Social Gaming Leadership Alliance donates $10,000 to Illinois' 2nd Story Ranch to support addiction recovery. Donation supports innovative recovery program combining housing, meaningful work and Illinois' harness racing tradition WASHINGTON, DC, UNITED STATES, October 14, 2026 / EINPresswire.com / - WASHINGTON, DC - The Social Gaming Leadership Alliance (SGLA) today announced a $10,000 donation to the Second Story Foundation to support the development of 2nd Story Ranch, a 68-acre recovery community in Crete, Illinois, that helps people recovering from substance use disorder build stable, independent lives through housing, meaningful work, peer support and community. Located on a former harness racing training facility, 2nd Story Ranch is bringing new purpose to a piece of Illinois' rich racing history. The Ranch provides people who have completed treatment with long-term housing and the opportunity to live and work on a working horse farm, where caring for horses and the property provide daily structure, responsibility and meaningful work as they continue their recovery. "Second Story Ranch is taking an innovative and deeply practical approach to a challenge that affects families and communities across Illinois and the country," said Sean J. Ostrow, Executive Director of SGLA. "By bringing together Illinois' rich harness racing tradition with stable housing, meaningful work, and a strong recovery community, the Ranch is creating an environment where people can build the skills, stability and confidence to move forward. SGLA is proud to contribute $10,000 to support that mission and an organization making a real difference in Illinois." The Second Story Foundation focuses on a critical period in the recovery process, what happens after an individual completes treatment. People leaving treatment can face immediate challenges in finding stable housing, employment and the support systems necessary to sustain their recovery. Second Story works to address those challenges through recovery housing, workforce development and community-based support. The program provides housing free of charge and allows residents to stay as long as needed. The program is already operational, and groundbreaking on the first phase of construction that will provide significant expansion is anticipated this fall. "The 2nd Story Ranch Recovery Home and Jobs Program is being built around horses, hard work and people showing up every day to take responsibility for something that depends on them," said Jim O'Connor, CADC, founder and executive director of the Second Story Foundation. "Those same things have real value in recovery. At 2nd Story Ranch, people will have a stable place to live, meaningful work to do and the time they need to rebuild their lives and return to the workforce. SGLA's contribution supports that work, and we're grateful to have them behind what we're building." SGLA's contribution comes as the Second Story Foundation moves closer to expansion of the Ranch. Earlier this year, Illinois included $2 million for the project in the state's FY2027 budget. The Foundation is continuing to raise private funds. The contribution reflects SGLA's commitment to supporting the communities where Social Plus players live and play. SGLA represents leading companies offering Social Plus games - free-to-play and freemium online entertainment experiences that include sweepstakes promotions. To learn more about SGLA, please visit its website at SGLeadership.org and its social channels at LinkedIn, X, and Facebook. To learn more about The Second Story Foundation and 2nd Story Ranch Recovery Home and Jobs Program, please visit 2ndstoryfoundation.org. About the Social Gaming Leadership Alliance The Social Gaming Leadership Alliance (SGLA) champions social gaming operators who offer innovative, free-to-play entertainment experiences enjoyed by millions of Americans while promoting responsible digital entertainment. Its partners set the standard for innovation, world class games and the responsible use of digital marketing including sweepstakes promotions. Crypto Times Gazette advocate for appropriate oversight that recognizes the unique entertainment value of social online games, protects players, platforms and the community, and promotes responsible gameplay. The SGLA's operator partners are VGW, PLAYSTUDIOS, Yellow Social Interactive, ARB Interactive, B-Two Operations and Publishers Clearing House (PCH). Other partners include major payments providers Nuvei and Paysafe. The SGLA's advocacy and standards focus exclusively on online social games. Its advocacy does not extend to operators offering sports products or transacting in cryptocurrency. About the Second Story Foundation The Second Story Foundation helps men in early recovery from severe substance use disorder rebuild their lives with stability, purpose, and community. The organization provides recovery housing, meaningful work, and comprehensive support designed to promote lasting change. Its programs combine structure, employment, and fellowship to restore dignity and independence. The Foundation operates residential recovery homes in Chicago's south suburbs and is developing the 68-acre 2nd Story Ranch in Crete, Illinois. The ranch will serve as a residential recovery community where participants live, work, and grow through service, equine care, and skill-based training. The lodge and residences will house up to 14 men and include space for counseling, education, and community events. The Second Story Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to helping men build lives of integrity, connection, and hope. Through compassion, structure, and shared purpose, the foundation supports transformation that endures. Support recovery and second chances. Give today at 2ndStoryFoundation.org or call 74-SADDLE-UP (747-233-5387). Ryan Arnold DeSoto & State Communications, Inc. +1 773-789-9782 [email protected] Legal Disclaimer: EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. Crypto Times Gazette do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.

