The National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) counted professional sports leagues among the sponsors of this week’s online 2021 National Conference on Gambling Addiction & Responsible Gambling.
The nonprofit used online platforms to provide its “custom blend” of targeted training to prevent gambling addiction and promote responsible gambling. The conference was split into two parts, all online and all in afternoon (EDT) time slots to serve multiple time zones spanning from California to Europe, reflecting the international nature of this issue. Intensive Seminars with small groups and interactive sessions took place June 16, 17, 23 and 24. The Main Conference, in a more traditional format of lecture or panel with Q & A, took place July 14, and 15, and continued July 21 and 22.
“We are pleased to work ever more closely with the professional sports leagues,” said NCPG Executive Director Keith Whyte. “It reflects their growing commitment to the health of their fans and players as sports betting expands across the country. Counselors tell us that they are seeing an increase in people seeking help for a gambling problem-related sports betting.”
Almost $225,000 in sponsorships was contributed for the conference, with support from 27 organizations, including significant underwriting from the Entain Foundation U.S. All sponsorship contributions support the conference and the work of the National Council on Problem Gambling.
New this year is a formal Diversity in Leadership Scholarship Program, sponsored by Caesars Entertainment. Sixteen scholarship recipients who are students of color from mental health and social work fields at historically black colleges and universities received free registrations for all four days of the Main Conference.
“Although we look forward to a time when we can meet together in person, our online conference provides necessary training that is hard to find in many parts of our country,” said NCPG Board of Directors President Robert Jacobson.
The National Conference on Gambling Addiction & Responsible Gambling brings together a wide range of stakeholders and provides expert training to attendees from across the nation. Approximately 400 attendees were expected to attend sessions focusing on prevention, education, treatment, research, responsible gambling and recovery. Recordings of the sessions will be available to the registrants for 30 days, allowing them to fit their personal and professional development into other obligations.
