State and nonprofit partners expand youth prevention, multilingual outreach and a financial‑counseling pilot for problem gambling
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Summary
Evergreen Council, the Health Care Authority and the Gambling Commission outlined expanded problem‑gambling prevention for youth and young adults, multilingual materials, local prevention grants, and a GAMFIN pilot offering free financial counseling for clients in gambling treatment, with UW evaluation planned.
Representatives from the Evergreen Council on Problem Gambling and the Health Care Authority updated the Washington State Gambling Commission on March 12 about prevention campaigns, youth curricula and treatment expansions.
Tana Russell, deputy director of the Evergreen Council, described the March Problem Gambling Awareness Month campaign and the 'Empower Inspire' youth campaign and said the 'Youth Have the Power' curriculum targets ages 9–25 in three age bands. Paulina Zizkovsky, prevention and community outreach specialist, said the campaign uses influencers and social media to reach younger audiences and that materials include fact sheets for youth, parents and educators.
Russell and partners emphasized multilingual outreach: the commission previewed rack cards available in 11 languages (Spanish, Korean, Arabic, simplified and traditional Chinese, Vietnamese, Russian, Khmer, Hindi, Thai and Tagalog). "These are informed by our previous materials of showcasing positivity and cultural expression," a presenter said, noting final translator review was underway.
Roxanne Waldron of the Health Care Authority described expanded treatment capacity tied to recent funding (bill cited in presentation) and said HCA is rebuilding a contracted provider network (17 providers now, with three more planned). HCA will expand telehealth treatment and clinical training, and will add problem‑gambling questions to statewide surveys (Healthy Youth Survey, Young Adult Health Survey, BRFSS) to improve data for prevention planning.
The partners also described a pilot referral to GAMFIN, which provides intensive financial counseling to people in gambling treatment. Jeremy Whitaker (HCA problem gambling prevention coordinator) said the University of Washington's Center for the Study of Health and Risk Behaviors will evaluate GAMFIN and two prevention projects (a media campaign and local prevention grants) so future funding decisions can be data‑informed.
Speakers described $225,000 in local prevention grants awarded to five community sites that will embed gambling prevention into existing substance‑use prevention infrastructure. Evergreen Council and HCA representatives said they will monitor and evaluate pilot sites and planning materials before broader rollout.
The commission's regulation and enforcement staff also described distribution of 8,000 informational signs and new, more durable posters for licensees per recent WAC updates, and previewed multilingual rack cards and QR codes linking to the Evergreen Council helpline.