Prevention is the most cost-effective, common-sense way to mitigate gambling-related harm.
The National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) said it will award $193,000 in grants to five non-profit organizations that support problem gambling prevention programs after receiving a record number of applications to its Agility Grant program.
NCPG said the goal of its Agility Grants “is to fill in gaps for areas that currently have no such services, as well as bolster promising efforts in existing programs.” It also focuses on establishing and expanding problem gambling prevention efforts across the US.
The grants are the third round of donations made through the Agility Grant initiative. NCPG awarded the first round of grants to two organizations — Towson University Foundation and the Oklahoma Association on Problem Gambling and Gaming — in March 2022.
Three other organizations — Freedom House of Mecklenburg Inc., Ohio in Arabic, and Volunteers of America Oregon — were awarded grants in October 2022.
“Prevention is the most cost-effective, common-sense way to mitigate gambling-related harm,” said NCPG Executive Director Keith Whyte. “The prevention programs supported by this round of Agility Grants demonstrate innovative models designed to reach priority populations and elevate new voices within the problem gambling prevention community.
“We proudly support these initiatives and hope they will serve as models for future prevention efforts.”
The funding for these Agility Grants through the NFL Foundation will provide critical resources to non-profit organizations across the country who are on the front lines of problem gambling prevention.
Agility is the first program of its kind. It is funded by the National Football League Foundation, with additional support from FanDuel. The program plans to award more than $1 million over three years.
“We’re proud to support the innovative work the NCPG is doing through their Agility Grant program to address problem gambling in a multitude of ways,” said Clare Graff, the NFL’s Vice President for Social Responsibility.
“The funding for these Agility Grants through the NFL Foundation will provide critical resources to non-profit organizations across the country who are on the front lines of problem gambling prevention.”
NCPG said its Agility Grant funding for Spring 2023 would support three non-profit organizations:
- Hispanic Urban Minority Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Outreach Program — an education and awareness campaign for Hispanic youth in Cleveland. The program aims to raise awareness of problem gambling behaviors in middle and high school students.
- The National Alliance on Mental Illness, Maryland Chapter (NAMI-MD) — a collaborative effort of three Maryland non-profits to present Smart Choices for Athletes, a four-part project on problem gambling and mental health for college athletes. NAMI-MD includes:
- Alston for Athletes
- The Maryland Center of Excellence on Problem Gambling
- The Hidden Opponent’s Campus Captains Program at Johns Hopkins University
- The Nevada Council on Problem Gambling — which will launch a Student-Athlete Gambling Awareness (SAGA) program in several Las Vegas area high schools with prevalent high-risk populations during the 2023-2024 academic year.
Two organizations were being awarded Agility Grant funding this spring to support prevention amplification programs:
- Nicasa Behavioral Health Services — will receive its second Agility Grant to help continue its Teen Problem Gambling Group, which includes teen volunteers representing diverse ethnicities and various high schools throughout northern Illinois. “The Agility Grant funding will enable the group to expand its work and reach more communities of color, youth athletes, and the community with educational messaging to improve awareness and prevent teens from experiencing gambling-related harm as adults,” NCPG said.
- Student Assistance Services (SAS) of Tarrytown, NY — which will implement The Hidden Hazards of Youth Gambling project for at-risk youth aged 12 to 17 years. “The program is a messaging campaign aimed at adolescents and adults who influence youth in the Westchester County community,” NCPG said.
Agility Grants are awarded through two funding rounds each year. The funding round for Fall 2023 will be open for applications from July 11 to August 22, with awards announced in early October 2023.
