Monthly Archives: March 2021

Press release:

In honor of Gambling Disorder Screening Day (March 9) and Problem Gambling Awareness Month, the New York Council on Problem Gambling and the Western Problem Gambling Resource Center announce the release of an online self-screening tool for individuals who want to explore their risk for problem gambling.

The tool guides individuals through a set of questions to help them examine their gambling behaviors and the possible consequences of their gambling activity. Individuals who complete the questionnaire receive personalized feedback and resources based on their own answers.

While its true that most individuals who gamble do so solely for entertainment and do not experience problems caused by their gambling, all gambling inherently involves risk. This risk is not only present in the activity of gambling, but also in the risk of causing negative consequences to their lives and the lives of those around them.

For these individuals and families, gambling can have devastating effects to their lives. Effects can range from financial issues all the way to damaged relationships and lost jobs.

Just as there are varying levels of gambling activity and negative consequences, there are also varying levels of motivation and awareness about our gambling activity and the risk involved.

While some people are ready to reach out directly for assistance, support and resources, others may be just starting to think about how their gambling is affecting their life. Others may only be curious about their gambling activity and the possible risk that they have.

In an effort to reach all individuals in New York State, those who are ready for assistance and those who are simply curious about how their gambling may put them at risk for future problems, NYCPG has a variety of resources available. The newest of these resources is the online self-screening tool. The tool is available online here.

For more information about Gambling Disorder Screening Day in NYS, Problem Gambling Awareness Month and tools to use in your community visit here.

For a full list of 2021 NYCPG Screening Day Partners, visit here and click Screening Day Partners.

If you are in need of support related to gambling, please visit here to connect with resources in your community.

The New York Council on Problem Gambling (NYCPG) is a not-for-profit independent corporation dedicated to increasing public awareness about problem and compulsive gambling and advocating for support services and treatment for persons adversely affected by problem gambling. NYCPG maintains a neutral stance on gambling and is governed by a Board of Directors.

Excerpt from:

Today is Gambling Disorder Screening Day and there's a new online tool to help assess risks - The Batavian

AUSTIN Two state lawmakers are backing bipartisan legislation that seeks to legalize casino gambling and sports betting in Texas.

The bills by State Rep. John Kuempel, R-Seguin, and Sen. Carol Alvarado, D-Houston, would allow four casino resorts to be built in Austin, the Dallas-Fort Worth area, Houston and San Antonio and would also legalize sports wagering. The states three federally-recognized Indian tribes would also be able to expand full-fledged gambling, including slot machines, on their land, a right the state has long denied them.

The bills require a two-thirds vote of lawmakers because they seek to overturn the ban on most gaming enshrined in the Texas Constitution. If either bill passes the Legislature, Texas voters will then have the final say on whether or not to approve the gambling expansion.

The Las Vegas Sands, the gambling empire of the late casino magnate Sheldon Adelson, is behind the push to overturn the states ban on betting. Rob Goldstein, CEO of the Sands, told The Dallas Morning News that casinos would bring economic growth and tourism to Texas.

Our commitment is to develop transformational destination resorts that create tens of thousands of jobs and produce billions in revenue for the state while also providing robust economic benefits to the local host communities, he said.

The states GOP-dominated Legislature has long opposed expanding gaming, most of which is banned other than bingo, the Texas Lottery and some horse and greyhound track racing. But polls, including one released this week by The News and the University of Texas at Tyler, show a majority of respondents said they would legalize casino gambling if given the chance.

Republicans insiders say expanding gambling in Texas will be a huge lift. But the Sands multi-million investment to bring casinos here, plus a parallel effort by pro teams to legalize sports betting, means that undoing the states gambling ban has more momentum now than it has had in years.

Gov. Greg Abbott and House Speaker Dade Phelan, both Republicans, havent openly opposed the push to bring casinos to Texas this year. But Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who leads the Texas Senate and has significant sway over legislative priorities there, cast doubt on the efforts last month.

Im not a big supporter of it, Patrick said on the Chad Hasty radio show, saying infighting among casino, racetrack and Indian gaming interests has scuttled progress in the past.

During a briefing on the legislation last month, a Sands representative said Dallas would be the top destination for casino gambling in the state.

Well look at the entire market of Texas, but focus primarily on Dallas because that is where the greatest bleed of money is going, across the Oklahoma border, said Andy Abboud, senior vice president of government affairs for the Las Vegas Sands. While it has a strong tourism industry, we can enhance that.

The legislation, Joint Resolution 133 in the House and Joint Resolution 49 in the Senate, states that slot machines would be taxed at a rate of 25% and table games at 10%. This revenue would then go into state coffers. Gaming interests that want to build a casino in a metropolitan area with a population of fewer than five million would be required to invest at least $1 billion in the venture. Casinos built in more populous areas would require a $2 billion investment.

