Mar 4, 2025 | ADVOCACY, PROBLEM GAMBLING, RESEARCH
Last fall, a lengthy report on the state of gambling was published in The Lancet Public Health, a British monthly journal that focuses on public health. The report (The Lancet Public Health Commission on gambling Wardle, Heather et al. The Lancet Public Health, Volume 9, Issue 11, e950 – e994) provides a comprehensive view of the development of gambling in the last two centuries.
The Lancet Public Health Commission’s report on gambling highlights the escalating global public health crisis posed by the gambling industry, particularly due to its rapid digital expansion. The commission estimates that approximately 450 million individuals worldwide experience harmful effects from gambling, with at least 80 million suffering from gambling disorder—a condition characterized by compulsive gambling behavior despite negative consequences.
The report states that the proliferation of mobile and online gambling platforms has made access easier than ever, contributing to the rise in gambling-related harms. Sophisticated marketing strategies, including targeted digital advertising and sports sponsorships, have increased exposure, especially among adolescents and children. This exposure is concerning, as early interaction with gambling increases the risk of developing gambling disorders later in life.
The commission identifies several severe consequences associated with gambling, including financial losses, mental health issues, family breakdowns, heightened risk of suicide, and increased crime rates. These harms are not evenly distributed; vulnerable groups such as adolescents and individuals from lower socioeconomic backgrounds are disproportionately affected.
To address these challenges, the commission advocates for stronger global regulatory controls, similar to those applied to alcohol and tobacco industries. Recommended measures include restricting access to gambling, limiting advertising and implementing public health campaigns to raise awareness about the risks associated with gambling. The commission emphasizes the need for policymakers to treat gambling as a critical public health issue to mitigate its widespread and profound impact.
In summary, the report calls for comprehensive action to curb the growing public health threat posed by the gambling industry’s expansion, particularly in the digital realm.
Mar 4, 2025 | ADVOCACY, PROBLEM GAMBLING
While about 30 Minnesota Senate and House hearings have focused on sports betting and other forms of gambling over the last few years, none have focused on the negative impacts of sports betting. Until now.
On January 8, the state legislature heard about the socioeconomic impacts of problem gambling and gambling addiction. Several speakers provided expert testimony from a variety of perspectives, including MNAPG executive director Susan Sheridan Tucker.
The hearing included the following speakers and perspectives:
Les Bernal, national director for Stop Predatory Gambling, spoke of concerns with proponents of expanded gambling trying to portray sports gambling companies as regular businesses when, in fact, he sees them as often using predatory practices to attract gamblers and encourage heavy gamblers to keep making bets. “It’s an adversarial relationship,” he said. “That’s true for all forms of commercialized gambling that is being done for profit.”
Matt Litt, a New Jersey-based attorney who specializes in litigation against sports books and gaming companies, spoke of the interactions he’s reviewed between gamblers and VIP hosts. He said that hosts send users trophies and offer all-expenses paid trips to users who spend a certain amount of money, enticing them to keep spending money.
Brett Hollenbeck, associate professor at the UCLA Anderson School of Management, highlighted the financial consequences of legalized sports gambling by presenting an analysis of credit scores, debt consolidation and collections data, bankruptcies and car loan delinquencies. He demonstrated that across nearly every metric, residents of states where sports betting was legal had worse outcomes than those in states that still prohibit sports gambling.
Similarly, Scott Baker, associate professor of Finance at Kellogg School of Management, and his colleagues found that people who bet on sports are more likely to overdraw their accounts, have higher credit card balances and invest less than those who do not gamble on sports.
Emily Arnesen, professor in the Economics department at the University of Oregon, and Kyutaro Matsuzawa, doctoral student in Economics at the University of Oregon, noted that the legalization of sports betting has increased certain types of intimate partner violence. They cited studies that have long documented that domestic violence increases when a local sports team loses. Arnesen and Matsuzawa estimated that sports betting legalization increased incidents of intimate partner violence by around 9%.
Susan Sheridan Tucker explained MNAPG’s neutral stance on gambling but emphasized its desire to advocate on behalf of those impacted by problem gambling, to ensure that appropriate consumer protections are incorporated into any legalization of gambling, and to secure adequate funding is set aside to advance prevention and treatment efforts.
Craig Johnson, a Minnesota certified gambling treatment provider with Club Recovery, spoke of the harms he has witness from his clients with gambling problems. “The effect of this disease on individuals is as profound as any addiction you can encounter,” he said.
In addition to the experts, several individuals with lived experience spoke of their personal struggles with gambling addiction and the impact it has had on their life and the lives of others.
The complete hearing can be viewed at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1RBsKS2BRTU.
Nov 12, 2024 | ADVOCACY
The National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) recently released the first two public service announcements (PSAs) in its 52-year history. Each PSA features a distinct message for a key audience. One highlights the National Problem Gambling Helpline (1-800-GAMBLER) and the other shares tips about playing responsibly if you gamble. You can view the videos at here.
