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Calling all young people in Springfield: What thoughts, visions, music, poems or other creative work pop into your mind when you think about gambling and its influence or effects on your life?

Adolescents and young adults, ages 16-26, who are residents of Springfield, are invited to participate in Wagers & Whispers: Place Your Bet on Community Art, a crowdsource art project of the Gambling Awareness Research Initiative. GARI is a community-based collaboration that includes the Center for Community Health Equity Research (CCHER) at the UMass Amherst School of Public Health and Health Sciences, the Springfield Department of Health and Human Services (SDHHS), the New North Citizens’ Council and the GARI Young Adult Action Collective (YAAC). 

All forms of creative expression are encouraged, from visual art and poetry to animation, dance, digital media and more. Submissions will be accepted online through Sept. 28 at the GARI website, where all the details you need to know can be found. All eligible participants will receive $25 for their first entry, with up to 15 winners receiving prizes of $250, $150 and $100 through a community vote in October.

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“We’re excited to be partners in this community-academic collaboration focused on understanding how gambling is impacting young people,” says Linnea Evans, assistant professor of community health education at UMass Amherst and core faculty of CCHER. “Our goal is to listen to and elevate their voices as they share experiences and concerns about the growing reach of gambling, especially among their age group.”

GARI is funded by the Massachusetts Gaming Commission with the Springfield DHHS as the lead. Research from the UMass Amherst-based Social and Economic Impacts of Gambling in Massachusetts research found that 64% of Springfield young adults aged 18-34 had gambled in the past year. The research also indicates that problem gambling disproportionally affects individuals of all ages who experience economic hardship, as well as communities of color and sexual and gender minority. 

“A community-driven research process is really the best way to understand how gambling affects youth and young adults and is critical for creating meaningful solutions,” adds Kathryn Derose, professor of community health education at UMass and CCHER core faculty.

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Today’s gambling landscape extends far beyond traditional casinos, lottery tickets and sports wagers. As opportunities for gambling increase, creating awareness of potential harms and fostering community conversations about solutions becomes critically important, GARI members say.

“We’re not just talking about casinos,” says Victor Martinez, a member of the GARI YAAC. “We’re talking about loot boxes, sports betting in group chats, and slot machine games right on your phone.” 

Personal experiences and perceptions about gambling may be easier for young people to express through the creative arts, GARI team members believe. “Art is a powerful tool in research because it can uncover personal experiences in ways that other methods often can’t,” says Geraldine Puerto, a Ph.D. student in community health education at UMass Amherst and a key member of the GARI team. “As a group, we wanted to open the art contest to all types of media, recognizing that people express themselves in many different ways.” 

After the contest closes, residents of Hampden County 16 years and older will be invited to vote on the submissions to select the winners. GARI plans to share the insights learned to inspire community dialogue, develop prevention strategies and identify ways to address gambling-related harms among young people in Springfield and beyond. 

“Young people’s experiences related to gambling and its harms are critically important for prevention, awareness and treatment,” says Commissioner Helen Caulton-Harris of the Springfield Department of Health and Human Services. “We must listen to what they are saying through their stories, their struggles and their strength.” 

For more information or to sign up to participate in the community vote, email gariproject413@gmail.com or follow Wages & Whispers at @gariproject413 on Instagram.