the Helpline Symposium workshop on July 20th. It’s important to us to stay engaged on all the latest with this group and learning the current events and news impacting the industry.
iCarol is the chosen provider for a national chat and text collaboration platform for the National Council on Problem Gambling. Several centers and organizations from around the U.S. participate to provide help in states where they provide services. Help seekers from around the U.S. text or live chat with the national service, then iCarol’s comprehensive design reads the help seeker’s location. If there is a center in the network from the person’s location designated to take the chat or text at that time,
then the chat or text is sent to them. If there is not a designated center available, a trained back-up center is sent the chat or text. This successful model, which has been in place for a few years now, is great because help seekers get help close or specialized to them when it is available, and either way, help seekers always get connected to help. Contact us if you are interested in a model like this at your organization.
With every event we attend we continue to be amazed by the diversity in the helpline services available for so many different needs and issues in communities all across the world. Problem gambling helplines are doing wonderful work to strengthen families and improve health and wellness by reducing the economic, social, and personal costs caused by problem gambling. We’re sure it’s going to be another exciting and educational event. See you there!
On February 28th at 1pm EST, Keith Whyte, Executive Director of the National Council on Problem Gambling, will present a webinar on the topic of sports gambling.
Here are the webinar details as provided by NCPG:
About the webinar: One of the biggest current issues in gaming is the legalization of sports gambling. Join Keith to learn more about the political, program and policy implications for the problem gambling field. Our monthly webinars have received great feedback and we are excited to continue this series.
Cost: While the webinars remain FREE for members, they are now open to non-members for the price of $59 per webinar. Become a member
NCPG encourages everyone to Have the Conversation about Problem Gambling. Most adults gamble or know someone who gambles, and therefore could benefit from programs to prevent gambling addiction. We believe many who suffer in silence do so because they don’t know why they developed a problem, what gambling addiction is or where to get help.
Statistics suggest that 5 million Americans and more than 1 million Canadians meet the criteria for gambling addictions. Of those who struggle with a gambling problem, 75% will also have issues with alcohol and an estimated 38% with other drugs. A staggering 1 in 5 people with a gambling problem will either attempt suicide or die by suicide. This is the highest rate of suicide among all addictions. Advocates are working hard to ensure that problem gambling is addressed as the public health issue it is, but unfortunately many still incorrectly view it as a moral failing or issue of “weak will” much like the stigma that alcohol and drug use has faced in the past.
Problem gamblers achieve the same effect from gambling as someone else might get from taking a drug or from drinking. The act of gambling alters their mood. A problem gambler who once achieved a “high” from winning or the rush of playing will continue chasing that same feeling. And just as individuals build up a tolerance to the affects of drugs or alcohol, the same can happen with a problem gambler. As they engage in the gambling activity of their choice, it takes more and more of the experience to achieve the same emotional effect they desire.
It’s important to discuss the topic of problem gambling with the help-seekers who reach your helpline who may be at risk or are showing signs of problem gambling. There are specific resources to point them to that can help them confront these issues, discuss them with non-judgmental listeners, and receive referrals for assistance. Visit NCPG’s website for information and resources. You’ll also find the number where you can call/text for help (1-800-522-4700) and a link to their live chat.
