Office of Lottery and Gaming Reminds Players of Resources and Support During Problem Gambling Awareness Month
WASHINGTON, D.C.—The Office of Lottery and Gaming (“OLG”) is proud to recognize March as Problem Gambling Awareness Month (PGAM). This annual recognition is dedicated to increasing public awareness of problem gambling as an important public health issue and reminding players of the availability of prevention, treatment, and recovery services.
OLG is committed to offering gaming safely and responsibly and has tools to help. Players who feel they have a gambling problem can access free, confidential support by phone (1-800-426-2537), text (800GAM), or chat. Furthermore, players can establish time and deposit limits when playing online. OLG also offers a self-exclusion program that allows players to voluntarily request exclusion from legalized gaming activities within the District for eighteen months, three years, five years, or a lifetime. This includes sports wagering and lottery. Self-exclusion information is available on dclottery.com and at Lottery and sports wagering retail locations.
All OLG staff receive annual training to reinforce their commitment to responsible gaming, and ‘Play Responsibly’ training is provided for DC Lottery retailers.
OLG also offers a downloadable ‘Play Responsibly’ Help Is Here If You Need It brochure with tips on spotting common signs of a gambling problem and groups that can provide additional support.
“Problem Gambling Awareness Month provides an essential platform for OLG to highlight the availability of resources that support problem gambling prevention, education, treatment, and recovery,” said OLG Interim Executive Director Eugene Vlasenko. “While our problem gambling efforts happen year-round, March gives us a special opportunity to connect with the community to raise awareness.”
By law, players must be 18 or older to play DC Lottery games, and online players must be located within the District of Columbia to play online. The “know your customer” (KYC) process has identification and verification requirements to ensure online account holders are at least 18.
This month, District-wide problem gambling awareness efforts are recognized on social media using the #PGAM2025 hashtag.
For more information about problem gambling and to find resources, visit dclottery.com/player-resources/play-responsibly.
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Since its inception in 1982, the DC Lottery has awarded more than $4.8 billion in prizes, transferred more than $2.4 billion to the District’s General Fund, which supports essential services in the District, and has helped local nonprofits raise more than $139.5 million in support of social causes. To learn more, visit dclottery.com.