Advocacy

NCPG is the national advocate for the problem gambling field, advocating for programs and services to assist people and families affected by problem gambling, as well as employers and communities. Our efforts to educate Congress and the Federal health agencies focus on prevention, education, treatment, enforcement and research on gambling and problem gambling. We urge NCPG members and supporters to utilize the materials listed below and elsewhere on our website, and with NCPG’s affiliates, to increase awareness of and provide solutions for gambling problems. NCPG receives no Federal funding nor any dedicated state-level funding; we are funded primarily by members and donors.

There is no Federal agency tasked to address problem gambling – not the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), not the National Institutes of Health, not the National Institute of Mental Health, not the National Institute on Drug Abuse nor the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Addiction. None of the $7.6 billion in Federal gambling taxes currently goes to address the consequences of gambling addiction.  Federal agencies cannot simply choose to target something like gambling addiction; they must be specifically tasked to do so by the US Government’s Executive branch and supported by funding from Congress.

Advocacy Priorities

  1. Dedicated funding for problem gambling services & prevention programs and independent research on the state and national level.
  2. Federal recognition of problem gambling as an addiction eligible for resources and treatment through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
  3. Protections to ensure service members and veterans have access to resources to prevent and treat problem gambling.

Advocacy tools

As a constituent, you are the ideal advocate to convey to members of Congress the importance of comprehensive policy and programs for all those affected by problem gambling.  Contact your leaders and congressional representatives to let them know how gambling addiction has affected you, your family, your company/employees/customers and your community – make your voice heard!

Current Advocacy Efforts

Sports betting expansion in states

More than 30 states allow legal sports betting following the U.S. Supreme Court ruling on Murphy v. NCAA in 2018. At least 10 states have passed legislation to expand gambling in 2021. NCPG adopted specific recommendations for sports betting laws in our Responsible Gaming Principles for Sports Gambling Legislation and we encourage stakeholders in states where sports betting legalization is under consideration to review and employ these principles. NCPG further encourages state lawmakers to set aside at least one percent of the proceeds from these new laws to be dedicated for problem gambling treatment and prevention programs.

Gambling addiction Recovery, Investment, and Treatment (GRIT) Act

The gambling industry wants to repeal an excise tax on sports wagers. The tax amounts to 0.25% on all sports bets placed with commercial sportsbooks. The tax generated an estimated $50 million before the 2018 expansion of sports wagering, and surely generate millions more now. That tax revenue should be used to address problem gambling needs and research. Rather than repeal the tax, Congress should use these funds to address the behavioral health addiction of gambling disorder for the first time. NCPG is working on introducing the GRIT Act in 2023 which would set aside a portion of the sports wagering federal excise tax to be used for problem gambling.

Gambling Addiction Prevention (GAP) Act

The General Accounting Office (GAO) issued a report in 2017 noting that the Department of Defense (DOD) maintained 3,141 slot machines at overseas military installations. The GAO report noted that between FY 2011 and 2015 the slot machines generated about $100 million per year. GAO also found that DOD did not screen military personnel for gambling disorders. NCPG supported the Gambling Addiction Prevention Act (GAP) which called on Congress to address gambling disorder screening for active-duty military personnel and update the guidance related to behavioral health. NCPG continues to focus on advocating for this legislation in 2023.

Mental Health Liaison Group

Gambling Disorder is recognized as a behavioral health addiction in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) issued by the American Psychiatric Association. In order to broaden awareness of problem gambling and to build a strong partnership with other organizations addressing mental health issues, NCPG became an affiliate member of the Mental Health Liaison Group (MHLG) in July 2021. The Mental Health Liaison Group (MHLG) is a coalition of national organizations representing consumers, family members, mental health and addiction providers, advocates, payers and other stakeholders committed to strengthening Americans’ access to mental health and addiction care. NCPG works as a partner in MHLG to advance federal policies that support prevention, early intervention, treatment and recovery services.

Problem Gambling Advocacy Day

Problem gambling and responsible gaming advocates from across the country will convene on July 26th, 2023 for the National Council on Problem Gambling’s Advocacy Day. Problem Gambling Advocacy Day brought together key stakeholders in a grassroots effort to highlight the importance of developing strong public policies relating to problem gambling and appropriating the necessary funding for education, research, treatment and prevention.