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Seeking Understanding… Problem Gambling Awareness Month
March is Problem Gambling Awareness Month
PGAM is a nationwide grassroots campaign, held annually in March, that seeks to increase public awareness of problem gambling and promote prevention, treatment, and recovery services.
The 2025 PGAM theme, “Seeking Understanding,” focuses on increasing awareness of problem gambling as a serious but often misunderstood mental health condition. By fostering a deeper understanding of the issue, it is hoped the campaign encourages empathy, reducing barriers to treatment, and providing support to those affected by gambling-related harm.
Locally, the Rhode Island Lottery, is in partnership with the National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG), is proud to recognize March as Problem Gambling Awareness Month (PGAM).
Problem gambling, defined as gambling behaviors that disrupt or damage personal, family, or professional lives, affects millions of Americans. Nationally, approximately 2.5 million U.S. adults meet the criteria for a severe gambling problem, with an additional 5-8 million individuals experiencing mild to moderate gambling problems.
The annual observance of Problem Gambling Awareness Month provides an essential platform for organizations across the country to highlight the availability of resources that support problem gambling prevention, education, treatment, and recovery.
Throughout March, Problem Gambling Services of Rhode Island will host various activities to educate the community and spark meaningful conversations around problem gambling. Planned events include:
- 1/15/25 – 3/28/25: Rhode Island Game Changer Challenge – A creative contest for college students aged 18-25, enrolled in Bryant University, Community College of Rhode Island, Johnson & Wales, Rhode Island College, Providence College, and the University of Rhode Island. Students will submit original works (written or creative pieces) focused on responsible gaming and gambling harm prevention for a chance to win the 2025 Nancy Murray award and up to $3,000 for tuition.
- 3/1/25-3/31/25: Partnership with Victor Baez, Owner, Club Ambition Podcast – A TV & social media campaign highlighting the “Silent Struggle” of individuals with a Gambling Disorder.
- 3/11/25: Problem Gambling Screening Day – On-demand Gambling Disorder Screenings at health facilities across Rhode Island (locations TBA) – take it online at the link provided
Every year, The Rhode Island Lottery encourages local media and community organizations to join this important conversation by sharing information and highlighting available resources.
For more information about problem gambling and how to increase awareness, visit Rhode Island Problem Gambling Treatment Free | Problem Gambling Treatment in Rhode Island (problemgamblingservices.com) or call the help line at 1-877-9GAMBLE – helping Rhode Islanders 24/7 – 365 Days a Year.
Facts about the 1-800-Gambler Hotline:
I’m a little older now but I can distinctly remember when gambling of all sorts was prohibited. I can remember the time when a local non-profit sports organization in Cranston, raising money at a bingo hall to support their programs, had leaders arrested by the state police because bingo was deemed a form of gambling. I can remember when organized crime, and not so organized crime, were the benefactors of illegal profits from gambling went to jail.
And I remember how the descriptions above could be applicable to selling and using marijuana and other illegal drugs. And now there are places where drug use is not only accepted but supervised by the state as an alternative to dying in a back alley.
My point here is the state has legalized so many things that were once illegal because the state and some insiders are now licensed to do what was once illegal and punishable by jail time. Time changes everything especially when once harmful and potentially deadly activities that impacted so many families, is now a source of income to the state. Effectively, what was once seen as bad for our society is now legal because the state gets a cut.