Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Health Gambling topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Lucas County proclaims Problem Gambling Awareness Month; treatment provider warns local risk higher than state average
Summary
The Board declared March 2026 Problem Gambling Awareness Month after a presentation from the Zeph Center that cited state and county data showing higher local rates of at-risk gambling and increased helpline contacts since mobile sports betting launched.
The Lucas County Board of Commissioners on March 31 adopted a proclamation recognizing Problem Gambling Awareness Month after representatives from local treatment and prevention programs described rising gambling-related harms.
Megan Poliquin, manager of gambling treatment and prevention at the Zeph Center, told the board that Ohio-wide survey data and local intake figures show a growing need for prevention and treatment services. "According to the 2022 Ohio Gambling Survey, nearly 20 percent of Ohio adults... are at risk of experiencing gambling related harms," Poliquin said, and she stated local estimates that "25 percent of adults are at risk... with 6 percent meeting criteria for a gambling disorder," both higher than the state average.
Commissioner Gerken characterized March as a high-risk month because of the college basketball tournament and cited the amplified accessibility of mobile sports betting. "You can gamble every minute, every day," Gerken said, noting younger adults as an at-risk group.
Commissioner Lopez added a policy perspective, saying expanded legal gambling has not yielded the promised improvements in public education funding and has produced familial and financial harms in some cases.
Poliquin described Zeph Center’s services as free and confidential for Ohio residents, including individual and group therapy, a helpline and community partnerships. She also reported that since mobile sports betting launched, calls to Ohio’s problem-gambling helpline and referrals to Zeph Center’s program have increased.
The commissioners moved and adopted a proclamation designating March 2026 as Problem Gambling Awareness Month; attendees gathered for photos after the vote.
