NCPG releases comprehensive study of attitudes toward gambling

(PRESS RELEASE) -- Today the National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) released a National Detailed Report and State Detailed Reports as a comprehensive follow up to The National Survey of Gambling Attitudes and Gambling Experiences (NGAGE) 1.0, which provided an overview of trends at the national and state levels. The reports can be found at www.ncpgsurvey.org.

With nearly half of the states across the nation legalizing sports betting following a 2018 Supreme Court decision, among the more significant findings are that:

• Sports bettors exhibit far more “problematic play” indicators than non-sports bettors, including ‘lied to hide gambling’ and ‘relied on others to pay debts or bills.’
• Younger players (under age 35) appear to be at higher risk for gambling problems.
• Many people who gamble do not understand the way gambling works.

“We hope the new reports spur the public and private sectors to redouble their efforts to implement policies and allocate resources to create a safer gambling environment, as well as assist those who show signs of gambling addiction or are in recovery,” said Keith Whyte, NCPG Executive Director. “While organizations like the National Council on Problem Gambling will use this data to help make those goals a reality, any entity that interacts with the gambling industry will benefit from better understanding public sentiment about gambling as America undergoes an unprecedented amount of gambling expansion, especially sports betting.”

The National Detailed and State Detailed Reports from NGAGE 1.0 are NCPG’s largest research project to date, comprising more than 28,000 respondents. It is likely the largest public survey of gambling attitudes in U.S. history and includes over 170 charts with detailed data points and summary segmentation analysis offering insight into how Americans think and act with regards to gambling. The survey questions address a broad range of issues including gambling participation, rates of problematic behavior and positive play, and public beliefs and opinions about problem gambling. It also includes an in-depth look at trends and attitudes about the emerging fields of sports and fantasy sports betting. The survey was conducted independently by Ipsos and was sponsored by GVC Group/Entain Group.

The NGAGE 1.0 National Detailed Report is available at no charge at www.ncpgsurvey.org, as well as information on how to order the State Detailed Reports.

“NCPG is to be commended for undertaking this enormous research project,” said Robert Jacobson, President of the NCPG Board of Directors and Executive Director of the California Council on Problem Gambling. “There is no need to make assumptions or rely on much smaller studies anymore. The State Reports are especially important – whether you are an operator, regulator or health provider – since all decision-making for the gambling industry resides at the state level, and health providers address local needs.”

NCPG will also hold a 60-minute webinar focused on the new National Detailed Report from NGAGE 1.0 with Don Feeney, author of the reports and co-founder of the Northstar Problem Gambling Alliance, and Keith Whyte to discuss the findings on April 6 at 1:00 p.m. EDT. It is free for the public and media.

NCPG anticipates a NGAGE 2.0 follow-up survey in the next twelve months, which will be the first effort to measure national changes in gambling behaviors since the expansion of sports betting was greenlighted by the U.S. Supreme Court. The new data will help inform changes to business operations in the gambling industry, as well as a broad spectrum of governmental policy and funding directives going forward.