The Responsible Gambling Council (RGC) is working with other leading responsible gambling organizations to develop a new national college responsible gambling education campaign.

In partnership with EPIC Global Solutions, Kindbridge Behavioral Health and the operator-led Responsible Online Gaming Association (ROGA), the Toronto-based RGC will create and implement a comprehensive, evidence-based program specifically tailored to the unique needs of university-aged students.

The initiative will leverage digital delivery tools to provide responsible gambling and financial literacy education to students across diverse campuses and demographics throughout the U.S.

“For over 20 years, RGC has worked with young adults, post-secondary institutions, and leaders to understand the unique needs of this priority population,” said RGC CEO Shelley White, who is retiring at the end of this year. “All RGC prevention programs are evidence-based and customized to resonate with this hard-to-reach audience – through the message itself and how it’s communicated.

“We are thrilled to be partnering with the Responsible Online Gaming Association to speak to an even larger number of students with our prevention outreach messaging.”

ROGA is an independent trade association of leading gaming operators: Bally, bet365, BetMGM, DraftKings, Fanatics, FanDuel, Hard Rock Digital and PENN Entertainment. EPIC Global Solutions is a leading independent gambling harm minimization consulting firm that has delivered in-person education to over 50,000 NCAA student-athletes and staff. Kindbridge is a mental health service provider dedicated to supporting individuals facing challenges related to problem gaming.

ROGA Executive Director Dr. Jennifer Shatley said in a release that while some programs focused on student-athletes already exist, “there are very few resources currently available to the broader university student population.”

Program emphasizes RG awareness and financial literacy

To fill that gap, the new initiative aims to provide information and resources about responsible gaming concepts, raise awareness of the consequences associated with problem gambling and available support services, and teach financial literacy skills to help students build and maintain good financial habits, whether they choose to engage in gaming or not.

One of the aims is to help students set realistic expectations and promote informed decision-making about gambling. Another key aspect will be to destigmatize the issue of problem gambling through the integration of lived experiences of individuals who have been affected by it. The program will also address common myths and misperceptions around gaming, such as the illusion of control, especially as it relates to sports betting.

The program will include a financial literacy education component that aims to equip all students with important financial management skills related to budgeting, saving and the risks associated with debt, as well as educate them about the intrinsic ties between responsible gaming and financial health.

The digital delivery tools will be broadly available to anyone in the college-age demographic, including individuals who are not enrolled in a university. The program will also work with select universities to pilot extended content and interactive tools to help evaluate and inform the program moving forward.