The National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) is proud to celebrate Responsible Gaming Education Month (RGEM) this September. We encourage all stakeholders to promote gaming literacy and consumer education, elevate employee training, and work with partners to advance understanding of responsible gambling. However, during a month devoted to responsible gambling, we cannot forget that properly funded problem gambling programs are a critical counterpart of responsible gambling. Put simply, these issues are inextricably linked.
It is crucial that we consider responsible gambling and problem gambling as a cohesive whole, with equal emphasis on both ends of the continuum stretching between them. Without problem gambling services, responsible gambling programs are inadequate and unlikely to be effective. For example, one hallmark of responsible gambling messaging is the inclusion of warning signs of a gambling problem. These warning signs are based on clinical criteria, developed by researchers and refined by therapists and recovering gamblers.
Most importantly, they did not emerge in a vacuum; their inclusion comes from years of research, sustained funding, and feedback from trained therapists and people with gambling problems themselves. Without properly identified culturally sensitive warning signs, responsible gambling messaging would have nothing to warn for.
Another example of the spectrum extending between responsible gambling and problem gambling is the National Problem Gambling Helpline (1-800-GAMBLER). When responsible gambling messages urge consumers to recognize signs of a gambling problem, the call-to-action—if needed —is to contact the National Helpline. These helpline contact centers retain an extensive roster of counselors, materials, information and referral resources. In order to best serve callers, call center staff need state of the art telecommunications technology, extensive training, and accreditation/certification.
Most people who contact the helpline expect to be able to get help for a gambling problem. However, all too often they have only very limited options. Many state governments have never invested in their problem gambling programs or in their larger public health infrastructure. In May 2024 the National Association of Administrators for Disordered Gambling Services (NAADGS) reported $134 million in public funding had been invested in state problem gambling programs in 2023, a historic high. Yet, that still represents only 50 cents per capita. To put it another way, for every dollar states generated from commercial gaming, $.0009 cents were invested in problem gambling services.
Responsible gambling messaging asserts that a caller can and will receive help for a gambling problem, putting the onus on underfunded problem gambling services. In many states, that handoff of seamless support is a hollow promise.
Investment in problem gambling treatment and prevention is required for gambling to be offered in a responsible manner. It is clear that state governments have not provided and are not now providing anywhere near enough support. It is also true that public health is a shared responsibility between the states and federal government. Yet, there are currently no federal funds dedicated to addressing gambling addiction in the United States, despite the federal government profiting significantly from taxes on both gambling winnings and sports bets.
The Gambling Addiction Recovery Investment and Treatment (GRIT) Act provides critical funding to problem gambling programs that undergird responsible gambling initiatives. The GRIT Act is funded by dedicating a portion of the federal sports betting excise tax, the revenue from which is likely to grow as more states legalize sports gambling.
Put simply, GRIT returns to states nearly half of the sports betting excise tax revenue. And by dedicating these funds to mitigating the costs of gambling addiction, NCPG estimates every dollar spent to prevent and treat gambling problems saves state governments at least two dollars in gambling-related criminal justice, bankruptcy, and healthcare costs.
Regardless of how much operators in these jurisdictions promote responsible gambling, those programs cannot be effective without robust and well-funded gambling addiction prevention, education, and treatment services. They are interconnected; people who see a responsible gambling advertisement shown in a local bar must also be able to access help from certified problem gambling counselors at the community clinic down the street, and so forth.
One of the most significant benefits of the GRIT Act is the potential for increased access to treatment for individuals struggling with gambling addiction. By dedicating funding to the state health departments and allowing them to address gambling addiction through programs that best resonate with their unique communities, the GRIT Act will help ensure that those in need have access to the support and resources necessary to buttress responsible gambling programs.
During RGEM, and throughout the year, NCPG members recognize the importance of proactive measures in combating gambling addiction, by incorporating responsible gambling messaging and making sure people seeking help for gambling problems have comprehensive services available to them. We therefore call on stakeholders in the gambling industry to take support measures like GRIT to bolster the problem gambling safety net that must underlie effective responsible gambling programs.
As two interconnected concepts, responsible gambling and problem gambling services work together to maintain both a healthy player base, and a healthy community.
