GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — Days ahead of the NCAA men’s basketball tournament, the Michigan Gaming Control Board is rolling out a new statewide, multimedia PSA campaign to encourage people to bet responsibly.

The campaign is called “Don’t Regret the Bet” and will run all year. It will include public service messages on local television and radio broadcasts, podcasts, streaming services and billboards.

Sarah Rye, the coordinator for the MGCB’s Responsible Gaming program, says the new campaign will help the state connect with more gamblers.

“‘Don’t Regret the Bet’ is, of course, easier to remember than Michigan Gaming Control Board,” Rye told News 8. “We have shared responsible gaming messages through our website and news releases and social media accounts. This campaign will make that information even more accessible and easier to find.”

The MGCB worked with King Media out of Lansing to produce the PSA spots and ensure that the campaign could roll out before the start of March Madness.

“The work on the campaign actually began in October of 2022. We were working really hard to get this out in March,” Rye said. “With all of the (commercial) campaigns from (gambling outlets), we’d really like to show them what we’re working on and counteract all of those ads with the responsible gaming message.”

The PSA campaign is funded through the end of the year. Rye said the MGCB is working to get ongoing funding to continue the campaign beyond 2023.

In addition to sharing tips on how to gamble responsibly, the MGCB also offers several tools to help people remove themselves from tempting situations.

The MGCB maintains the Disassociated Persons List, where a person can apply to voluntary ban themselves from entering Michigan’s non-tribal casinos. Online data shows 214 people applied for the DPL last year: 156 men and 58 women.

The MGCB has a similar tool for online gaming called the Responsible Gaming Database. After a person applies, the state communicates with all 15 online operators in Michigan to shut down your accounts. You can select a one-year or a five-year ban and renew it when that time expires.