The gambling landscape continues to shift quickly, as new types of gambling and gaming activities proliferate. Those working in prevention, treatment and research need to understand and be responsive to these changes.
This year’s conference, which will be offered in person and online, will cover a variety of topics with two presentation tracks, one geared toward treatment professionals and another for a more general audience. The full conference will be recorded, so whether you join us in person or online, you won’t miss any of our content. CEUs will be offered.
Who Should Attend?
The conference is appropriate for many people, including:
Gambling, alcohol and drug addiction counselors and therapists
Other health care and social service workers
Law enforcement officers
School and church leaders
Lawyers and financial professionals
People in recovery and their families
Policymakers
Gaming operators and regulators
Behavioral health researchers
CEU credits are available from various professional boards.
Programs and Speakers
While conference details are still falling into place as of this writing, here are some of the programs and speakers that will be part of the conference:
“Problem Gambling and Alexithymia: Implications for Interviewing, Screening, and Intervention,” presented by Jerrod Brown, Ph.D., Pathways of St. Paul.
“Gambling Disorders in a New Era of Gambling,” presented by Jody Bechtold, LCSW, ICGC-II, BACC, CGT, CEO of The Better Institute.
“How Can We Move Forward with Cultural Humility/DEI Absent a Strategic Plan? What’s Your Navigation System?” presented by Deborah Haskins, Ph.D., LCPC, board-approved supervisor, MAC, ICGC-II, CCGSO, BACC, CGT, President, Maryland Council on Problem Gambling.
“Sports Betting Integrity and Today’s Student Athlete,” presented by Dan Trolaro, MS, Vice President of Prevention, Epic Risk Management.
“Emergence of Problem Gambling from Childhood to Emerging Adulthood: A Systematic Review,” presented by Dr. Serena King, L.P., Professor and Chair, Psychology of Hamline University.
What: MNAPG annual conference
When:
November 15
Where:
Heritage Center of Brooklyn Center and virtually
Cost:
Free
Registration Deadline:
October 25 (for in person)
November 10 (for Zoom)
Dr. Jeffrey J. Marotta discusses the latest findings from the 2021 NAADGS Problem Gambling Services Survey. The information NAADGS gathers about problem gambling services in the United States to help stakeholders better understand how services differ from state to state.
With sports betting consuming our airwaves, it may be helpful for treatment providers to be familiar with sports betting jargon. Here are some common terms used in sports gambling.
Action – A bet or wager.
Against the spread – The result of a game including the point spread.
Bad beat – A bet that looks like the bettor is going to win but doesn’t.
Book (Sportsbook) – A place where someone can bet on the outcome of sporting events.
Buck – A $100 bet.
Chalk – The favorite in a game.
Consensus – Percentage of the betting public on each side of a game. Some bettors will bet against the “public money” (whichever team more bettors have placed their bets on).
Cover – The betting outcome on a point spread bet. For a favorite to cover, it must win by a number higher than the spread. An underdog can cover by losing by a number less than the spread or by winning the game outright.
Dime – A $1,000 bet.
Dollar – A $100 bet.
Edge – The advantage a bettor has before a bet is placed.
Even (even money) – A $100 bet to win $100.
Favorite – A team favored to win a game.
Future bets – A bet on events that will happen further in the future, like who will win a division or who will win a championship well in advance.
Handle – The total amount of money wagered on a game.
Handicapping – Researching sports statistics to pick winners.
Hedging – Betting opposite of a previous bet to guarantee winning at least a small amount of money.
Hook – A half-point in the spread.
In-game wagers – Bets made after a game has started.
Juice – A commission books win on each bet.
Limit – The maximum allowed wager on a single bet.
Lock – A large favorite.
Long shot – A large underdog.
Moneyline bet – A bet made if a team will win or lose outright with no point spread.
Nickel – A $500 bet.
No action – A game that is no longer taking bets and all wagers are refunded.
Oddsmaker (linemaker) – Someone who sets the opening line on a game.
Off the board – A game bettors cannot wager on.
Over – The combined score of two teams is more than what the sportsbook set.
