PHOENIX — Arizona is launching a new series of public service announcements on TV, radio and smartphones to promote a program designed to help people step away from gambling.
One of the PSAs, called Take Back the Game, raises awareness about a state program that allows residents to voluntarily ban themselves from Arizona casinos, sports betting or fantasy sports apps for one, five or 10 years.
According to Jackie Johnson, director of the Arizona Department of Gaming, Arizonans can choose to exclude themselves from all gambling categories or select just one.
“Arizona first launched a voluntary self-exclusion program in the early 2000s as a tool for residents to opt out of visiting tribal casinos if they decided gambling was negatively impacting their well-being and becoming problematic,” Johnson said in a Monday news release.
More details about Arizona’s gambling self-exclusion program
Since then, both the program and the department have grown.
“Later, the department expanded the program to include event wagering and fantasy sports,” Johnson said. “Today, with the Take Back the Game campaign, our agency affirms the value of self-exclusion as an empowering, practical tool that has positive impacts for thousands of Arizonans.”
People can begin the self-exclusion process by filling out the required forms online or by visiting the Department of Gaming’s Phoenix office.
Once enrolled, they are barred from gambling for the full length of their chosen exclusion period. They also stop receiving gambling-related marketing and cannot collect gambling winnings.
What about the other gambling PSAs?
The Take Back the Game PSA series is one of three new public service campaigns sponsored by the department.
The second campaign, No Online Casinos, explains that online casinos are not legal in Arizona and encourages consumers to place bets only with licensed operators.
The third PSA, Too Young to Bet, focuses on the risks of underage gambling.
All three campaigns are available in both English and Spanish.
