Ohio fared very well once again at the National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) awards ceremony. Ohio responsible gambling advocates and initiatives from the Buckeye State scored five awards at the NCPG National Awards luncheon in mid-July.
The National Awards, presented at the 2024 National Conference on Gambling Addiction & Responsible Gambling, were hosted by the NCPG in San Diego, California on July 19. The annual conference attracts regulators, researchers, healthcare workers, gambling industry members, and others from all over the country to participate in workshops and other activities related to problem gambling prevention and responsible gambling promotion.
This marks the second consecutive year that Ohio has won five NCPG awards.
Ohio for Responsible Gambling earns 3 NCPG awards
First, the 2024 NCPG Conference recognized Ohio for Responsible Gambling (ORG) initiatives with three distinct awards. As an advocacy collaboration between the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, Ohio Casino Control Commission, Ohio Lottery Commission, and Ohio State Racing Commission, the ORG is dedicated to enhancing responsible gambling efforts within all of Ohio’s gambling markets.
The agency’s Pause Before You Play initiative received two of those three awards. The responsible gambling campaign, which encourages bettors to have a plan before they start wagering, debuted last year to coincide with Ohio’s sports betting launch. The program includes print and digital advertising, as well as resources and free toolkits for organizations and professionals in Ohio.
Pause Before You Play won the Corporate People’s Choice Award for its print campaign assets. The award, voted on by conference attendees, honors problem gambling/responsible gambling awareness messaging. The campaign also won ORG the Corporate Website Award. The Pause Before You Play website won the same award last year.
ORG was also recognized with the Media Award for its efforts behind the news story “Experts Address Problem Gambling on World Suicide Prevention Day,” which aired on Fox 28 in Columbus last September.
ORG posted a statement of appreciation on the Pause Before You Play site after the conference:
“It was an honor to share our work on a national level with peers in the world of prevention, treatment, and recovery. The conference allowed us to elevate our mission, as well as learn from others around the nation how we can continue to spread awareness and engage different populations on the important topics facing the health and well-being of Ohioans.”
NCPG also honors 2 Problem Gambling Network of Ohio directors
The NCPG’s 2024 awards also honored two leaders of the Problem Gambling Network of Ohio (PGNO).
Derek Longmeier, PGNO’s executive director, received the Don Hulen Annual Award for Advocacy, named for the longtime problem gambling advocate and founder of the Arizona Council on Compulsive Gambling. Longmeier — recently re-elected to NCPG’s Board of Directors — won the Jim Wuelfing Annual Award for Prevention at the organization’s 2022 conference. PGNO’s Claire Spada was a finalist for the Wuelfing Award this year.
Michael Buzzelli, PGNO’s associate director since 2020, received the 2024 Service Award, which recognizes volunteer contributions to the NCPG. Buzzelli, who has been keeping a watchful eye on Ohio problem gambling hotline calls, wrote on LinkedIn:
“Amazing to be recognized and awarded the NCPG Service Award for volunteer service. This is being shared with all of my prevention colleagues who work to stay connected and inspired, to all of my mentors who lead this group before me and whom I learned so much from, and most importantly with my co-chair, the one and only Juan Baez, who supported this work during our years co-chairing the NCPG Prevention Committee and lifted me up with endless enthusiasm.”
In March of this year, the PGNO kickstarted a new project to increase responsible gambling awareness at Ohio casinos.
Ohio to host 2025 NCPG Conference
As one of the NCPG’s star states, Ohio will be front and center at the 2025 NCPG Conference. Next year’s National Conference on Gambling Addiction & Responsible Gambling will take place in Ohio.
The 2025 conference is scheduled for July 16-18 at Columbus’ Hyatt Regency Hotel. Conference registration opens next spring.
