Office of Problem Gambling Services

The Office of Problem Gambling Services was created as part of the Expanded Gaming Act of 2011 (Chapter 194).

This law provides for the establishment of up to three destination resort casinos and one slot parlor in Massachusetts. It also allocates significant resources to mitigate the harms associated with gambling through a Public Health Trust Fund (PHTF), focusing on research, prevention, intervention, treatment, and recovery support services to help mitigate the effects of problem gambling and related issues.

In April 2016 the PHTF Executive Committee adopted a Strategic Plan for Services to Mitigate the Harms Associated with Gambling in Massachusetts (DOC). The plan provides detailed strategies to address problem gambling and explores the relationships between problem gambling and other health concerns — laying the groundwork for the development of a strong public health response to those issues most affected by the expansion of gambling in Massachusetts.

The plan is implemented primarily by the Department of Public Health and the Massachusetts Gaming Commission. Implementation is overseen by the Secretary of Health and Human Services, assisted by members of other state agencies and community-based organizations.

Partnerships

• The Massachusetts Gaming Commission aims to create a fair, transparent, and participatory process for implementing the expanded gaming law. Their website is a comprehensive resource for all information on licensing, regulations and news related to the Expanded Gaming Law.
• The Division on Addiction at Cambridge Health Alliance, a Harvard Medical School teaching hospital,is an international research, education, and outreach center dedicated to alleviating the social, medical, and economic burdens caused by addictive behavior. The Division offers education and training to clinicians and practitioners who treat clients with addictive disorders and to scientists who study addiction. In addition, the Division provides relevant, up-to-date addiction-related information to public policy makers, as well as the general public.
• The National Center for Responsible Gaming is the only national organization exclusively devoted to funding scientific research and evidence-based education on gambling disorder and youth gambling.