March is Problem Gambling Awareness Month, National Agency Seeks to Implement Healthcare Treatment
Every year, the National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) in Washington, DC, organizes Problem Gambling Awareness Month in March.
According to the NCPG, Problem Gambling Awareness Month is a grassroots countrywide initiative aimed at raising public awareness of gambling issues and promoting related services for prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation.
"Caring Communities, Stronger Futures" is the theme for 2026. The program highlights the significance of a community-based strategy for raising awareness of and providing support for problem gambling.
"When a community comes together — friends, families, educators, healthcare providers, local partners, and policymakers — silence is replaced with support, and isolation is replaced with connection,” the campaign website states.
The NCPG is urging all parties involved in gaming, including operators and state gaming regulatory agencies, to support Problem Gambling Awareness Month. The website of the only national nonprofit organization in the country devoted to reducing the negative effects of gambling offers a variety of resources, including social media photos and press release templates.
Implementation of Healthcare
Gambling is more common and accessible than it has ever been. There is legal gambling in every state but Alaska, Hawaii, and Utah. This includes lotteries, casinos, iGaming, sports betting, and parimutuel wagering.
With Americans participating in some form of gambling at record levels, the NCPG believes it’s time that primary care doctors regularly check in with their patients about their gambling activity. A 2026 goal of Problem Gambling Awareness Month is to encourage healthcare providers to screen patients for potential gambling disorders.
“The majority of Americans recognize gambling addiction as a legitimate behavioral health issue,” said Heather Maurer, the executive director of the NCPG. “The next step is ensuring our public health systems, policies, and prevention strategies reflect that understanding.”
The NCPG will hold Gambling Disorder Screening Day on Tuesday, March 10. This website will provide free online screenings in collaboration with the Cambridge Health Alliance Division on Addiction. Individuals can use the internet to consult with a practitioner or self-evaluate.
“Gambling disorder leads to financial, emotional, social, occupational, and physical harms, yet many cases go undetected due to limited assessment for this problem. Screening Day addresses the imperative to detect gambling-related problems as early as possible, and the Division encourages all organizations and providers to participate in this annual event,” the Cambridge Health Alliance Division on Addiction commented.
Record Losses and an Increase in Problem Gambling
Last year, commercial operators cost US gamblers a record $78.7 billion. Sports betting, racinos, commercial (non-tribal) casinos, and iGaming provide the gaming revenue. Lottery money is not included in the total.
Last year, researchers from the Qualcomm Institute School of Medicine at the University of California, San Diego concluded that an increase in gambling issues has resulted from the quick expansion of legal sports betting. The study found that between 2018 and 2024, there was a 23% increase in online searches for assistance with gambling addiction.
