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Arizona is overhauling its responsible gambling campaign for its second year, funding it differently, running it differently, and asking a harder question about what actually works.
Gov. Katie Hobbs has proclaimed September 2026 Responsible Gaming Education Month for the second year in a row. Two of the state’s top gaming officials—Arizona Lottery Executive Director Alec Thomson and Arizona Department of Gaming Director Jackie Johnson—say lessons from the first campaign shaped this year’s approach.
Agencies split duties, sharpen their message
“Our main takeaway from year one was that relying purely on state-level announcements isn’t enough. We needed to deepen our community impact and focus our agency resources where they move the needle most,” Thomson said.
The shift shows up in how the two agencies divide labor:
- The Department of Gaming is running paid media for the “Responsible Play for a Stronger Arizona” campaign.
- The Lottery moved toward earned media and in-store messaging instead of duplicating the same statewide push.
“By pairing ADG’s paid media reach with our earned media and local government outreach, we ensure responsible gaming messaging reaches players right where they live and play,” Thomson said.
Lottery’s fixed $300K, growing commitment
The Arizona Lottery’s financial commitment to problem gambling has a specific, fixed shape. Thomson said the Lottery transfers $300,000 annually to the Department of Gaming’s Division of Problem Gambling — a contribution made every year since fiscal year 2005 under state statute.
That money serves a distinct purpose. “The Lottery’s $300,000 transfer to ADG is dedicated funding for the state’s Treatment Assistance Program, providing direct financial support for clinical counseling,” Thomson said. The 1-800-NEXT-STEP helpline and the division’s broader operating costs run on tribal gaming contributions instead.
The transfer amount is fixed by statute, but Thomson said the Lottery’s overall investment grows around it, through spending on earned media outreach, retail employee training, digital tool updates, the Lottery’s World Lottery Association Level 2 Responsible Gaming certification, and the division’s annual symposium.
Self-exclusion enrollment hits record and support is expanding
Arizona’s Voluntary Self-Exclusion Program hit a fiscal-year record in FY2026, with 651 new enrollments, up from 557 the year before, according to Johnson. Roughly 2,500 people are currently active in the program, out of nearly 12,000 total enrollments since it launched in the early 2000s, according to the Department of Gaming (KGUN9/ABC15).
Much of that growth traces to “Take Back the Game,” a bilingual public awareness campaign the department launched in March 2026 across TV, radio and digital channels to promote the self-exclusion program.
The department also widened the support available once someone enrolls. As of August 2026, anyone in the self-exclusion program — not just those in the Treatment Assistance Program — can get free financial counseling through GamFin, a state-contracted provider that helps clients manage debt and build a spending plan.
“We recently experienced a much-welcomed budget increase, so we were able to expand the program,” said Elise Mikkelsen, director of the department’s Division of Problem Gambling (KJZZ). Johnson called the enrollment growth a sign the self-exclusion tool is working but stopped short of crediting any single campaign.
“The department saw an increase in new enrollments during RGEM last year, but cannot attribute that to a single outreach effort, as there are many reasons why someone may choose to self-exclude,” she said. “Participation in the program remains strong, and we are currently trending toward another year of high utilization.”
What responsible gambling looks like at the register
Mobile sports betting draws most of the attention in Arizona’s gambling conversation, but the Lottery’s responsible gaming work happens somewhere more physical: more than 3,600 retail counters statewide.
“Retail lottery interaction is fast, physical and highly accessible across more than 3,600 independent and corporate retail partners in Arizona,” Thomson said. “Because players purchase physical tickets at retail checkouts using cash, debit or credit cards, responsible gaming education at the counter centers on high-visibility messaging, staff training and structural product controls.”
That means the 1-800-NEXT-STEP helpline number appears on every ticket, terminal screen, vending display and point-of-sale printout in the state, and clerks are trained on both age verification and behavioral warning signs. “We also train store clerks to strictly enforce Arizona’s legal purchasing age of 21-plus and recognize warning signs of problematic or rapid purchasing patterns,” Thomson said.
