April is Alcohol Awareness Month, a national public health awareness campaign developed to increase awareness and understanding of the causes and treatment of alcoholism. Established in 1987, alcohol awareness month allows communities to focus on spreading awareness and reducing the stigma associated with alcohol addiction. Adding problematic gambling behavior into the mix of frequent alcohol consumption increases the risk of harm and addiction.

The Maryland Center of Excellence on Problem Gambling (the Center) is committed to increasing the capacity of mental health/behavioral health care treatment and prevention programs to address gambling, problem gambling and gambling disorder through enhanced screening, assessment, awareness, intervention, recovery and health promotion strategies, and to make the impact of gambling behaviors on recovery, health and well-being a relevant topic of conversation within communities and organizations.

It’s March and basketball “madness” abounds! It’s known that more and more states are discussing and passing sports legislation. The American Gambling Association AGA, estimated that over 50 million Americans will bet over 10 billion combined on March Madness 2022 – with an increasingly larger share going towards legal US online sports books and casinos.

Each March, the Center actively promotes Problem Gambling Awareness Month, a grassroots public awareness and outreach campaign established by the National Council on Problem Gambling to educate the general public and healthcare professionals about the warning signs of problem gambling and raise awareness about the help and resources available.

Sunday, February 13, 2022 is football’s Big Game, one of the most celebrated sports events of the year. It’s also one of the biggest sports events for placing a bet. According to the American Gaming Association (AGA) over 23 million people in the U.S. will wager over 4 billion on the game.

This holiday, take the stress out of the season. Here are a few holiday coping skills to keep your holiday festive.

Many view gifting lottery tickets as harmless fun for any age that adds a touch of excitement in the anticipation of possibly wining money. However, research shows that children who gamble – including the use of lottery scratch off tickets – are four times more likely to become problem gamblers.

For most, gambling can be a fun, leisure activity. But for some, gambling can get out of control; it can become problematic and addictive. It can become harmful.

There is a connection between problem gambling and suicide. Individuals struggling with problem gambling or gambling disorder can feel distress and a sense of helplessness when dealing with the effects of their gambling behavior. They can feel alone. And their distress isn’t obvious.