# Plain Language Summary: Gambling Addiction Recovery, Investment, and Treatment Act

## What This Bill Does

This bill creates a new federal funding program to help states address gambling addiction. It directs the federal government to provide grants to every state to support treatment, recovery services, and prevention programs for people struggling with gambling problems. Additionally, it authorizes funding for research on gambling addiction through the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

## How the Money Works

The bill is unique in how it funds these programs: it ties federal spending to gambling tax revenue. Specifically, 37.5% of federal taxes collected from gambling would go to state grants, and 12.5% would fund research. This approach creates a direct link between gambling activity and resources dedicated to treating gambling addiction. The funding would be distributed to states using the same formula currently used for substance abuse prevention and treatment grants, ensuring that larger states and states with greater needs receive proportionally more funding. The bill authorizes this spending for fiscal years 2025 through 2034.

## Who Benefits

**Primary beneficiaries** include people with gambling addiction and their families, who would gain access to improved treatment and recovery services. **States** would receive dedicated federal funding to expand their gambling addiction programs. **Researchers** would have new resources to study gambling addiction and develop better treatments. The bill also requires the federal government to report back to Congress within three years on how well these programs are working.

Gambling Addiction Recovery, Investment, and Treatment Act

Blumenthal, Richard

Gambling Addiction Recovery, Investment, and Treatment ActThis bill requires the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) to provide grants to states to address gambling addiction, and authorizes the National Institute on Drug Abuse to provide grants for research on gambling addiction.The&nbsp;bill authorizes appropriations for&nbsp;the grant programs through FY2034 from a portion&nbsp;of the revenue from the federal excise tax on state-authorized wagers (e.g., state-authorized sports betting).Additionally,&nbsp;SAMHSA must allocate its grants for addressing gambling addiction among the states in the same ratios as grants under the&nbsp;Substance Use Prevention, Treatment, and Recovery Services Block Grant program. The bill also requires a report to Congress on the effectiveness of the programs established by the bill.&nbsp;