The National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) has confirmed it will provide $120,000 in funding across three organizations to support problem gambling prevention via their ‘Agility Grant’ program.
Funded by the NFL Foundation and FanDuel, the Agility Program offers national grants to support those with problem gambling and will award over $1m over three years to expand problem gambling prevention measures across the US.
“Problem gambling among youth has emerged as a significant and growing public health issue. Research has shown that prevention strategies produce the greatest impact,” said Keith Whyte, NCPG Executive Director.
“We applaud the recipients of these Agility Grants for working to address problem gambling at the source and hope that this support will increase their impact on the community.”
Agility Grants are designed to minimize gambling harms before it can become a big issue, specifically amongst younger people, those who have never gambled before or those with limited experience.
NCPG research detailed that around 60% of high-school-aged teenagers have gambled within the last 12 months, with 10-14% of those at risk of developing problem gambling habits.
“We’re proud to support the NCPG’s important work through this unique program which aims to combat problem gambling, particularly in young adults and adolescents,” said Anna Isaacson, Senior Vice President of Social Responsibility at the NFL.
“These Agility Grants will provide critical funds to three very worthy organizations who share our desire to curb problem gambling through proactive outreach and education.”
One of the organizations that will receive funding through the NCPG grant is ‘Freedom House of Mecklenburg’ for its “Problem Gambling Primary and Secondary Prevention Curriculum Development” – a program that will incorporate problem gambling prevention curriculum into the Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools.
Additionally, ‘Ohio in Arabic’ will receive funds for its ‘let Me Tell You Why’ campaign to raise awareness of problem gambling in the Arabic communities in Ohio ahead of the sports betting launch on Jan 1.
Finally, ‘Volunteers of America Oregon’ will be awarded cash for its Peer Driven Problem Gambling Prevention Campaign targeting high school and college-age student-athletes.
