The Colorado Limited Gaming Control Commission, at its most recent meeting in April of 2023, approved the second distribution of Responsible Gaming Grant awards totaling $908,089 to projects directly addressing the issue of problem gambling via Colorado athlete wellbeing to combat online sports wagering harassment of college athletes, support for problem gambling for veterans and funding play legal public education campaigns.

Three project awards were granted to two organizations, the Kindbridge Research Institute and the Colorado Division of Gaming. Kindbridge Research Institute’s first approved grant funding request includes a Colorado Athlete Wellbeing Program, which will protect athlete wellbeing by providing them with educational-based resources, a Colorado Athlete Wellbeing app combined with a mental health assessment as part of the ‘pathway to treatment’ and specialized intelligence and investigative support to combat online sports wagering harassment.

Additionally, Kindbridge Research Institute’s second approved grant funding request includes a Colorado Military Problem Gaming Research, Education and Recovery Program to establish the following responsible and disordered gambling programs in the state of Colorado to assist active military personnel and veterans: 1) Veteran’s Recovery Program, 2) Colorado Military Research Fellowship and 3) ROTC Education and Awareness Program. Finally, the Colorado Division of Gaming’s approved grant request provides funding for a Play Legal, Play Responsible, Play Safe Marketing Campaign.

This is the second round of grant funding awarded in 2023. The first round awarded over $1.5 million for various projects including problem gambling counselor training and certificate programs, research on the current landscape of problem gaming in Colorado, a collegiate awareness program, a social marketing campaign and research on gambling addiction and the creation of a problem gambling center in Colorado.

“Both rounds of approved grant funding represent almost $2.5 million total in appropriated funds to support communities affected by unintended but nonetheless damaging consequences of gaming including the small percentage of vulnerable populations affected by problem gambling and college athletes who are bullied as a result of online sports wagers,” the Chair for the Colorado Limited Gaming Control Commission, Richard Nathan, said. “Funding these projects allows for Colorado to continue to pursue its role as a model for responsible gaming in the country.”

Signed into law by Governor Jared Polis on June 7, 2022, House Bill 22-1402 established the Responsible Gaming Grant Program to promote responsible gaming and address problem gaming in Colorado. The act enabled the Colorado Limited Gaming Control Commission to administer the annual grant program and award grants to eligible applicants from the Responsible Gaming Grant Program Cash Fund. The responsible gaming grant program is meant to provide meaningful funding and encourage prevention, education on gambling addiction, additional counselors, public awareness, treatment, recovery, data and research in Colorado.

Grant funding was approved for one year and grant recipients will present their evaluation findings to the Colorado Limited Gaming Control Commission at the end of the grant period. More information on the Responsible Gaming Grants Program is on the Division of Gaming’s website at SBG.Colorado.gov/Responsible-Gaming-Grants.