NCPG Urges Local Action as Problem Gambling Awareness Month Returns
Problem Gambling Awareness Month (PGAM) returns in March with a renewed push to mobilize communities, the National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) said at a recent seminar.
LISTEN TO THIS ARTICLE:The nonprofit, which launched the initiative as a single week in 2003 and expanded it to a full month in 2014, is promoting this year’s theme: Hearing Communities – Stronger Futures. Cait Huble, NCPG director of public affairs, told attendees of the seminar Preparing for Problem Gambling Awareness Month 2026 that the extended timeframe allows the organisation to layer its outreach across different audiences and moments of heightened attention.
"We always say that was a feature, not a bug", Huble said, referring to PGAM's deliberate timing in March to coincide with the NCAA’s March Madness college basketball tournament. "During March Madness specifically, there is an increased awareness on gambling. Way back in 2003, before sports betting was legalized in many U.S. states, PGAM was established in March for a reason. It was designed to use that additional attention on gambling to raise awareness of problem gambling."
Huble and NCPG leaders emphasised that the national conversation around wagering has shifted since the US Supreme Court struck down the federal ban on sports betting in 2018, opening the door for state-level markets. Greater access and marketing for sportsbooks mean public-health messaging must adapt: PGAM aims to reach not just individuals experiencing harm but the broader networks around them – family members, educators, healthcare providers and retail workers – who can help spot risk and steer people to resources.
"Hearing Communities – Stronger Futures is about listening and building supports that make it easier for people to ask for help," Huble said. "You may speak to one community of lottery retailers and speak to a different community at a senior center later in the day. That can change throughout the month, and we don’t feel like it has to be defined explicitly one way.
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Practical Steps for Local Groups
NCPG stresses flexibility rather than a single playbook. Organisations are encouraged to tailor activities to local needs, capacity and audiences. "It’s not a checklist of what exactly you have to do to participate", Huble said. "Some organisations can say I can participate by putting up a few social media posts, and that’s wonderful. Some people can have big, great events, or a conference, or on-campus screening events. Those are all wonderful."
Examples highlighted at the seminar included community town halls, partnerships with university student health services, targeted outreach to veterans and senior-centre programming. NCPG also urged collaboration with state gambling regulators, problem-gambling helplines and treatment providers to ensure clear pathways to care.
Huble emphasised the incremental nature of prevention work: "It often feels like baby steps, but at the end of the day, there is that opportunity to build a stronger future, and that’s what we’re working towards". She added that the right messenger matters – particularly when addressing younger players. "Maybe I’m talking to 16-year-old boys about the risks of sports betting, and they’re not going to listen to me. There’s a better messenger, I promise. And so, it really changes depending on who that community is and offering what support looks like locally."
For organisations that take part, NCPG recommends focusing on stigma reduction, easier access to resources, and clear local signposting to counselling or treatment options. The council does not require specific actions; instead it asks communities to "serve your community in the way that fits them best, rather than following a pre-formatted list. We trust you to know what’s best for your community and what your bandwidth is on your own team", Huble said.
As state regulators and industry stakeholders continue to navigate a rapidly changing wagering landscape, PGAM 2026 aims to place community-level supports at the centre of prevention and early intervention efforts. Local charities, health systems and educators planning events this March are being urged to prioritise listening, connection and clear referral routes so that people affected by gambling harm can find help quickly and discreetly.
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