About a week after the World Cup began in June, an obscure New York State office set up tables at a watch party on Long Island with a message that felt downright countercultural: It’s OK, the ads argued, not to gamble.
Known as the “Take a Pause” campaign, the program’s origins go back to early 2025, when it launched to coincide with Super Bowl LIX and March Madness. It has run continuously since then, but with the World Cup final to be played across the Hudson in New Jersey this Sunday, organizers with the Office of Addiction Services and Supports knew a unique opportunity beckoned.
This year’s World Cup has been the most-wagered-on sporting event in history, with some projections as high as nearly $600 billion in bets. And…