UNITED STATES , March 10, 2022 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The CEO of C4 Recovery Foundation, Jack O'Donnell, recently shared his insights in an op-piece for the Politico Magazine.

Titled “The Ugly Truth Behind All Those Fun Gambling Ads,” the article takes a deep dive into the world of gambling and its effect on today’s society. Informative and straightforward, it explains the direct correlation between advertising and gambling addiction while giving an overview of the U.S’s history with casinos and legislation.

A former Senior VP of Marketing for Steve Wynn, president and COO for Donald Trump, and COO for Merv Grifin, he knows a thing or two about the process and has owned and operated gambling operations in the U.S and overseas. To say that he is an expert in this domain is an understatement.

In an industry where profit and addiction go hand-in-hand, Jack has made it his mission to spread awareness issues regarding behavioral health.

“ [...] for the past 20 years, I have worked in the addiction and behavioral health field. Currently, I am the CEO of C4 Recovery Foundation, an organization that, among other things, is an advocate for individuals suffering from addiction,” says Jack O’Donnell.

With problem gamblers carrying on average $55,000 in debt and phone calls to the National Problem Gambling helpline rising to more than 22,500 calls a month, this piece should sound an alarm for all readers.

Ever since the Supreme Court ruling overturned the ban on sports betting, it has been legalized in more than 30 states and has racked up more than 1.5 billion in revenue – totaling a 69% increase yearly.

Designed to appear “risk-free,” these marketing campaigns incentivize new and old gamblers to play the game of chance.

“We need to not glamorize gambling the way tobacco did to attract new and mostly young participants," insists O'Donnell.

He adds, “I know how the industry thinks: They will say that illegal betting has been around forever, and it’s enough for them to include some warnings and toll-free numbers in their ads. Beyond that, they’ll say, they have no obligation to protect the public from itself. But, the gambling companies are not the ones who have to cover the social costs of an epidemic of gambling debt. This alone is reason enough for legislators to step in and provide the kind of national guardrails that New Jersey once applied.”

Jack O’Donnell’s op-piece is an urgent call for legislators to take a closer look at the effects of gambling promotion on their citizens.

To better understand the magnitude of gambling addiction, click here to read the full article and visit C4 Recovery Foundation’s website to learn more about their work.

About C4 Recovery Foundation
For the past three decades, C4 has aimed to improve access to quality treatment for behavioral health and social wellness. They advocate for those overlooked in drug recovery conversations and develop service delivery systems for addiction and recovery programs throughout the US and the world. Through education, they create systemic change in the addiction treatment field.

Nadya Rousseau
Alter New Media LLC
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