ROGA Launches National Program to Educate Students on Safe Gaming Behaviors

The program, scheduled to launch in early 2025, will be implemented in partnership with EPIC Global Solutions, Kindbridge Behavioral Health, and the Responsible Gambling Council (RGC). With online betting and gambling becoming increasingly accessible across the country, organizers are looking to raise awareness among youth and students about the importance of responsible gaming.

ROGA, created by leading figures in the online gaming industry, aims to promote safe gaming habits and prevent problem gambling. The program focuses on students who have not previously received adequate information about safe gaming. While there have been separate events for student athletes in the past, this program will reach out to the entire university audience, offering the necessary information and support.

One of the key aspects of the program is financial literacy training, which ROGA Director Dr. Jennifer Shatley believes is especially important for young people. Shatley noted that for many students, university is their first experience managing money on their own. The program will help them learn how to budget, save money, and understand the risks associated with debt. With these skills, students will be able to make more informed decisions, even if they do not gamble.

Another important goal of the campaign is to make problem gambling more understandable and remove the stigma associated with it through personal stories of people who have faced the consequences of addiction. This approach is intended to make the program more accessible to students and encourage open discussions about gambling habits. By teaching the basics of probability, chance, and understanding the risks associated with gambling, the program will help young people avoid unfounded hopes and illusions.

ROGA partner, EPIC Global Solutions, already has experience working with student-athlete programs at the NCAA and now aims to reach all college students. The program will include digital tools, making it accessible to students of any educational institution, as well as to young people not affiliated with universities.

In addition, the project will aim to debunk gambling myths, such as the false sense of control in sports betting. Presenting these ideas in a simple and engaging way will help students better understand the basics of responsible gambling.