His message to players is simple: “Set a personal spending budget before playing, treat tickets purely as entertainment, and step away when that budget is met.”
Turning proclamations into action
Part of this year’s strategy leans on cities and towns adopting their own responsible gaming proclamations — a step that looks symbolic on its face. Johnson argues it’s more than that.
“A request for a proclamation is a conversation starter that helps us build relationships with local community leaders,” she said. “Responsible gaming is a shared responsibility, and when someone needs help, they may turn to local, trusted channels first.”
She said those relationships open doors state government can’t open alone.
“Educating local leaders increases awareness of statewide resources like Voluntary Self-Exclusion and the 1-800-NEXT-STEP helpline, enabling local officials to connect constituents directly to support,” Johnson said. “It also opens a pathway to conduct community trainings and leverage city platforms, extending our reach beyond what state government could achieve alone.”
Keeping pace with a booming sports betting market
Arizona’s regulated sports betting market has grown fast, and state lawmakers backed it with real money this year. In June 2026, lawmakers passed Senate Bill 1671, granting the Department of Gaming — along with the Arizona State Boxing and Mixed Martial Arts Commission and the Arizona Racing Commission — a six-year continuation.
Alongside it, Senate Bill 1847 and the state’s fiscal year 2027 budget raised the Division of Problem Gambling’s authorized spending to $4 million — a 20% increase over FY2026 — and added a new $500,000 annual allocation drawn directly from event wagering tax revenue, bringing the division’s total spending authority to $4.5 million. The legislation also gave the division grant oversight authority for the first time (Signals AZ).
“We are directing these resources into expanding our internal team and launching new supportive programs,” Johnson said. “We look forward to offering localized prevention grants in the future to empower community partners, scale on-the-ground awareness, and ensure accessible resources reach every Arizonan who needs them.”
Measuring what actually works
Asked whether Responsible Gaming Education Month itself moves the needle, and Johnson gives an honest, in-progress answer. The state tracks helpline and self-exclusion usage, and both are trending up, but she’s careful not to oversell the connection to any single campaign.
“While resource utilization continues to increase, sustained engagement is rarely driven by a single month or campaign, which reinforces the need for more research into what truly drives long-term player safety,” Johnson said.
That’s why Arizona is framing this as a year-round obligation rather than a September event. “Player protection is not seasonal, and responsible gaming cannot be treated as a once-a-year campaign,” Johnson said.
“The regulated gaming industry has a 365-day-a-year responsibility to consumers, and responsible gaming must be embedded in daily operations. As a regulator, we hold ourselves to that exact standard by expanding year-round consumer education, localized outreach and accessible support tools across Arizona.”
Education over mandates, for now
Arizona has not moved toward binding deposit or loss limits, and Thomson’s answer makes clear that’s a deliberate choice. He described player protection as something the Lottery builds into its retail model.
“Player safety is built directly into our operations by design — from maintaining low-velocity game structures and strict statewide age verification (21-plus) to embedding high-visibility helpline resources at every retail register, terminal screen and ticket printout across more than 3,600 partners,” Thomson said. “Rather than relying solely on automated limits, we empower players through proactive educational controls and budget awareness before purchases are made.”
For players who need more than a reminder at the register, Thomson said the path forward is the helpline, not a system-imposed limit. “For those who need additional support, we provide immediate pathways to formal intervention and confidential treatment through our partnership with 1-800-NEXT-STEP,” he said.
Progress is real; proof is pending
Arizona’s second Responsible Gaming Education Month arrives with a bigger budget, a clearer division of labor between the Lottery and the Department of Gaming, a six-year legislative renewal, and a record year for self-exclusion enrollment.
What it doesn’t come with, by Johnson’s own account, is proof that any single piece is driving those numbers on its own. The state is betting that funding, retail-level education and local buy-in add up over a full year.
