Colorado problem gambling centre funding approved

A problem gambling centre in Colorado will be set up after grants worth US$1.5m were awarded to problem gambling projects by the Colorado Limited Gaming Control Commission.

At its latest meeting, the state’s regulator approved funds towards educational programmes, counselling, research, advocacy efforts and support services.

Five project awards were handed out to the Kindbridge Research Institute, the Massachusetts Council on Gaming and Health and the Problem Gambling Coalition of Colorado.

As well as the problem gambling centre in Colorado, a collegiate awareness campaign and social marketing campaign are among the other initiatives.

Richard Nathan, chair of the Colorado Limited Gaming Control Commission, said the regulator would be “ignoring the obvious” if it did not accept that some players are “negatively impacted” by gambling despite the “largely positive experience of gaming in Colorado.”

“Our actions this month are just the beginning of our efforts to recognize that there is such a thing as problem gaming and to address mitigating its negative impact,” he added.