Towson University Foundation wins NFL-backed grant for gambling prevention

May 10, 2022

The National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) has announced the Towson University Foundation (TUF) is a recipient of a $40,000 Agility Grant. The TUF will support a new problem gambling prevention program called Tigers Play Responsibly and offered through TU’s Alcohol, Tobacco, and Other Drug Abuse (ATOD) Prevention Center.

TU is the only higher education institution chosen for one of four national grants awarded by the NCPG.  The National Council for Responsible Gaming documents that 75% of the nation’s college students gambled during the last year.

NCPG’s strategic initiative, backed by the National Football League Foundation with additional support from online betting site FanDuel, is providing funding for problem gambling prevention programs. Agility Grants support expansion and development of such programs across the United States.  

Tigers Play Responsibly will include prevention workshops and social norming campaigns centered around problem gambling education, harm reduction and related risks. The program will serve more than 21,000 Towson University students through an integrated, campus-wide approach, including student leadership training, events at the university’s Welcome to TU and Orientation weeks and print and digital marketing campaigns. 

"I am so proud that our application was accepted from a national pool of applicants,” says Emily Wiegand, manager of substance education, treatment & prevention services in TU’s Counseling Center. Wiegand serves as Tigers Play Responsibly program lead.

"We took our knowledge and prevention skills and applied them to create a strong approach to gambling awareness and prevention with a college population. Evaluations throughout the grant year will guide us as we move forward."

Organizations were awarded grants in two program areas prioritizing the core principles of innovation, collaboration and amplification. Successful applications aligned closely with NCPG’s vision of improving health and wellness by reducing the personal, social and economic costs of problem gambling.

“NCPG is proud to support each Agility Grant awardee as they work within their communities to bring about positive social change. We recognize the creativity and dedication of every applicant,” says NCPG Executive Director Keith Whyte. “We look forward to the opportunity to bring even more support to the problem gambling prevention field later this year with our second grant application cycle.”