Rep. Michael Meredith honored by Kentucky Council on Problem Gambling

FRAKNFORT, Ky. – Rep. Michael Meredith, who represents District 19 in the Kentucky General Assembly House of Representatives, received the 2024 Government/Education Award from the Kentucky Council on Problem Gambling.

According to a release, the award recognizes Meredith’s success for including language in House Bill 511 that legalized sports betting in the state to establish Kentucky’s first publicly funded Problem Gambling Assistance Account.

“For more than 20 years, KYCPG has been urging the Kentucky General Assembly to designate a portion of the revenue it receives from legal gambling in the state to promote awareness that gambling can be an addictive behavior; to establish prevention outreach, particularly to vulnerable youth; and to offer counseling help to those who develop a gambling problem or addiction,” Michael R. Stone, KYCPG executive director, said.

KYCPG is a private, nonprofit organization whose mission is to increase awareness of problem and addicted gambling, support education and research on problem and addicted gambling, and advocate for counseling treatment availability for those who need it.

Disordered Gambling, the term for addicted gambling in the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of the Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, defines and classifies the activity.

“Through Rep. Meredith’s leadership, the state can fulfill its ethical responsibility to provide awareness and assistance to those who may have a problem because of an activity that the state sanctions and from which it profits,” Stone added. He noted the publicity about sports betting and problem gambling already have raised awareness as evidenced by the increased calls to the 1-800-GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537) problem gambling helpline.

“At long last we’re seeing the veil raised and the stigma lessened about gambling addiction,” Stone said. “People now are becoming aware of the issue and the warning signs. Representative Meredith is to be congratulated for his efforts.”