March 5, 2021
March Is Problem Gambling Awareness Month
Every March, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)
holds its Division I Men's Basketball Tournament, which is known
as March Madness. During March, there are 67 college basketball
games that are divided into four regions and organized into an
elimination bracket that pre-determines when a team wins a game,
which team they will compete against next to advance in order to
compete in the national championship. It is one of the most
popular annual sporting events in the United States and is
televised on multiple TV channels throughout the month. It is
also common for people to predict the outcomes of each game.
There are also high-stakes bracket pools that people can
participate in, even if they do not typically gamble. Media
outlets, such as ESPN, CBS Sports and Fox Sports, host online
tournaments during which contestants can participate for free.
This can perpetuate an environment that is conducive to gambling
and risky behavior. According to the Council on Compulsive
Gambling of New Jersey (CCGNJ), a member of the New Jersey Association of
Mental Health and Addiction Agencies, Inc. (NJAMHAA), 47 million
Americans gambled during March Madness in 2019 and approximately
$8.5 billion were wagered.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, March Madness was canceled in 2020
and it is resuming this month. The attitude towards gambling
surrounding March Madness could also be different. Many
individuals are experiencing stress, sadness and loneliness
during the pandemic. The Kaiser Family Foundation states that four
in 10 adults reported experiencing anxiety or depression in July
2020. The stress and anxiety associated with the COVID-19
pandemic can result in increased substance use. People with a
substance use disorder may also be hesitant to seek in-person
treatment due to the risk of contracting COVID-19. Both mental
health and substance use disorders can impact people's attitudes
towards gambling.
CCGNJ defines disordered gambling as a
progressive addiction characterized by a person experiencing
increasing preoccupation with gambling, betting money more
frequently, losing control as shown by continuing to gamble
regardless of the consequences and becoming irritable when
attempting to stop gambling. When a gambler experiences prolonged
loss, it can cause or exacerbate depression. A person who has
anxiety can use gambling as a coping mechanism. CCGNJ states that
roughly 50 percent of individuals with problem gambling had a
substance use disorder and 30 percent of people in treatment for
a substance use disorder also had a gambling addiction. The
increased rates of mental illness and substance use can impact
disordered gambling.
"A significant number of people have lost their jobs or have
experienced a decrease in wages during the COVID-19 pandemic. If
individuals are experiencing gambling disorder, is in a
precarious financial situation and frequently gambles during
sporting events, such as March Madness, it would not only have an
impact on their finances, but also on their mental health. It
could also result in increased substance use if a person has a
co-occurring disorder. It is important that healthcare providers
screen for gambling problems while screening for mental illness
and substance use disorders. A provider can then provide
integrated treatment or a person can be referred to professionals
who specialize in disordered gambling," said Debra L. Wentz, PhD,
President and CEO of NJAMHAA.
In addition to March Madness, March is also Problem Gambling
Awareness Month, which is a campaign that aims to increase public
awareness of problem gambling, as well as the availability of
prevention, treatment and recovery services. The campaign also
encourages healthcare providers to screen clients for disordered
gambling. The theme this year is "Awareness + Action". Governor
Phil Murphy has issued a Proclamation that declares March 2021
Problem Gambling Awareness Month in New Jersey.
The New Jersey Lottery announced that it will be working with
CCGNJ to educate both healthcare providers and individuals about
the warning signs of disordered gambling. Click here to watch a video from the New Jersey Lottery
and CCGNJ to learn more about its "Dream Big. Play Responsibly."
campaign.
The National Council on Problem Gambling has shared examples of
and ideas for organizations that would like to host events for
Problem Gambling Month, which can be accessed here.