The National Problem Gambling Helpline PSA features a frustrated gambler who receives numerous texts related to a gambling loss, a large cash withdrawal, his daughter’s recital, a marketing promotion on his next bet and, finally, the suggestion from a friend to contact 1-800-GAMBLER. It concludes with his attending his daughter’s recital, seemingly starting on his way to recovery.
“The goal is to educate people that this number exists,” says Cait Huble, director of communications at NCPG. “Research shows that only 45 percent of people know where to get help for a gambling problem. Like any other crisis, the first priority is for people to know that help is available and how to access it.”
The second PSA shares tips for making sports betting safer with those who choose to gamble. It features a referee dropping into a conversation between two people discussing sports wagers. The referee explains that gambling can be fun, but also risky. The referee outlines several tips for safer gambling, including setting a budget, not chasing losses and teaming up with a friend to maintain accountability. NCPG’s responsible play website (ResponsiblePlay.org) is promoted at the end of the message.
Both PSAs are included in free public awareness toolkits made available to all stakeholders and for use within communities. The toolkits, available on the NCPG website (NCPGambling.org), include a full suite of fact sheets and social media assets for download.
Starting in September, NCPG began running paid ad campaigns for both PSAs. Ads appear on social media, YouTube and various other streaming channels. Cait says NCPG hopes to amplify the messages through operators, community health organizations and state affiliates.
There is no current budget for placing the ads on broadcast television, but there’s hope for that in the future.
“We’re excited to release these PSAs” says Cait. “As we receive feedback and learn how people are responding to the messages, we hope there will be opportunities for additional campaigns.”
Aug 7, 2024 | ADVOCACY
Looking to increase the visibility of gambling addiction in the eyes of the state? If so, Minnesota’s Compulsive Gambling Advisory Committee, which meets virtually every other month, wants you.
The committee consists of 14 positions, five of which are providers. The remaining positions are reserved for those who have an interest in prevention and increasing awareness of gambling disorder. This includes those with lived recovery experience and people from community agencies who work with populations vulnerable to gambling addiction. Beyond the 14 positions, anyone from the general public is welcome to be present.
“Our biggest challenge is getting more voices to the committee meetings,” says Craig Johnson, LADC, director of the Gambling Treatment Program at Club Recovery and chair of the committee. “We’re working to revitalize previous connections, including those with the Minnesota Lottery and Minnesota Department of Corrections. We want to bring together a wide variety of voices that can speak to the gambling treatment and awareness needs of the community.”
The committee’s charter, recently updated by Minnesota’s Department of Human Services (DHS) for the first time since 2013, is to provide expertise to DHS on the nature of community needs related to treatment, prevention and awareness. The committee also weighs in on legislative efforts and was quite involved with recent sports gambling legislation. [The legislation didn’t pass but will be revisited next year].
Another goal of the committee is to raise gambling disorder to a more equal footing with substance use disorder within the state’s structure. “We only have 19 gambling treatment providers whereas there are approximately 2,500 LADCs in the state who help those with alcohol and substance use disorder,” says Craig. “We need to have greater numbers of gambling providers to ensure we can adequately assess and treat those with gambling disorder.”
Craig is encouraged by the increased structure put forward by DHS to manage the state’s gambling program. He notes there are now five people from the state dedicated to working with the committee, providing more consistency and continuity to address addiction treatment in Minnesota.
Committee meetings are open to anyone who’s interested. However, only official committee members can vote.
If you or someone you know is interested in participating in committee meetings, please email Craig Johnson at Cjohnson@clubrecoveryllc.com for the Zoom link and related information.
Aug 7, 2024 | ABOUT MNAPG, ADVOCACY
Sonja Mertz, community educator, periodically reports on MNAPG outreach efforts. Here’s her latest account.
Sonja Mertz, Community Educator
Part of my role as community educator includes providing presentations at professional conferences. Audiences at these events include mental health and substance use professionals, educators, administrators and other people who are familiar with, or who have heard of, problem gambling and gambling addiction. At the end of each presentation, I offer time for comments or questions. It’s common for this request to be met with blank stares. Occasionally, someone will ask a question or provide a comment about the gambling behavior they have seen in their line of work.
This past year, my audiences have expanded to include middle school students, gaming industry staff, recovery center staff, people in the military and clients in outpatient addiction recovery. This increased diversity of the folks listening to my presentations has increased audience participation.
With middle school students, the feedback lands in completely opposite directions. They either stare blankly at me and go completely quiet when I ask if they have any questions or they are fully engaged and gladly offer questions or comments. It was during a presentation in Babbit that an eighth grader informed me that an image that I had been using to talk about loot boxes in video games was incorrect. I made sure to change it as soon as possible!
During my presentation at the Military Mental Health Conference at Camp Ripley, a casino employee challenged my suggestion of using cash as a way to reduce the harm of gambling. She talked about how some of her customers bring in stacks of cash and stay until the stack is wiped out. She also expressed her concern about customers who she knows are spending all of their paychecks at the casino and wanted to know what she, as a casino employee, could do.