Parlay – A bet that combines multiple games for a higher payout. The more games, the higher the risk but the greater the payout. In order for the parlay to win, each game must win or push (tie). If any of the games lose, the entire wager loses.
Pick’em – A game with no favorite or underdog.
Point spread – Margin of victory set by oddsmakers to attract bets action on both the favorite and the underdog. A favorite must win by a number higher than the point spread to cover the spread. An underdog can cover by losing by a number less than the spread or by winning the game outright.
Puckline – Hockey has a point spread of -1.5 for the favorite and +1.5 for the underdog.
Proposition bets (prop) – A bet on anything that is not directly tied to the outcome of the game. For example, it can be the first team or the first player to score in a game.
Push – When neither team covers the spread (the actual margin of victory lands exactly on the spread), no one wins the bet and all wagers are refunded.
Runline – Baseball has a point spread of -1.5 for the favorite and +1.5 for the underdog.
Sharp (wiseguy) – A professional sports bettor.
Steam – A quick change on a line due to heavy wagering.
Taking the points – Betting an underdog against the spread.
Teaser – Similar to spreads, teasers are favored towards the bettor but have a lower payout.
Total bet (over/under) – A bet on the combined number of points scored by both teams in a game, including overtime/extra innings.
Under – The combined score of two teams is less than what the sportsbook set.
Underdog (dog) – A team not favored to win a game.
The Super Bowl and March Madness, which take place in February and (primarily) March, respectively, are the most popular sports betting events in the U.S. With the legalization of sports gambling in many states, both events experienced record wagers. Here’s a snapshot of each event.
Super Bowl LVI
Information about betting activity for the Super Bowl is not yet complete, but it’s clear that wagering beat out the previous record from 2021. According to legalsportsreport.com, as of April 4, 14 states reported a combined $588.1 million in handle (amount of money wagered) and $45.9 million in revenue. This compares to $486.5 million in handle and $43 million in revenue from 17 legal jurisdictions in 2021. Notably, even states with neighboring states that legalized sports gambling since last year saw a considerable year-to-year increase.
NCAA Basketball Tournament
The NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament received more betting action than ever before. According to SportsHandle.com, prior to the Final Four games, 31 percent of Americans aged 21 to 64 placed bets on tournament games, with about two in three saying they bet more this year than on any previous tournaments.
This March marked the nineteenth observance of the National Council on Problem Gambling’s (NCPG) Problem Gambling Awareness Month. Along with the 35 state affiliates, NCPG focuses extra efforts throughout the month to raise awareness that gambling addiction is a public health issue, to reduce its stigma and to emphasize that gambling disorder is a treatable and chronic condition.
For MNAPG’s part, we increased our public awareness campaigns through paid social media and the Star Tribune. NCPG provided a daily message which we coupled with an appropriate graphic and shared on our Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn pages.
We had several small campaigns using the Star Tribune’s digital reach and targeted emails. We ran a campaign focused on the problem gambler for the first half of the month, and then switched to a focus on sports betting to coincide with the heightened attention of the NCAA basketball tournament. These are examples of those ads:
Another annual campaign associated with PGAM is National Problem Gambling Screening Day, the second Tuesday in March, when we reach out to healthcare professionals in the substance disorder and mental health arenas to raise awareness that gambling addiction is often co-occurring. We try to emphasize that minimal screening would go a long way in helping those who may have a gambling problem seek the help they need. Unfortunately, most LADCs and social workers lack training in treating problem gambling and may not even be aware that it’s an issue to discuss with clients. We encourage them to ask the three brief bio gambling screening questions. If their client answers yes to any of the three questions, it’s recommended that the individual seek a more thorough assessment to determine if they have a gambling disorder or is at increased risk.
We also tried something new this year. We geofenced the capitol complex, meaning that anyone with a cell phone who entered the capitol, senate or house buildings would likely see one of our ads directed to legislators with some basic statistical information. We know that many state legislators know little about problem gambling, and as the body considers legalizing sports betting, we wanted to remind them of the issue. The success of this effort is unknown as of this writing as the analytics have not yet been processed. We will analyze this info and likely continue to nudge legislators as the bill continues to move through the body and as MNAPG proposes additional legislation.
