[IMAGE] This Sunday’s Perfect Storm

This Sunday’s Perfect Storm

On Sunday, February 2, 2020, sports betting’s perfect storm will touch down at approximately 6:30p (EST). An estimated record 26 million American adults – that’s more than one-in-ten – will bet on the big game. According to the latest survey by The American Gaming Association (AGA), the amount of money that will be wagered on…read more

[IMAGE] National Hobby Month Please, Play Responsibly

National Hobby Month: Please, Play Responsibly

Hobbies are essential for a healthy and well-rounded life. They provide us a much-needed opportunity to leave behind the stress of daily life and fill us with a sense of joy and relaxation. From extreme sports to drawing comics, types of hobbies are as diverse as the people that engage in them.   As a…read more

[IMG] Making the Rose Bowl Your New Year’s Day Tradition

Making the Rose Bowl Your New Year’s Day Tradition

There are countless New Year’s traditions from champagne toasts to watching the ball drop. For many Americans, New Year’s Day means settling down on the couch with friends and family to enjoy the Rose Bowl. This New Year’s tradition is increasing in popularity each year, with the 2019 game drawing in a record audience of more…read more

[IMAGE] Lottery Tickets as Holiday Gifts for Minors? Know the Risks!

Lottery Tickets as Holiday Gifts for Minors? Know the Risks!

Today, the Florida Council on Compulsive Gambling (FCCG) joined forces with the National Council on Problem Gambling and the International Center for Youth Gambling Problems and High-Risk Behaviors at McGill University, to urge parents and others to take the time to select meaningful holiday gifts and stocking stuffers for kids, versus buying unsuitable, quick-fix gifts,…read more

[IMAGE] Food for Thought on #GivingTuesday

Food for Thought on #GivingTuesday

The holiday season is upon us. What better way to commemorate the closing of a decade, and herald in the new, than to seriously take a look at what it means to give during the “Season of Giving?” With the commercialization of the upcoming worldwide celebrations, it can be easy to assume that the spirit of generosity…read more

[IMAGE] Turkey, Stuffing, and Hopefully Not Sports Betting: Happy Thanksgiving!

Turkey, Stuffing, and Football: Happy Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving is a time for tradition, with American families gathering each year to enjoy a festive feast that’s full of its own traditions. Turkey, stuffing, gravy, candied yams, cranberry sauce, and more fill the table, but perhaps more important is how it all got there. Everyone in the family has a role. Grandma makes her…read more

[IMAGE] An Important Cause for National Veterans and Military Families Month

An Important Cause for National Veterans & Military Families Month

On October 31, 2019, President Trump signed a proclamation designating November 2019 as National Veterans and Military Families Month.[1] According to the most recent Census statistics, there are over 18 million veterans in the United States.[2] Between relatives, friends, coworkers, neighbors, and others, most of us know at least one person who has served. The…read more

[IMAGE] The Scariest Thing About Sports Betting

The Scariest Thing About Sports Betting

It’s that time of year again: the weather’s finally starting to cool down in Florida (or is it?), pumpkin spice lattes are in season, and the trick-or-treating is about to begin. Whether or not you’ll be putting on a costume or watching horror movies, Halloween is a serious event for many Floridians. From converted garage…read more

[IMAGE] It’s Time to Speak Up: National Domestic Violence Awareness Month

It’s Time to Speak Up: National Domestic Violence Awareness Month

Domestic Violence is a highly pervasive issue. Did you know that in the United States, almost 20 people are physically abused by an intimate partner each minute? Over the course of a year, that adds up to more than 10 million women and men who suffer in their own homes.[1] In Florida, 34.2% of women…read more

[IMAGE] If There is Life, There is Hope

If There is Life, There is Hope

According to the Florida Council on Compulsive Gambling’s 2018-2019 888-ADMIT-IT HelpLine report, 23% of problem gamblers and loved ones reported having suicidal ideations. That’s more than one out of every five help callers. September has been recognized as National Suicide Prevention Month, and gambling addiction is a risk factor. Gambling addiction does not discriminate and…read more

5 Myths About Addiction

5 Myths About Addiction August 16, 2015   1. Overcoming addiction is simply a matter of willpower. Sure, we wish it were that easy. Just stop gambling. Easier said than done. With drugs, prolonged exposure alters the brain in way that results in powerful cravings and compulsions. A gambling addiction has similar parallels. These brain…read more

Fantasy Sports and Online Gambling

Fantasy Sports and Online Gambling July 15, 2015 I spent the July 4th holiday like many people… with friends, grilling out by the pool. While catching up with my college roommate, he was quick to inform me about how much money he spent gambling last month… The amount of money lost wasn’t the shocking part……read more

7 non-related but ever-important questions to ask yourself

7 non-related but ever-important questions to ask yourself July 2, 2015   The FCCG recently visited the University of Central Florida’s Counselor Education program and presented our Awareness Now program to their counselors in training. Being a graduate of the program, it was comforting to walk back into the classroom. There is something therapeutic about…read more

A Culture of Silence

A Culture of Silence June 16, 2015 Recently, I was fortunate enough to serve as an exhibitor at the Asian Cultural Event in Orlando, Florida. The FCCG purchased a table at the event in order to expose the Asian community to the various problem gambling resources available to Floridians. I’ve tabled at events like this…read more

Planes and Bad Behavior

Because of airplanes, it’s possible to eat breakfast in Orlando but have lunch in New York City. In theory, modern air travel is a marvelous luxury. In reality, there is nothing fun about the actual flying. Waiting in long lines at airport security coupled with the limited space coach seating provides makes the actual process…read more

Problem Gambling… a Family Addiction

Recently, the FCCG was afforded the opportunity to speak to community members of the Port Orange Library. The presentation consisted of a standard overview of problem gambling. The audience was engaged, asked questions, and seemed to display a thirst to learn more about a very important topic. The Q & A session that succeeded the…read more

A Whole New World

Thank you for stopping in and reading the Florida Council on Compulsive Gambling’s 1st ever blog post! We are beyond excited to enter the world of blogging. Over time, we hope to expose more people to information surrounding the issue of problem gambling. If you don’t know what the FCCG is or does, let me…read more