Every March begins the annual Problem Gambling Awareness Month (PGAM), backed by the casino-industry-funded National Council on Problem Gambling and its affiliates.
The purpose of PGAM is to promote awareness of gambling addiction, reduce the stigma, and encourage people to take steps to quit gambling.
From its inception, PGAM was designed to coincide with the annual March Madness NCAA Men’s College Basketball tournament.
Why is March PGAM?
While the Super Bowl is the biggest single betting event on the sports calendar, March Madness gambling lasts several weeks and is especially popular among college-aged gamblers. Young people are more susceptible to problem gambling, according to sports betting addiction statistics.
Along with slot machines, sports betting is among the most addictive forms of gambling.
If including March Madness bracket pools and contests, which usually involve gambling, March Madness draws more people into gambling than even the Super Bowl.
March was a natural fit for a month dedicated to awareness of gambling addiction.
When Did Problem Gambling Awareness Month Start?
Problem Gambling Awareness Month officially began in 2014. Previously, starting in March 2023, the annual campaign was known as National Problem Gambling Awareness Week.
Organizers started the awareness week to encourage doctors and healthcare providers to screen some people for what was previously known as pathological gambling. Today, it’s known as gambling disorder, according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition: DSM-5.
Gambling in the U.S. expanded rapidly from 2003 to 2014. Advocates realized the need to promote awareness for a full month instead of just one week.
Participants in the inaugural National Problem Gambling Awareness Week included over 50 federal and state agencies, healthcare providers, the casino industry, and non-gambling public welfare groups, including the United Way, according to Casino City Times.
From its beginning, the casino industry sponsored the problem gambling awareness campaign.
Social Costs of Gambling
The National Council on Problem Gambling estimates high social costs from gambling.
Gambling-related criminal justice and healthcare spending, job losses, bankruptcies, gambling-related divorce, and “other consequences” amount to $14 billion each year. This is probably an underestimate.
The figure, adjusted for inflation and the growth in the U.S. population, is based on a formula developed from the 1999 National Gambling Impact Study Commission. That’s over a quarter of a century ago.
The gambling industry has grown exponentially since 1999, with online betting exploding since 2018. As of 2024, only two states don’t sanction (and promote) gambling.
The $14 billion also doesn’t include actual gambling losses, which amount to tens of billions of dollars each year. The gambling industry generates most of its revenue from problem gamblers.
Is One Month Enough For Gambling Addiction Awareness?
Problem gambling is an epidemic that spans all months of the sports calendar. Of course, there are many forms of gambling addiction outside sports betting.
Many state agencies and NGOs fund campaigns and PSAs throughout the year to reach people with a gambling problem. Some of the leading states on this front include Michigan, Ohio, North Carolina, and Minnesota.
As sports betting continues to grow in popularity and the addiction crisis deepens, a second problem gambling awareness month would make sense for September, the beginning of both the NFL and college football seasons.
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