Massachusetts Marks 10 Years of Leading the Nation in Problem Gambling Prevention

Massachusetts Marks 10 Years of Leading the Nation in Problem Gambling Prevention

Largest-ever state conference, including current and former Boston professional athletes discussing their experiences with problem gambling, to focus on the cross-agency response to the evolving sports betting landscape

BOSTON (May 14, 2026) — On the 10th anniversary of its groundbreaking efforts to address gambling harm, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health's (DPH) Office of Problem Gambling Services (OPGS) will host its 3rd annual Massachusetts Problem Gambling Conference on May 20 at the MassMutual Center in Springfield. With over 500 registered participants, it will be the most-attended problem gambling conference of its kind in the state’s history and sold out in weeks.

Former Boston Celtics All-Star forward Antoine Walker, who, in 2009, struggled with problem gambling, will join a panel that will include New England wide receiver Kayshon Boutte whose powerful essay on his experience with gambling addiction was published earlier this year in The Players’ Tribune, and top-ranked boxer Jamaine Ortiz of Worcester. The panel, titled, “The Score Doesn’t Matter if You Lose the Game,” will explore past, present, and future perspectives on sports betting and its impact on athletes and the communities most exposed to its expansion.

The conference comes at a pivotal time for problem gambling. In the three years since the legalization of online sports betting in Massachusetts, treatment referrals to the Problem Gambling Helpline for residents in their 20s and 30s have increased substantially, from 140 in fiscal year 2022 to 300 in fiscal year 2024, Helpline data show. Furthermore, in 2025, 44 percent of high school students and 49 percent of middle school students reported engaging in some form of gambling over the past 12 months, according to the Massachusetts Youth Health Survey.

“As we mark this important milestone for the Office of Problem Gambling Services, we continue to lean into our commitment to working with our state and community partners to expand access to prevention, referral, and treatment for those impacted by gambling’s harms,” said Public Health Commissioner Robbie Goldstein, MD, PhD. “Amid this great expansion of gambling access and advertising, our work is guided by a belief that racial equity is foundational to these mitigation efforts and that centering community voices in addressing this public health issue is key.”

The conference will draw an array of public health, community, and legislative leaders. They include Commissioner Goldstein; Commissioner of Public Health and Executive Director of the Boston Public Health Commission Bisola Ojikutu, MD, MPH; and Massachusetts Department of Mental Health Assistant Commissioner Dr. Funmi Aguocha, PsyD. They will be joined by Springfield Mayor Domenic J. Sarno, State Senator Adam Gomez, and State Representative Carlos Gonzalez in advocating for a collaborative, cross-agency response to problem gambling. The lunch keynote will be delivered by Victor Ortiz, Director of DPH’s Office of Problem Gambling Services, who will reflect on OPGS’s decade of community partnership and progress.

The conference will feature 15 sessions focused on equity and the multicultural impact of gambling harm, including culturally responsive approaches to developing treatment strategies. Massachusetts is among just a handful of states with a dedicated annual public health conference on gambling harm — a model that other jurisdictions have begun studying as legalization spreads throughout the nation.

“Many states are still figuring out how to respond to the increase in gambling harm that came with legalization,” said Victor Ortiz, Director of the Office of Problem Gambling Services. “The Department of Public Health decided 10 years ago that we were not going to wait – and the community has been showing us ever since that they needed someone to act.”

Since 2016, the Office of Problem Gambling Services has invested $94 million in prevention, treatment, and recovery initiatives; established more than 40 community-based partnerships, which have engaged more than 3,000 individuals across the state; and launched more than 25 unique initiatives to address the specific needs of diverse populations.

For treatment referrals, self-help resources, and information for loved ones, visit MAProblemGamblingHelpline.org or call the Massachusetts Problem Gambling Helpline — 800-327-5050 — available 24/7.