As March Madness reaches a crescendo with an estimated $10 billion in bets placed on the NCAA basketball championship games, calls to the National Problem Gambling Helpline (1-800-522-4700) spike an average of 30% during the month.

For the nineteenth year, the Oklahoma Association on Problem and Compulsive Gambling (OAPCG), in collaboration with the National Council on Problem Gambling, is dedicating the month of March to helping people who struggle with a gambling problem. Approximately 2 million U.S. adults (1% of the population) are estimated to meet criteria for gambling disorder. Another 4–6 million (2–3%) are considered to meet criteria for problem gambling. And yet for many residents of the US, gambling remains a hidden addiction.

This awareness campaign brings together a wide range of stakeholders, including the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, treatment providers, the Oklahoma Indian Gaming Association (OIGA), and gambling operators. They work collaboratively to let people know that hope and help exist.

“OAPCG will be hosting our fourteenth annual conference on problem gambling this year. Due to the pandemic, we will be hosting presentations online throughout the month of March,” said Wiley Harwell, executive director of OAPCG.

OAPCG will also be promoting awareness through its Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/OKAssnPG/), and social media users are invited to use the tag #smartplayok throughout the month to increase awareness of responsible gambling.

If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call or text the Problem Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700. For more information about problem gambling and how to increase awareness and action on problem gambling, go to www.oapcg.org.

About the Oklahoma Association on Problem and Compulsive Gambling

It is the mission of the Oklahoma Association on Problem and Compulsive Gambling to:

  • Increase the general public’s awareness of problem and compulsive gambling.
  • Enhance the availability and quality of treatment services for problem gamblers and their families.
  • Ensure the quality of education and prevention programs for all citizens of Oklahoma.
  • Provide support to the National Council on Problem Gambling through development of information and education programs that could be utilized on a national scale and high quality research in the field of gambling addiction and co-occurring dependencies.

OAPCG is funded in part by the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health & Substance Abuse Services (ODMHSAS).