Gambling Awareness Posters
Order a variety of awareness materials at no cost! The Maryland Center of Excellence on Problem Gambling offers a wide variety of materials at no cost for your organization and community to promote: awareness of gambling risks; responsible gambling practices; signs of problem gambling/gambling addiction; and resources for treatment and recovery. Posters will be judged by a group of drug, alcohol and gambling professionals based on the following criteria: 1. Poster has a completed COCA Release Form and required information attached 2. Clear message conveyed by the text and artwork 3. Includes poster contest theme “ONLINE GAMING: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly” 4.
March is National Problem Gambling Awareness Month (NPGAM). The goal is to raise awareness about problem gambling. This campaign seeks to educate the public and healthcare professionals about the warning signs of problem gambling and promote the availability of help and hope both locally and nationally.
The Kentucky Council on Problem Gambling (KYCPG) adopts the National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) effort to encourage everyone to Have the Conversation about Problem Gambling. Most adults gamble or know someone who gambles, and therefore could benefit from programs to prevent gambling addiction. We believe many who suffer in silence do so because they don’t know why they developed a problem, what gambling addiction is, or where to get help.
Use the resources available at the link below to plan activities to help individuals learn the signs of problem gambling and know that help is available.
www.ncpgambling.org
Kentuckyʼs Responsible Gambling Education Week (RGEW) takes place the first full week of August each year. The purpose is to raise awareness of responsible gambling behavior in an effort to lessen the amount or the impact of uncontrolled gambling behavior.
About 95 percent of the population gambles for entertainment or recreation with no adverse consequences. However, studies show about one percent of the population is addicted to gambling behavior, and about three percent has a problem with gambling. Problem and addicted gambling — continuing to gamble in the face of negative consequences — can be devastating not only to the individual gambling but also to his or her family, friends, co-workers, and employers.
Kentuckyʼs RGEW is planned by a coalition chaired by a representative of the gambling community — lottery, horse racing, charitable gaming, and casinos — and consisting of representatives from the gambling industry, Kentuckyʼs certified gambler counselors, academics, and the Kentucky Council on Problem Gambling (KYCPG). Since its beginning in 2002, RGEW has been a source of posters and rack cards distributed statewide to raise public awareness about problem and addicted gambling. Additional RGEW activities are media advisories and appearances, video production, and counselor training programs. The RGEW coalition created a simple website to advise individuals of problem and addicted gambling and provide referrals to counselors or Gamblers Anonymous: www.kygamblinghelp.org.
KYCPG’s mission speaks to the organization’s belief in awareness and prevention. KYCPG will increase awareness of problem gambling, promote prevention and research, and advocate for the availability of treatment. KYCPG believes it is more effective long term to prevent problem and addicted gambling behavior than to either treat it or experience the negative impacts of problem and addicted gambling: domestic abuse, criminal activity, bankruptcy, loss of work, suicide, and more.
On this page is information about KYCPG’s awareness and prevention efforts, which include:
- Responsible Gaming Education Week (RGEW) held annually the first week of August.
- National Problem Gambling Awareness Month (NPGAM) held annually in March.
- Choices, an adaptable curriculum for adolescent addiction awareness. Choices, produced in cooperation with the Kentucky Lottery Corp., offers peer-to-peer vignettes of different addictive behaviors, including gambling.
- Several posters, brochures and rack cards to raise awareness of problem and addicted gambling behavior.
Some of the rack cards contain prevention messaging developed by Roger Svendsen, a certified prevention specialist from Minnesota who was a former executive director of the Northstar Problem Gambling Alliance. It’s a simple message based on three personal questions individuals can ask themselves before gambling:
- WHETHER you should gamble, knowing that losing is likely, that you cannot control chance, and that it doesnʼt interfere with other responsibilities?
- WHEN is it appropriate to gamble, understanding that gambling is not a healthful way to deal with emotions or stress?
- HOW MUCH money and time can you gamble, recognizing gambling is entertainment and not an essential expenditure of time or money?
- DURING GAMBLING:
- Keep track of preset time and money limits.
- Take frequent breaks.
- Avoid the ATM or other sources of money or credit.
KYCPG can arrange for presentations by certified gambler counselors, clergy with training on problem and addictive gambling behaviors, or KYCPG staff to raise awareness of problem and addicted gambling. For more information, please contact KYCPG Executive Director Michael R. Stone (kmstone1951@gmail.com, 502-223-1823).
KYCPG will continue efforts to raise awareness about problem and addicted gambling and develop programs in an effort to minimize problem and addicted gambling behavior. As new programs are debuted, they will be available on this website.
At the moment, the Kentucky Council on Problem Gambling (KYCPG) lacks true, evidence-based prevention materials. KYCPG does have an abundance of awareness material that is available at no charge by contacting KYCPG Executive Director Michael R. Stone
kmstone1951@gmail.com,
502-223-1823
Some states, provinces and academic institutions have developed gambling prevention programs.
Some references are:
- Prevention Lane in Lane County, Oregon: preventionlane.org/prevention
- Connecticut Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services: PGprevstrategies.pdf
- International Center for Youth Gambling Problems and At-Risk Behaviors at McGil University: youthgambling.com
Choices: Youth Addiction Awareness Curriculum
Choices — There ALWAYS Is a Right One! is a complete lesson plan to raise awareness of potentially addictive behavior and consequences. It targets middle school and early high school youth. Produced in cooperation with the Kentucky Lottery Corporation, it covers all addictions, but does have a gambling component. The package comes complete with a peer-to-peer video of five addiction scenarios, lesson plan, and discussion questions. For ordering information, please contact KYCPG Executive Director Michael R. Stone (502-223-1823, kmstone1951@gmail.com).
Currently available brochures, posters and rack cards:
Brochures
Teen Gambling
Workplace Wagering
Charitable Gaming
Dealing with Gambling Addiction
Posters
Gambling Can Be Addictive
Youth Gambling
Responsible Gambling
Virtual Gaming
Reality Check
Workplace Wagering
Baby Boomers
Keep It Fun
At Rock Bottom?
Your Responsibility
Not a Fantasy
Posters
Youth Gambling
Women Gambling
Workplace Wagering
At Rock Bottom?
Your Responsibility
Not a Fantasy
Resources
- Problem Gambling Services Severity Index, Printable(pdf)
- Problem Gambling Services Severity Index, Spanish (pdf)
- DSM-5 Diagnostic Criteria: Gambling Disorder description (pdf)
- DiGIn - 'Don't Gamble With Your Recovery'
- Problem Gambling and Substance Abuse
- Gambling Prevalence in CT’s Correctional Population (2018)
- Association of Problem Gambling Administrators - APGSA is a national membership organization of state administrators of public funds for problem gambling services
- Warning Signs
Gambling Awareness Posters Images
Problem Gambling PSAs:Watch videos!2020 Youth Media/Peer Leadership Public Service Announcements
Other PSAs
- 'What About You'Note: Gam-Anon telephone number, as referred to in this film, is updated to 1-855-222-5542
- Connecticut Council on Problem Gambling - a private non-profit organization for statewide awareness and advocacy, runs Problem Gambling Hotline
- National Council on Problem Gambling with links to other states and resources
- Center for Youth Gambling Problems and High Risk Behaviors - Canada's McGill University International research, prevention programs and media resources
- Gamblers Anonymous - 12 Step Program for gamblers with listing of meetings throughout Connecticut
- Gam-Anon - 12 Step Program for family members and other loved ones of problem gamblers with listing of meetings throughout Connecticut