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New Campaign Targeting Problem Gambling in Ohio
< < Back to new-campaign-targeting-problem-gambling-in-ohioCasinos are not new to Ohio but as gambling becomes more popular, one organization is bringing awareness to the potentially damaging consequences of a gambling addiction.
Today, Ohio for Responsible Gambling announced the launch of a $1.2 million, two-year campaign designed to prevent problem gambling and promote responsible gambling.
“Be the 95%” is the campaign’s new phrase, meaning be a part of the 95% of people who keep gambling fun and low risk. Ohio for Responsible Gambling said the campaign’s focus is to build awareness, educate the community on safe gambling practices and promote the positive outcomes of responsible gambling.
“We needed this campaign to help us grow knowledge about low risk gambling and an understanding of how to help anyone with a gambling problem. We need to prevent gambling from becoming a problem and that is possible with knowledge and tools,” Marcie Seidel, Executive Director of Drug Free Action Alliance, said.
The new campaign is replacing the “I Lost a Bet” campaign, which was targeted more towards 18-25 year olds, who are twice as likely to have gambling addictions. “Be the 95%” is directed towards a broader audience, more specifically to people with families. The website, the95percent.org, includes the Ohio Problem Gambling hotline number, resources and tips on how to prevent problem gambling and a self-assessment quiz.
In Ohio, there are four casinos and seven racinos, a racetrack that has video lottery terminals. Since 1974, Ohio Lottery has generated more than $21 billion in profit for the state. Executive Director of the Ohio Lottery Commission, Dennis Berg, announced that Ohio Lottery is donating one million dollars to the “Be the 95%” campaign.
Also at the campaign announcement, people who have experienced problem gambling, either themselves or through their spouses, spoke on how the addiction has affected their families. “People simply do not recognize the issue of gambling as a concern until it has already hurt their family” Matthew Schuler, Executive Director of the Ohio Casino Control Commission said.
Billboards, newspaper ads, television and radio commercials for “Be the 95%” will start to appear throughout the state starting in September.