North Carolina joins push for responsible gambling

North Carolina has become the latest state to take a step up in its efforts of trying to raise awareness for responsible gambling and address gambling-related harms.

The state’s Department of Health and Human Services Problem Gambling, East Carolina University’s Gambling Research and Policy Initiative and Birches Health have all come together to go ahead and mount a new far-reaching campaign that intends to offer state residents treatment for gambling disorders based on data analyses.

North Carolina doubles down on tackling gambling-related harms

The state is willing to push the effort put into addressing problem gambling by offering virtual therapy from Birches Health to state residents who may be experiencing an issue with their gambling habits.

In the meantime, other partners will also be involved in areas where they specialize. For example, East Carolina University’s GRPI will leverage big data to better understand problem gambling and ensure that individuals are receiving tailored and impactful treatment options.

Commenting on this opportunity, Birches Health CEO and founder Elliott Rapaport has welcomed the opportunity to see joint efforts mounted to tackle problem gambling in North Carolina, a state that launched its sports betting market on March 11, 2024, and which has been enjoying a steady uptick in betting-related revenue.

Yet, several challenges in protecting problem gamblers in the state persist, challenges that the joint efforts by all parties involved, argues Rapaport, can finally tackle.

"We believe this initiative will pave the way for best-in-class gambling disorder treatment and guide clinical outcomes for programs nationwide, ultimately leading to a reduction in gambling-related harms," added.

North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services Problem Gambling Program Problem Gambling Administrator Amanda Winters was similarly welcoming of the news and the new-found collaborative opportunity to continue aiding local players.

"We are thrilled to support our partners at GRPI and Birches Health in launching this first-of-its-kind problem gambling metrics-based telehealth treatment pilot program," Winters said and welcomed the opportunity to see North Carolina residents have access to some of the highest-quality treatment options.

US states start boosting responsible gambling commitment

Yet, North Carolina is not the only state that has been putting significant efforts into ensuring that residents are better protected in matters of responsible gambling. Just last week, Vermont launched a similar initiative, introducing a new website hosted by the Vermont Department of Mental Health.

Ohio, for example, has offered gamblers access to Gamban, a third-party self-exclusion app, tied to strong results for maintaining and nurturing healthy gambling behavior.

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