{"id":8868,"date":"2021-03-01T05:40:24","date_gmt":"2021-03-01T10:40:24","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.ncpgambling.org\/?p=8868"},"modified":"2024-01-19T17:59:46","modified_gmt":"2024-01-19T22:59:46","slug":"march-is-problem-gambling-awareness-month-3","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ncpgambling.org\/news\/march-is-problem-gambling-awareness-month-3\/","title":{"rendered":"March is Problem Gambling Awareness Month"},"content":{"rendered":"

Awareness Plus Action Needed as Sports Betting Explodes<\/em><\/p>\n

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March is Problem Gambling Awareness Month<\/strong><\/p>\n

Washington, DC \u2013 <\/strong>The National Council on Problem Gambling<\/a> (NCPG) designates March as Problem Gambling Awareness Month (PGAM). March Madness, the annual NCAA basketball tournament that sees over $8 billion wagered on its games, is the backdrop that NCPG and its partners across the country leverage to help raise awareness and create action for those suffering from gambling problems.<\/p>\n

With the campaign now in its nineteenth year, contacts to the National Problem Gambling Helpline<\/a> typically spike during March. When the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 2018 that states could allow sports betting, the proverbial floodgates opened. As we go to press, sports betting<\/a> is now legal and operational in 20 states plus the District of Columbia, with many more considering it \u2013 an unprecedented expansion of gambling in the U.S. Unfortunately, services to mitigate the inevitable increase in harms associated with gambling have not kept pace.<\/p>\n

“March Madness is a time of year when we see an increase in gambling and more demand for our services,\u201d said Keith Whyte, Executive Director of NCPG. \u201cToo many people still don\u2019t recognize they are exhibiting signs of this addictive behavior and are unaware of the help that is available to them.\u201d<\/p>\n

The PGAM grassroots campaign brings together a wide range of stakeholders, among them public health organizations, advocacy groups including NCPG state affiliates, and even gambling operators. NCPG provides a special web page to give information on local state activities and events \u2013 participants may share them via a link on our main webpage: https:\/\/www.ncpgambling.org\/programs-resources\/programs\/pgam\/<\/a><\/p>\n

Problem Gambling Awareness Month (PGAM) is designed to achieve two goals:<\/p>\n