The number of casinos would be capped at four, not counting those built by tribes on Indian land. Only one tribe in Texas, the Kickapoo Nation, currently operates a casino here, but that location still lacks traditional slot machines and many other Vegas-style table games. Limited gambling would also be allowed at certain racetracks.

A second set of bills laying out the regulatory rules for the casinos has not yet been filed.

While the Sands legislation includes the legalization of sports wagering, an alliance of pro teams and betting platforms also seeking to overturn this ban have not openly supported casinos. The sports betting legislation, which would also require a Constitutional amendment, would allow Texans age 21 or older to bet on professional and college sports. Bettors would receive a maximum of 90% of their winnings, with 10% going to fund special education in Texas.

A spokesperson with the Sports Betting Alliance, which is backed by all the top Dallas-area teams including the Cowboys, Mavericks, Stars and Texas Rangers, did not immediately return a request for comment Tuesday morning about the casino legislation.

Read more:

Bipartisan legislation filed to legalize casino gambling, sports betting in Texas - The Dallas Morning News

The popularity of internet-based gambling in Pennsylvania has taken off as the pandemic caused casinos to shutdown. Butonline gambling addictionmay be rising as well.

In January, Pennsylvania saw more than $80 million in revenues frominternet-based gambling. Thats the most in a single month since it was legalized several years ago

Josh Ercole, Chief Operating Officer atthe Council on Compulsive Gambling of PA Inc., says calls for help with internet-based gambling addiction, which includes online sports betting, are on the rise.

The past year has just been incredible, Ercole says.

A year ago, just 5% of calls concerned internet-based gambling addiction but by the end of the year, it was much higher, he says.

In December of 2020, we saw the highest rates, 50% of calls were either sports or internet total, so just an absolutely tremendous shift, he says.

In years past, he says, most people were seeking help with an addiction toslot gambling.

March isNational Problem Gambling Awareness Month. For more information on how to recognize the warning signs of a gambling problem and to find treatment options call1-800-GAMBLER.

Read more from our partners, WLVR.

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More Pennsylvanians Seek Help With Online Gambling Addiction - 90.5 WESA

March 8, 2021 - 2:06pm

Press release:

The Finger Lakes PGRC and The Western PGRC are teaming up to present a Virtual Problem Gambling Training Event!

March is Problem Gambling Awareness Month (PGAM). Increase your knowledge of problem gambling, learn the signs of problem gambling, learn about new options and emerging trends in the gaming industry, and how YOU can help raise awareness of problem gambling in your community!

This is a FREE virtual event open to everyone interested in joining with their local PGRC (Problem Gambling Resource Center) to recognize Problem Gambling Awareness Month.

For more information or to register:

[emailprotected](Western PGRC Team Leader) -- (716)572-5017

[emailprotected] (Finger Lakes PGRC Team Leader) (518)603-5037

*If you or someone you know is struggling to control their gambling help is closer than you might think*www.nyproblemgamblingHELP.org.We are Here to Help."

Read more:

'Problem Gambling Basics and Emerging Trends' topic of virtual training event March 17, must register - The Batavian

What to Know

A gambling industry group wants to teach consumers how to tell if a particular sports betting or online casino site is legal or not.

Conscious Gaming, a nonprofit group associated with an online gambling technology firm, launched its Bettor Safe campaign this week to promote the advantages of licensed gambling sites, including consumer practices, and highlight the risks of unlicensed ones, including identify theft, or the outright theft of deposits.

It also began state-specific campaigns in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, where research shows many customers are confused about what is a legal gambling site. Additional state-specific efforts are planned soon.

Now more than ever we must educate consumers and equip them with the tools to make more informed decisions about online betting.

This campaign comes at a pivotal moment when American sports fans are gearing up for the NCAA basketball tournament amid a pandemic that continues to push individuals online, said Seth Palansky, a vice president with the group and a former online gambling executive with Caesars Entertainment. Now more than ever we must educate consumers and equip them with the tools to make more informed decisions about online betting.

Nationwide, 35% of individuals are unaware whether online betting is legal in their states, and many more, deceived by illegal operators, are wagering on unregulated sites, according to the American Gaming Association national trade group.

A recent survey by Conscious Gaming polled more than 500 adults in New Jersey and Pennsylvania on their habits and attitudes toward online betting. It found more than 25% of respondents in New Jersey and more than 30% of respondents in Pennsylvania were unaware if online betting is legal in their state, or responded that it was not legal.

Kevin OToole, executive director of the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board, called the campaign an important resource to empower consumers.

The survey also found about 75% of New Jersey and Pennsylvania respondents could not differentiate a legal betting site from an illegal website.

The campaigns New Jersey website, for example, offers a list of all the legal sports betting web sites approved by the state Division of Gaming Enforcement.

