NASPL teams with NCPG for Problem Gambling Awareness Month

NASPL is again partnering with the NCPG to provide educational resources and training in recognition of Problem Gambling Awareness Month (PGAM).
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The North American Association of State and Provincial Lotteries (NASPL) is again partnering with the National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) to provide educational resources and training to members, retailers and players in recognition of Problem Gambling Awareness Month (PGAM).

2021’s PGAM theme is ‘Awareness + Action,’ encouraging action and having conversations about problem gambling issues as well as directing people to the help they may need.

Using the tagline #AwarenessPlusAction, the national campaign, which is in its eighteenth year, strives to increase public awareness of problem gambling and the availability of prevention, treatment and recovery services.

A toolkit guide, graphics downloads, and additional information and resources are available to PGAM participants on the NCPG website.

According to NCPG, research indicates that most adults who choose to gamble can do so responsibly. Approximately 85% of US adults have gambled at least once in their lives, and 60% have done so in the past year. Of those US adults, about 1% meet the diagnostic criteria for problem gambling.

Not only this month but throughout the year, NASPL and NCPG are working together to improve responsible gambling education and practices within the lottery industry.

NASPL Executive Director David Gale said: “We at NASPL value our longstanding relationship with NCPG. Through our combined responsible gambling efforts, we’ve continued to see ongoing improvements and increased participation across the industry.”

Beginning in 2014, in collaboration with NCPG and the North Carolina Education Lottery, NASPL worked to create comprehensive responsible gambling (RG) training materials for lottery employees and retailers, with the group effort resulting in the release of specialised training videos to be shared among the membership.

Since then, NASPL has continued to grow and evolve its RG efforts and related training components to better serve the evolving industry.

NASPL and the NCPG have also worked together to establish a verification program for lotteries seeking to create or improve responsible gambling programs within their jurisdictions.

Responsible gambling resources, including verification program information, employee and retailer training videos and a downloadable RG Toolkit are available to NASPL members on the NASPL Matrix.

When help is needed, the NCPG operates the National Problem Gambling Helpline Network, which provides resources and referrals to all fifty states, the District of Columbia, Canada and the US Virgin Islands.