By Forum Staff
In observance of March as Problem Gambling Awareness Month and March 12 as Gambling Disorder Screening Day, State Sen. Joe Addabbo, Jr. (D-Woodhaven) will be hosting a virtual discussion via Zoom on March 12, 2024. The event aims to educate the public on problem gambling, provide information on available support services, and foster connections with organizations that can help.
The discreet meeting will allow participants to remain anonymous and will be presented in collaboration with the New York Council on Problem Gambling and Resorts World NYC Casino, with support from the National Council on Problem Gambling. The primary goal of the discussion is to promote a better understanding of gambling addiction as a medical issue that requires examination as a disease, emphasizing the importance of education and support in addressing this issue.
As chairman of the Senate’s Committee on Racing, Gaming, and Wagering, Addabbo recognized the two-year anniversary of mobile sports wagering in New York State on Jan. 8, 2024. Through January 7, the total mobile sports wagering handle reached $37.2 billion and generated a total net revenue to education of $1.6 billion.
Addabbo said he understands the positive revenue impact of gambling but is also aware of the unintended consequences it can bring. He is committed to addressing these issues by increasing funding for problem gambling programs. Recently, he introduced legislation to ensure that the program funding is at least 1 percent of tax revenue or $6 million, whichever is greater. Additionally, this month, Addabbo’s committee will pass four bills related to problem gambling during Problem Gambling Awareness Month. These bills include requirements for gambling advertisements to include warnings about addiction, expanding the prohibition of individuals under 21 from gambling, and directing the gaming commission to regulate predatory sportsbook bonuses in mobile sports betting.
The discussion will also be interactive as esteemed guest speaker, Prof. David Nutt, director of the Neuropsychopharmacology Unit in the Division of Brain Sciences at the Imperial College of London, and one of the world’s leading experts on addiction, according to the BBC and the University of Bath, will display brain scans that show illuminations of certain parts of the brain before, during, and after placing a bet. He showed this experiment on a news program of the BBC demonstrating by using an individual in an MRI machine whose brain function was monitored while playing a virtual version of roulette.
Two million adults in the U.S. meet severe gambling criteria each year, according to the National Council on Problem Gaming and another 4 to 6 million American adults have mild or moderate problems. 4.3 percent of adult residents in New York State are experiencing problems related to their gambling activity (over 600,000 adults), according to the NYCPG.
Other topics of discussion at the event will be voluntary self-exclusion, signs of addiction, screening for gambling disorder, S.E.E. It – Support Educate and Engage to Reduce Gambling Harm, which is the NYCPG’s theme this year and “Every Story Matters,” which is the National Council on Problem Gambling’s theme this year, so recovering addicts will share their stories of hope.
Addabbo is encouraging individuals to join him on March 12, 2024, for this important virtual discussion, as he seeks to work with others to raise awareness and provide support for individuals affected by problem gambling.
The Zoom information is below.
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86791905653?pwd=TFN4RVZNVlZETEp2UG5QZlhVNmtVUT09
Meeting ID: 867 9190 5653
Passcode: 874928
