National Council on Problem Gambling Announces Recipients of 2025 Awards

The National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) has announced the recipients of the 2025 National Awards. Each year, NCPG honors individuals and organizations from around the world for their work on problem gambling and responsible gambling. The awards ceremony, exclusively sponsored by Scientific Games, took place on Friday, July 18, in Columbus, Ohio, during the National Conference on Gambling Addiction & Responsible Gambling 2025.

The 2025 NCPG National Awards Recipients include:

• Lifetime Award for Research: Dr. Michael Wohl, Carleton University

• Corporate Social Responsibility Award: Oregon Lottery

• Jeffrey M. Beck Recovery Ambassador Award: Peggy Brown

• Service Award: Susan Diamond, Responsible Gambling Program Manager with the Ohio Lottery

• Joanna Franklin Award for Direct Service: Jeremy Eberle, Co-Owner and Therapist, Alternative Avenues

• Jim Wuelfing Award for Prevention: Claire Spada, Director of Workforce Development, Problem Gambling Network of Ohio

• Don Feeney Award for Responsible Gambling Excellence: Stacy Shaw, Vice President of Product & Program Marketing, Oregon Lottery

• Don Hulen Award for Advocacy & Awareness: Megan Poliquin, LPCC-S, LICDC-GAMB, Zepf Center3

• Dr. Durand Jacobs Dissertation Award: Dr. Jackie Stanmyre, Rutgers University for Gambling Studies

• Denise Phillips Community Outreach and Multicultural Wellness Award: Shandra Parks, PhD, LMSW, CFSW, CCGSO, Maryland Council on Problem Gambling

• Media Award: The Ohio Newsroom for their story on the Ohio Gambling Telehealth Network, reported by Erin Gottsacker

• Affiliate Public Awareness Award: The Problem Gambling Coalition of Colorado

• Corporate Public Awareness Award: Oregon Lottery for their “Safer Play” PSA Campaign

• Affiliate Multicultural Communications Award: Evergreen Council on Problem Gambling for “It Takes Community to Overcome Problem Gambling”

• Corporate Multicultural Communications Award: Oregon Lottery for “Multi-cultural Digital/Print Media Marketing Campaign”

• Affiliate Awareness Campaign Impact Award: The Evergreen Council on Problem Gambling for the “ECPG Gift Responsibly Winter Campaign”

• Corporate Awareness Campaign Impact Award: The Virginia Lottery for “Scratchers for Kids? Scratch That Idea”

• Affiliate People’s Choice Award: Illinois Council on Problem Gambling for “Are You Really Winning?”

• Corporate People’s Choice Award: Ohio for Responsible Gambling for their “More Than A Bet” Campaign

NCPG has congratulated this year’s award recipients and thanked them for their dedication to advancing prevention, treatment, research, recovery, and responsible gambling.