It also offers a list of things people should look for to help determine whether a particular site is legal or not, including two New Jersey-centric logos for responsible gambling and for the gaming enforcement division.

It asks customers whether a significant amount of information is being sought during registration, saying unlicensed sites typically dont ask for as much as legal sites do.

And cryptocurrency is not legal for online gambling in New Jersey; any site that accepts it is automatically an illegal site, according to the campaign.

Conscious Gaming is an independent group created by GeoComply, whose technology is widely used in the online gambling industry to verify the physical location of a gambler to comply with state laws.

Continue reading here:

A Push to Teach Gamblers Which Sport Betting Sites Are Legal - NBC New York

Gambling has evolved over the centuries to keep up with technological advancements, and its myths and far-fetched tales have grown to keep up with the changes. The dependency of luck and some skill gives casinos a mysterious aura that gives rise to many theories. These tales are used to explain reality loosely, but they are just figments to drive the overactive imaginations of naive players. There is a myth floating around for almost every element in casinos, and here is a look at ten of the most common ones and the facts that debunk them as theories with no grounds.

The myth that gambling is not addictive is often supported by the fact that it does not cause physical effects like alcohol and drugs. However, mental health is also established as an essential factor to consider in physiology. Gambling has been established as a leading cause for mental illness, making it as dangerous as any physical addiction. Problem gambling interferes with the social, financial, and mental wellbeing of thousands worldwide every year. Several countries have taken the initiative to nip the issue in the bud such as the United Kingdom and Australia. These jurisdictions apply laws such as:

This myth does hold some water, but not in the way most gamblers think. Some people believe that the casino has the power to influence the results of games. For instance, a dealer handling a roulette game can control where the ball lands. This theory is just fiction, and both the player and casino are in the dark on any games results. However, the odds are stacked against the player in favour of the house. Players can come out on top in the short run, but the house always wins over time. Even over a short period, the chances of losing are higher than those of winning. The math used to design the games makes the payout odds lower than the winning odds. This makes all of the slots negative-expectation games.

The superstitious community believes that every gambler is a psychic who can tell when they will be lucky. Some depend on charms like rabbits feet, horseshoes, numbers, colours, and four-leaf clovers to summon good fortune. These myths are widely entertained, but they do not quite work. Casino games produce their outcomes randomly using random number generators. These programs generate millions of codes with each round, and those that match the required results are selected randomly. This makes it impossible to tell the gameplay outcome accurately.

Card counting is a frowned-upon tactic used by blackjack players to win the game by tracking the cards being dealt and playing each hand accordingly. The practice can only be exercised in land-based casinos, and the establishments discourage it at all costs. Gaming clubs take measures to discourage anyone they suspect of counting cards by shuffling the cards after each hand, asking the gambler to play another game aside from blackjack or ban them from the establishment entirely. However, one cannot be arrested for the practice since it is not illegal. Harsher measures can be applied if one is caught card counting with a device.

This myth is a ridiculous theory that is told about land-based casinos. Pumped oxygen is used to make people stronger and more alert, but it would be impossible to use it at brick-and-mortar establishments. Not only is it expensive, pumping oxygen into crowded casino floors with electrical gadgets all around and smoking people would open the doors for a fire disaster like no other. Rumour has it that this myth originates from Fools Die, Mario Puzos novel, where one of the characters pulls off a similar stunt.

Most myths that need debunking are related to winning over the casino. However, it is possible to come out on top in the long run. Some sets are unbeatable, such as no download slots where no skill can be applied to influence the odds. In other games such as blackjack, poker, and video poker, players can gain enough experience to have the advantage over the casino. These sets accommodate different techniques that allow the gambler to edge over the casino in the long run. One such tactic is counting cards, which is applied in blackjack. Some players go on to forge professional careers in gambling and earn millions of dollars annually. It is also possible to win through sheer luck over the long run.

It is a common belief that playing using casino bonuses affects a games winning odds for the better or worse. The RNGs used to run pokie machines are not connected with gambling incentives, making it impossible for players to influence the other. Whether a spin is played with real or bonus money, the results remain random and cannot be predicted. The winning chances are always the same in the previous round as they are in the next one.

This statement is either a myth or not depending on ones country of residents. Most countries around the world open their doors to the gambling industry in one way or the other. In some countries, the sector is among the highest revenue-generating ones that support the economy. The United Kingdom, Canada, the USA, Australia, and New Zealand are some of the countries where casinos are thriving. However, in others, the practice is banned entirely due to varying reasons. Countries like the UAE, Iran, and Israel apply the law due to religious reasons.

Myths about gambling and casinos will always be around, and it is your responsibility to establish that they are false. These theories are often rooted in superstition, ignorance, and paranoia.

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10 Most Common Gambling and Casino Myths Analyzed - ABCmoney.co.uk