National Problem Gambling Awareness Month in Review Posted On March 26, 2014

Though there are still a few weeks of March Madness ahead of us, the 2014 National Problem Gambling Awareness Month is nearing its end.

We are inspired by the effort that has gone into raising awareness about problem gambling during the past few weeks. Individuals and organizations nationwide made raising awareness of problem gambling a priority this month, speaking to news outlets and community groups, tweeting information to their audiences and publishing relevant articles to help more people understand gambling addiction. Awareness was raised on television and on the radio, in print ads and in-person.

We saw news articles published throughout the country such as:

• “Missouri to participate in National Problem Gambling Awareness Month”
• “Online gambling spurs addiction fears” (from New Jersey)
• “Bad bet for seniors” (from Texas)
• “Letter: There’s help for problem gambling” (from Ohio)
• “March Madness: When does the gambling go too far?” (from Michigan)
• “Fairfield’s Hwang puts spotlight on problem gambling awareness” (from Connecticut)

And tweets such as:

According to the National Council on #problemgambling Gambling addiction affects 6–8 million Americans, 2–3% of population #npgam

— LEAF (@LEAFcouncil) March 3, 2014

Problem gamblers are 5x more likely to have co-occurring alcohol dependence & 4x more likely to abuse drugs: http://t.co/OrxGGBsl14 #NPGAM — Altarum Institute (@Altarum) March 4, 2014

A call out to college health professionals to get involved in creating gambling awareness. http://t.co/bM3mZhW8Kl #NPGAM — Northstar Gambling (@MNProbGambling) March 7, 2014

Thanks to @staceykafka & @KEZI9 for helping highlight Problem Gambling Awareness Month — keeping people safe during #MarchMadness! #NPGAM

— Prevention Lane (@preventionlane) March 19, 2014

There were even videos such as FellowshipHR’s problem gambling awareness video.

At KnowTheOdds, we strive to raise awareness about problem gambling and the help available for people addicted or at-risk. We thank the organizations that join us in this mission for all their hard work this month.

Addicted to Gambling? You Are Not Alone.

If you’re a problem gambler, we hope you realize that you are not alone. Problem gambling affects people worldwide, and that is why there are so many seeking to prevent new addictions from beginning and provide more treatment options for those in need.

National Problem Gambling Awareness Month provides millions of people a reminder about this serious addiction and its consequences. Through greater awareness, we can move forward to better help our neighbors affected by gambling addiction.

Just because our awareness month is coming to a close does not mean we’ll stop this work. We invite you to join us – learn how you can raise awareness of problem gambling in your community.

If you’re in need of gambling addiction treatment and recovery support, the NYS HOPEline will answer your phone call at any time. Call 1-877-8-HOPENY to talk to a professional counselor who can direct you to the help you need.