It was during my most recent presentation to clients of an outpatient treatment group that I was able to witness the direct impact of the information that I push out to those who will listen. These are people who are living with addictions and are going through the recovery process. They have experienced the trauma, mental health issues and co-occurring disorders that I have so diligently researched. Their stories about when their addictions started, their experience with gambling and their sincere concerns about friends and family who were dealing with gambling addiction have really impacted me.
As sports betting and gambling continue to become normalized and Minnesotans recognize how gambling behavior impacts their communities, the need for reliable information increases. The MNAPG staff is seeing a sharp increase in requests for presentations. I am already scheduled in the next few months to present to older adults at senior centers and social services staff at their annual training. I look forward to receiving more feedback from people in the real world – those who are directly impacted by gambling.
Aug 7, 2024 | ABOUT MNAPG, ADVOCACY
MNAPG added TikTok to the ranks of its social media channels last fall. Northern Light sat down with Rhiana Stark of Evans-Stark Design, to learn more about this effort.
Rhiana Stark, Marketing Specialist
NL: When did MNAPG gain its presence on TikTok?
RS: Our TikTok was established in September of 2023. Our first video was an introduction to who MNAPG is and what we do.
NL: How many followers do we have to date?
RS: We have 1,783 followers as of July 1, 2024, and we have made 31 posts as of that date.
NL: What are the primary goals for our TikTok strategy?
RS: There are two primary goals: raising awareness about problem gambling to a young demographic and providing resources for users looking for help.
Raising awareness includes educating younger people about what problem gambling is and what it looks like, how problem gambling is similar to addictions they are more likely to take seriously and have indirect or direct experience with, such as alcohol and drug addiction, and the danger of activities that don’t present as gambling but introduce and encourage gambling behavior, such as lottery tickets and loot boxes. We published MNAPG’s PSA on TikTok that emphasizes the similarity between gambling addiction and other addictions. (See https://www.tiktok.com/@mnapg/video/7303622776265461023.)
As far as providing resources for users that are looking for help, our TikTok content promotes the comparative tool survey [an individual’s betting behavior is compared against the behavior of other Minnesotans], the Minnesota problem gambling helpline, Gamban and BetBlocker, along with mental health-focused meditations and “scrolling breaks.”
NL: What are the demographics we hope to reach with TikTok?
RS: TikTok is a wonderful platform to reach an audience that, prior to our involvement on TikTok, was a little out of reach. The average age of TikTok users is 16–24, which is the general range we hope to reach with our content.
NL: What types of content have you found to be most effective for engaging our audience on TikTok?
RS: Users respond well to new information and TikTok has become a treasure trove for people around the world to learn new things without doing an extensive amount of their own research. When we publish educational content about gambling or gaming we get a lot of “saves,” which means people are bookmarking the video to return to it later or saving it to their phone. We also get a lot of positive engagement with our meditation videos. The dependence that people in my [younger] generation have on their phones is not lost on me. In some ways, I think people are waiting for something like our meditation videos to come up as they scroll to remove them from their content consumption, and I see that in the comments and quality of engagement on those particular videos.
NL: Can you share a particular success story or a campaign that performed exceptionally well on TikTok?
RS: I wish I had a definite and simple answer to this but in reality, most of our campaigns do very well across the board. What I will say is that users on TikTok, especially the younger audience we speak to, are not usually looking for our content. We come up on their feed when they are probably trying to detach and zone out, and we are talking about things that may be difficult, boring or threatening to their way of life. Kids usually don’t want to be told to act with caution, think twice before taking actions online or limit the amount of time they spend doing something that brings them instant gratification. And they let us know in the comments. So, I don’t look at those things to measure our success or impact. I try to read between the lines. I scroll through the resistant-natured comments and once in a while, I’ll find a user that just says “thank you” or if we’re really lucky they’re asking how to get help. So even though we don’t have users overloading our analytics with positive replies, we are a present, consistent, neutral and reliable source of education and resources for those who need help, whenever they’re ready – I think that makes our efforts successful.
NL: What are some of the ways we assess our performance on TikTok?
RS: We measure engagement metrics similar to the way we monitor our other social platforms. This includes how long users are watching our videos, how many likes we’re getting, saves, reposts, shares, etc. We garner an average of 123,000 views per video that we post and promote.
NL: What strategies do we use to grow our follower base on TikTok?
RS: We are still building our community on TikTok, which we try to accomplish alongside our goals of spreading education, awareness and available resources. Our videos are intentionally created to capture the user’s imagination. On a platform where we are competing for views against creators that offer an almost unlimited pool of entertainment, it’s important to create videos that are visually appealing as well as educational and helpful. This is why so many of our videos are animated with graphics that mimic our brand identity and play an engaging sound to accompany the visual components.
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