Gambling in the USA
NCPG Announces Fall 2023 Grant Recipients
The National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) announced the recipients of the Fall 2023 Agility Grants. In this round, a total of $176,000 in funding will be granted to five organizations in support of programs dedicated to advancing problem gambling prevention.
The NCPG Agility Grants serve as a vital resource for nonprofit organizations engaged in problem gambling prevention. The program was established to address service gaps in areas lacking such provisions and to fortify promising endeavors. More than $1 million in funding support will be granted from 2022 to 2024 to establish and enhance problem gambling prevention strategies.
The Agility Grants program is made possible by a multimillion-dollar, multi-year commitment to NCPG from the NFL via the NFL Foundation as part of the League’s responsible betting public awareness campaign. FanDuel provides additional support for Agility Grants.
“Through Agility Grant funding, we aim to foster dynamic and responsive problem gambling prevention programs, helping to ensure that communities across the country are equipped to address this critical need with flexibility and innovation. Each recipient receiving support this round displayed exemplary commitment to cultural competence, tailoring their approaches with sensitivity to the diverse needs of the populations they serve,” Keith Whyte, Executive Director of NCPG, said.
With an emphasis on prevention innovation, collaboration, amplification, and community impact, Agility Grants recipients foster initiatives that can bring about meaningful change in the problem gambling prevention field.
Fall 2023 Agility Grants funding will support the following Prevention Innovation programs:
The Alabama Council on Compulsive Gambling Prevention (ACCG) program, “It’s More Than Just a Game,” will deliver gambling prevention education to middle school students in Alabama. In a classroom setting, students will be individually presented with a series of gambling and video gaming scenarios designed to assess their prevention knowledge. Following the assessment, each scenario and correct answer will be discussed with the entire class, accompanied by educational insights from the ACCG representative. Upon completing the program, students will receive pamphlets about the risks of gambling and the potential warning signs of developing a gambling problem.
The Problem Gambling Coalition of Colorado, in partnership with the Denver Justice High School and the Denver Art Society, will increase awareness and education of problem gambling by delivering the Stacked Deck problem gambling prevention curriculum to high-school students. The project will enhance and reinforce youth engagement in the curriculum by employing art-based activities, workshops and positive reinforcement learning incentives.
Fall 2023 Agility Grants funding will support the following Prevention Amplification programs:
AdCare Educational Institute of Maine, Inc., in partnership with The New England Prevention Technology Transfer Center, will develop a graphic novel about youth gambling prevention to distribute throughout the New England region as part of their Youth Gambling Prevention Graphic Medicine project. Graphic medicine is an evidence-based modality of providing health education and communication through the medium of graphic novels. The toolkit will include the novel and a facilitator’s guide and will be available in English, Spanish and Portuguese.
The LCADA Way will launch the Lorain County Problem Gambling Prevention Initiative to raise awareness about the risks associated with gambling and emphasize positive decision-making skills. The development of campaign materials will be led by teens and designed to engage their peers using a series of social media posts, videos, and other digital media.
Maryland Council on Problem Gambling will launch a new program, Culturally Infused Problem Gambling Prevention for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Consumers. Using Agility Grant funding, they will design culturally specific prevention public awareness materials that utilize problem gambling prevention and education materials and infuse them with the cultural values, beliefs, worldviews and cultural nuances that reflect the lived realities in the Deaf and hard of hearing communities.
Agility Grants are awarded through two funding rounds each year. The Spring 2024 funding round will be open for applications from January 17 to February 28, 2024, with awards announced in early April 2024.
Gambling in the USA
State of Colorado Marks One Year of Successful Self-Exclusion List for Responsible Gambling
The Colorado Division of Gaming announced that almost 300 people enrolled in the state’s Self-Exclusion Program, ahead of the effort’s one-year anniversary.
The Self-Exclusion Program, which launched in September 2023, is a crucial tool in promoting responsible gaming throughout the state and each signature is a significant step for each person who enrolls.
When people enroll in the Self-Exclusion Program, they voluntarily exclude themselves from participating in gaming activities offered under the regulatory purview of the Colorado Limited Gaming Control Commission and the Colorado Division of Gaming.
“We are encouraged by the positive response to the Self-Exclusion Program in its first year. The fact that 288 Coloradans have signed up demonstrates the importance of offering resources for those who seek to manage their gaming habits,” said Division of Gaming Director Chris Schroder.
This initiative is part of Colorado’s broader efforts to foster a safer and more responsible gaming environment. In addition to the Self-Exclusion Program, the Division offers a variety of resources aimed at promoting responsible gaming, including public education campaigns, responsible gaming grants, and access to a 24/7 helpline.
The Self-Exclusion Program is confidential and free of charge, providing individuals with the option to exclude themselves for a period of one year, five years, or even a lifetime. During the exclusion period, participants are barred from entering and gaming at any of the state’s licensed casinos, as well as they are unable to redeem points, bonuses, comps, or freeplay.
10 Ten Gaming has announced the launch of SmilesCasino.com, a new social casino poised to transform social casino gaming.
Smiles Casino aims to offer an unparalleled free-to-play social gaming experience to users across the US via innovative technology, exceptional customer service, and exciting promotional offerings.
The proprietary platform is designed to be easily accessible for all users without the need to download or purchase, providing a thrilling Vegas-style experience from home or on the go.
“We are delighted to launch SmilesCasino.com and look forward to providing the ultimate social casino experience for our users. Smiles Casino transports users to a wonderland of fun and entertainment, while providing safe and secure gameplay in a responsible social gaming environment,” said Carly Sawers, Head of Marketing at 10 Ten Gaming.
Among the many features available on Smiles Casino, users receive a welcome bonus, daily complimentary coins, tailored promotions, a vibrant social media community, and outstanding customer support.
New games are added weekly to an already expansive portfolio of popular game titles spanning a multitude of genres.
The launch of Smiles Casino is the first step in 10 Ten Gaming’s vision to stand at the forefront of the social casino landscape in the US.
Missourians will get to vote on whether to authorize a casino at the Lake of the Ozarks.
Backers of a casino in the popular tourist destination need to go to statewide voters to build the casino, because the Missouri Constitution only authorizes those gaming facilities on the Missouri and Mississippi rivers.
Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft initially rejected putting the ballot item before voters, contending that the measure didn’t collect enough signatures in the required six out of eight congressional districts. Ashcroft found that the plan did receive the necessary signatures in five districts but fell short in Missouri’s 2nd Congressional District.
Cole County Judge Daniel Green ruled on Friday that proponents of the casino ballot item did actually gather enough signatures in the 2nd District, which encompasses parts of St. Louis, St. Charles and Warren counties, and all of Franklin County. He then ordered Ashcroft to place the proposal on the Nov. 5 ballot.
Ashcroft spokesman JoDonn Chaney said the GOP statewide official does not plan on appealing Green’s ruling.
“During the initiative petition review process local election authorities were tasked with checking well over 1 million signatures,” Chaney said in an email. “From their reporting, the secretary of state’s office determined the Osage River Gaming petition was just short of the required signature count for ballot certification. After a challenge by the petitioner it was determined that enough additional signatures could be verified to place the petition on the November ballot.”
Backers of the plan to build the Lake of the Ozarks casino say the facility will spur 500 construction jobs and create 700 to 800 permanent jobs. State revenue from the casino would go toward education programs, with a specific emphasis on early child literacy efforts.
Missourians are also to vote on a measure legalizing sports betting, though opponents of that proposal filed a lawsuit contending that it didn’t get enough signatures in six out of eight districts.
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