Ohio Recognized with Five Awards at 2024 NCPG Annual Conference
Published: July 22, 2024
Surfing to Success in San Diego
Last week, Ohio for Responsible Gambling and its partners from around the state traveled to San Diego, California for the 2024 National Conference on Gambling Addiction and Responsible Gambling, hosted by the National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG).
This year’s conference was an exceptional opportunity to learn about initiatives from thought leaders and experts from around the nation, as well as share our innovative models and strategies to prevent problem gambling within Ohio. In addition to sharing the many ways we collaborate to address problem gambling in our state, Ohio had the honor of being recognized with five awards at the 2024 National Awards luncheon for exceptional work in the field.
Awards & Recognition
Corporate Website Award
Ohio for Responsible Gambling was honored to receive the 2024 Corporate Website Award for the new Pause Before You Play Website (PauseBeforeYouPlay.org), which reflects the new look and feel of the campaign following a re-brand that launched in Ohio in September 2023. The re-brand utilizes sports-themed and action-oriented imagery to help connect emotionally with site visitors and educate them about the potential risks of sports betting, as well as other forms of gambling. Please note, this website was revamped when re-branding the previous statewide campaign Get Set Before You Bet.
Media Award
Ohio for Responsible Gambling’s second achievement was the 2024 Media Award, which recognizes outstanding original reporting on problem gambling. This award was given for our earned media efforts with Irvin PR, and featured a story placed with Fox 28 Columbus where “Experts Address Problem Gambling on World Suicide Prevention Day.” In this segment, Derek Longmeier (PGNO) and Bruce Jones (Maryhaven) educated the public about a hidden, but growing addiction – problem gambling – and its links to mental health.
People’s Choice
Ohio for Responsible Gambling’s third accolade was the 2024 Corporate People’s Choice Award. This award recognizes an outstanding problem gambling or responsible gambling-related awareness message and was awarded to Ohio’s print campaign assets for Pause Before You Play. These assets were featured during the conference and voted by the 500-plus attendees as the best print campaign and creative strategy against three (3) other state finalists.
Other Awards
It was exciting to also see state partners and leaders recognized for their contributions to the field, including the following prestigious honors:
- Don Hulen Annual Award for Advocacy: Derek Longmeier, Executive Director, Problem Gambling Network of Ohio
- Service Award: Michael Buzzelli, Associate Director, Problem Gambling Network of Ohio
- Jim Wuelfing Annual Award for Prevention (Finalist): Claire Spada, OCPC, Workforce Development Manager, Problem Gambling Network of Ohio
It was an honor to share our work on a national level with peers in the world of prevention, treatment, and recovery. The conference allowed us to elevate our mission, as well as learn from others around the nation how we can continue to spread awareness and engage different populations on the important topics facing the health and well-being of Ohioans.
Lastly, we are very excited for NCPG 2025 – which will be hosted next year in Columbus, Ohio! To save the date, visit NCPG’s 2025 National Conference page here.
To learn more about responsible gambling and access resources to support your next outreach and educational initiatives, please visit PauseBeforeYouPlay.org and ChangeTheGameOhio.org.