Kindbridge Research Institute has rolled out a new nationwide effort focused on reducing gambling-related financial harm. The Financial Stability and Responsible Gambling Initiative marks the first organized move in the United States to address this issue as both a public health and financial stability concern.
Good to know:
- Kindbridge Research Institute launched a dedicated committee in June 2024 to address gambling harm within the military.
- Financial stress is often one of the first visible indicators of gambling-related harm.
- UCLA researchers will lead studies to uncover risk patterns and build early intervention strategies.
The initiative sets out to unite sectors that rarely collaborate, aiming to create earlier intervention points and strengthen support systems. Daniel Umfleet, who leads the project, said:
“Financial stress connected to gambling is often one of the earliest signs that a person is under serious strain—whether it’s emotional, psychological or financial.”
He added that by building new partnerships, there is now a real opportunity to coordinate responses and offer practical support that helps individuals regain stability.
At the center of the initiative is a national working group. This group will draw on expertise across various fields, including healthcare, finance, and public policy. One key focus is on prevention, with the team looking into financial education as a tool to limit harm before it escalates.
Researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles are also getting involved. Their goal is to investigate how gambling problems and financial instability connect, identify early warning signs, and evaluate which support strategies work best. Dr. Timothy Fong, who co-directs UCLA’s Gambling Studies Program, said:
“As clinicians, we see how financial harm often drives people to seek help, but by the time they do, much of the damage has already been done. This initiative allows us to intervene earlier in that trajectory. Just as important, it gives us the opportunity to collect new data that can directly inform how we design support systems that work.”
The research is expected to contribute to better identification of risk patterns and build stronger intervention models to stop gambling-related harm from escalating.
Earlier in 2024, Kindbridge also launched the Military Gambling Awareness Committee to target similar risks within the armed forces community. That program seeks to raise awareness and apply protective strategies tailored to active and retired service members.
The new initiative is another step by Kindbridge to shift the conversation around gambling harm, framing it as a financial health issue that deserves proactive, data-backed solutions.
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