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HISTORY

The Responsible Gambling Council was established in 1983 as the Canadian Foundation on Compulsive Gambling (CFCG), the country’s first non-profit responsible gambling organization. Founded by Tibor Barsony, a compulsive gambler and pioneer in the field, the Foundation succeeded in putting problem and compulsive gambling issues on the public agenda.

A New Direction - Responsible Gambling Prevention and Awareness

In 1999, the Foundation launched its first continuing program, Newslink, a publication that reports on gambling trends and developments in a balanced and independent way. That same year, it also introduced Newscan, a free weekly digest summarizing problem gambling and responsible gambling news from around the world.

In May 2001, the Foundation became the Responsible Gambling Council – reflecting a shift in focus toward the prevention of problem gambling through research, information and awareness.

"For a long time there was no counselling available for people with gambling problems, " said Jon Kelly, CEO, Responsible Gambling Council. "The CFCG pushed hard to get that need recognized and to get resources in place. As that happened, and a network of counselling services emerged in Ontario, we had the opportunity to shift our focus and resources to prevention and information."

The RGC’s programs have grown and expanded almost continuously since 2001, including:

Within Limits: Problem Gambling Prevention Month now travels to 45 communities and reaches three-million Ontario households.

Yearly high school drama tours have reached over 190,000 students since its inception, expanding into other provinces including Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, PEI and Newfoundland.

Since 2001, Know the Score, the RGC’s interactive touring program for university and college students, is in five Canadian provinces and New York State.

In 2005, with funding from the Ministry of Health Promotion, the RGC launched two social marketing campaigns – friends4friends targeting the friends of young adults who are at risk of developing a gambling problem and Gambling & You, an awareness campaign targeting the spouses of people with a gambling problem.

Through research, information and awareness, the Responsible Gambling Council continues its commitment to problem gambling prevention. "Since its inception, this organization has been about identifying needs and responding to them," said Tim Hurson, Board Chair. "From the beginning, the most compelling need was awareness. While the specific focus of that awareness has changed considerably over the years, the need remains the same today."