National Council on Problem Gambling Announces Spring 2026 Agility Grants for Five Community Organizations Advancing Problem Gambling Prevention

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) today announced the recipients of the Spring 2026 Agility Grant cycle, awarding $200,000 in funding to five organizations working to prevent problem gambling in their communities.

The NCPG Agility Grants Program supports the development, expansion, and enhancement of problem gambling prevention initiatives in communities with limited or no existing prevention services. Designed to foster innovation and increase access to education resources, these grants provide funding for both new and existing projects that help prevent gambling-related harm and promote early intervention among populations at elevated risk. A particular focus is placed on youth of ages 12–17 and young adults of ages 18–24, where problem gambling prevention efforts can have the greatest long-term impact.

Launched in 2022, the Agility Grants program is now in its ninth round of funding and is the only national grant program exclusively dedicated to supporting problem gambling prevention efforts in the United States. Agility Grants have been awarded to more than 30 organizations across 22 states, supporting organizations that live within and serve their local communities. The Agility Grants Program is made possible through funding from the NFL via the NFL Foundation and FanDuel.

“Effective prevention starts in communities,” said Heather L. Maurer, MA, CAE, Executive Director of the National Council on Problem Gambling. “These organizations are developing innovative, community-driven approaches to reach young people and other populations at increased risk of gambling-related harm. Through the Agility Grants Program, we are helping expand access to prevention resources, strengthen local capacity, and support efforts that can make a lasting difference in the lives of individuals, families, and communities.”

Spring 2026 Agility Grant funding will support the following programs:

ArkBuilders Inc.

• ArkBuilders Inc. will implement a culturally responsive, community-based prevention initiative serving middle and high school students in Reynoldsburg, Ohio. The initiative provides tailored prevention programming and delivers interactive workshops in schools and community settings to historically underserved youth populations, including African American youth, student athletes, and Asian youth from Bhutanese and Nepali refugee communities.

Georgetown University Thrive Center for Children, Families, and Communities

• Georgetown University Thrive Center for Children, Families, and Communities will launch Before the Bet, a prevention-focused participatory research initiative designed to address the normalization of online sports betting among adolescent boys before gambling behaviors escalate into harm. The project will engage boys of ages 13–17, focusing on how sports betting is perceived, discussed, and normalized within youth social environments. Through virtual sessions, participants will explore themes such as peer influence, sports media exposure, perceived skill versus chance, and the blurred boundaries between “friendly bets” and gambling-related harm.

New Jersey Prevention Network

• The New Jersey Prevention Network will expand its nationally recognized Wellness Initiative for Senior Education (WISE) program by integrating problem gambling prevention into an evidence-based healthy aging curriculum serving older adults. Delivered within WISE’s trusted and established wellness framework, the curriculum will include interactive discussions and practical tools tailored to older adults lived experiences.

Parents Standing Together

• Parents Standing Together will present a parent-focused prevention initiative designed to help families recognize early warning signs of problem gambling among college students and intervene before harm escalates. The project will address a significant gap in prevention efforts: parents, who rarely recognize gambling-related harm until their children experience serious academic, financial, or mental health consequences. The initiative will educate parents about today’s rapidly evolving gambling landscape, developing a library of prevention resources, including short educational videos, a downloadable toolkit, and conversation guides.

University of Louisiana Monroe

• The Algorithmic Risk Alignment (ARA) prevention initiative, presented by the University of Louisiana Monroe, will help Gen Z college students recognize and resist the cognitive risks associated with high-velocity online wagering and prediction markets. The ARA initiative applies evidence-based neurocognitive and behavioral frameworks to strengthen critical thinking and decision-making skills among students most vulnerable to emerging forms of digital gambling. Rather than relying solely on traditional awareness messaging, the program reframes gambling prevention as a cognitive risk-management and digital literacy issue, equipping students with practical strategies to recognize manipulative design features and reduce harmful behaviors. The project specifically targets underserved and high-risk student populations, including neurodiverse students and those who perceive online wagering as data-driven speculation rather than gambling.

As gambling becomes more accessible across digital platforms, a national survey conducted by The Harris Poll on behalf of NCPG in March found that nearly two-thirds of adults report participating in at least one form of gambling before age 21. This data underscores the need for early prevention and education programs, which ensure that young people, families, educators, and policymakers understand the potential harm and protect youth from early exposure to gambling and gambling-related products.

“The Agility Grants program has proven to be an effective model for bringing problem gambling prevention resources to underserved communities across the country,” said Anna Isaacson, NFL Senior Vice President of Social Responsibility. “The NFL is proud to continue supporting the NCPG and the impactful, community-driven prevention programs these grants make possible.”

The Agility Grants program seeks to serve as the foundation for a national standard for community-based problem gambling prevention. Through strategic investments, the Agility Grants program is designed to identify, support, and scale promising prevention strategies that reduce gambling-related harm and meet the unique needs of communities across the United States.

Agility Grants are awarded twice annually. Applications for Fall 2026 funding will open July 8, 2026. For more information, visit NCPGambling.org/agility.