March is Problem Gambling Awareness Month (PGAM), an initiative launched by the National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG). The PGA TOUR has been a member of the NCPG’s Leadership Circle since 2023 amid its commitment to supporting PGAM initiatives.

Recently, Golfbet spoke with Heather L. Maurer, MA, CAE, the executive director of the National Council on Problem Gambling, for a Q&A on how the NCPG looks to highlight problem gambling initiatives during this important month.

Golfbet: What should golf fans and bettors know about Problem Gambling Awareness Month?

Mauer: Problem Gambling Awareness Month is an annual reminder that while gambling can be fun for some people, for others it can develop into a serious addiction. Anyone who gambles – including golf fans – can be at risk, so it’s important to know the signs of a gambling problem. These signs include needing to spend increasing amounts of time or money to get the same feeling of excitement while gambling, lying to hide your gambling, feeling restless or irritable when trying to cut down or stop gambling, or experiencing financial or relationship problems as a result of gambling.

Just as importantly, people should know that help for a gambling problem is available. If gambling stops being fun or starts negatively impacting your life, support is available for individuals and their loved ones through the National Problem Gambling Helpline, which is free, confidential and available 24/7 at 1-800-MY-RESET.

Golfbet: Why is PGAM such an important initiative for the NCPG?

Maurer: PGAM is one of NCPG’s most important initiatives because awareness of gambling addiction remains low, and many people don’t recognize the signs of a problem or know how to get help. The campaign helps bring attention to gambling-related harm and ensures people know about prevention, treatment, and recovery resources. PGAM is intentionally timed to align with the NCAA basketball tournament, when there is an increased focus and conversations about gambling, even long before sports betting was widely legalized. By meeting people in that moment, PGAM can help spark conversations, reduce the stigma of addiction and remind people that help is available and recovery is possible.

Golfbet: The National Problem Gambling Helpline number recently changed. What should individuals know about the change?

Maurer: NCPG introduced a new, easy-to-remember number for the National Problem Gambling Helpline: 1-800-MY-RESET. The goal was to make the number for reaching help easier to remember and convey the message that support is available at any point in someone’s relationship with gambling – not just in crisis.

What hasn’t changed is the service behind the number. When someone calls 1-800-MY-RESET, they are connected to the National Problem Gambling Helpline network, which links callers to trained specialists and local resources in their state. The helpline is free, confidential and available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year for anyone seeking help for themselves or for a loved one.

Ultimately, the change is about making it easier for people to remember that support is available and that recovery from gambling addiction is possible.

Golfbet: How have behavioral screenings evolved as a tool for diagnosing and treating problem gambling?

Maurer: Like with any addiction, health screenings are an incredibly important tool for identifying risk factors and facilitating intervention when necessary. Problem gambling is often called a “hidden addiction” because it can go undetected for years, resulting in severe financial, emotional or relationship consequences.

Several screening tools have been developed to help healthcare providers, counselors, and community organizations identify signs of gambling-related harm by asking a few targeted questions. While gambling screening is not yet as common as screenings for substance use or depression, there is growing recognition that gambling addiction is a behavioral health condition that should be part of broader conversations about health and well-being.

One of the goals of Problem Gambling Awareness Month is to encourage more healthcare providers to include gambling in routine behavioral health screenings. If your healthcare provider isn’t currently asking about gambling, NCPG offers a confidential self-assessment on our website at www.ncpgambling.org/assessment.

Golfbet: The PGA TOUR has produced a media campaign around PGAM each year since 2023. How have those efforts impacted awareness?

Maurer: The NCPG team loves "Sam the Caddie" and we’re excited to see him back again this year. Campaigns like the one developed by the PGA TOUR work because they meet people where they already are. When information about an important issue comes from a trusted messenger, it’s so much more likely to resonate. The PGA TOUR has a dedicated fanbase that already trusts you, so incorporating responsible gambling and Problem Gambling Awareness Month messaging into that environment helps the information reach people in a meaningful way.

From our perspective, the impact is really about reach and visibility. The PGA TOUR’s media campaigns help introduce conversations about gambling-related harm to sports fans who may not otherwise encounter these messages. By bringing awareness and resources into the sports environment where betting conversations are already happening, the campaign helps normalize the discussion and reminds people that help is available if gambling stops being fun.

Golfbet: What do you consider to be the biggest highlight of PGAM efforts to date?

Maurer: Problem Gambling Awareness Month has always been a grassroots awareness effort, and its success over the past two decades has really come from people working directly in their communities to raise awareness. Local advocates, treatment providers, gambling operators, state agencies, recovery organizations and partners across the country are the ones bringing these conversations to their communities in meaningful ways. The 2026 Problem Gambling Awareness Month theme, “Caring Communities, Stronger Futures,” highlights the importance of this community-driven approach to awareness and support.

There have been hundreds of meaningful PGAM events and initiatives over the years, but the biggest highlight is that the number of organizations participating continues to grow each year. As more organizations get involved, more conversations are happening, awareness continues to expand, and more people are learning how to recognize the signs of a gambling problem and where to turn for help if they or someone they care about needs support.