Is the Publishers Clearing House sweepstakes real? Darrell Lester, a former PCH executive, said the company turned "dozens upon dozens" of Americans into millionaires. This is just one of the stories from our "I've Always Wondered" series, where we tackle all of your questions about the world of business, no matter how big or small. Ever wondered if recycling is worth it? Or how store brands stack up against name brands? Check out more from the series here. Denise Haynes from Cambridge, Massachusetts, asks: Is the Publishers Clearing House sweepstakes real? Are the people shown in the commercials paid actors? Publishers Clearing House has been visiting houses across America for decades, surprising sweepstakes winners with giant checks ranging from thousands of dollars to millions. Ken Breckenridge, a PCH contestant who won $50,000 in 2022, said he was able to use that prize money to help out family members. "It was a blessing, so I paid it forward. I didn't keep that much of it. I gave a lot of it away," said Breckenridge, who's from Hot Springs, Arizona. While there are scams that use the PCH name, it is a legitimate contest. All of the winners featured in its commercials are real people, said Darrell Lester, a former PCH executive and the author of "Downfall of an Icon: The True Inside Story of Publishers Clearing House." Lester worked at the company from 1973 until 2002. But although the money is real, PCH has been mired in controversies, including claims that it has engaged in deceptive marketing. The company, which once made money through magazine subscriptions and merchandise, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy earlier this year due to high operational costs and the rise of online shopping. It was then acquired by the mobile gaming company ARB Interactive. PCH contestants who had won the company's $5,000 a week "forever" prize will no longer receive it. "This feels like a nightmare. I thought this was going to go on for the rest of my life, so I didn't really have to worry about money," John Wyllie, one "forever" prize winner, told NBC affiliate KGW. An ARB Interactive representative told Marketplace that as part of its acquisition, it only assumed responsibility for prize obligations awarded after July 15, 2025. "While ARB is not responsible for prize obligations incurred before our acquisition... we recognize the impact this has had on past winners and the disappointment caused by the bankruptcy process," the representative said. The representative said the company is aiming to protect future prize winners. "Looking ahead, we are planning to implement a robust, paying structure that stands separate from ARB to ensure that all future PCH prizes are honored, regardless of ARB's financial status," the representative said. How the economics of the PCH sweepstakes worked. PCH's revenue stream now comes through digital advertising on its online games that give consumers the chance to win cash prizes. But PCH started by selling magazine subscriptions, and would later offer merchandise. The company then used that money to fund prize winnings, but consumers could enter its sweepstakes contests without paying for any of its products. "Back in the early days, we would sell a magazine subscription for, say, $10. We would only give $1 of that to the magazine publisher. We'd keep $9 of it, so we have $9 in revenue, and that's plenty of money to pay for a contest," Lester said. Basically, the consumers funded the prize money, Lester said. In some cases, PCH didn't have to remit any money to the publisher since they still benefited in other ways, Lester said. "They're in it to increase their circulation. The magazine publisher makes their money with advertising," Lester said. The company, which started in 1953, hit its peak in 1992 with over $1 billion in annual sales, Lester said. The company turned "dozens upon dozens" of Americans into millionaires, Lester said. In PCH's peak days, the company would dole out prizes as high as $10 million, but it wasn't paid out all at once, Lester explained. Those $10 million winners would be paid gradually over the span of 30 years through an annuity purchased in the consumer's name, Lester said. Annuities are financial contracts in which you pay a lump sum or make a series of payments to an insurance company. The company will then invest that money, guaranteeing you a future stream of income. That $10 million annuity would cost the company $3 million, Lester said. $70 million settlements, declining revenue and bankruptcy. Between 2000 and 2001, PCH settled with all 50 states for a total of $52 million over allegations that the company engaged in deceptive marketing. State attorneys general had sued PCH, saying that it misled consumers into thinking they would win prizes or had already won prizes if they purchased magazines from the company. Going forward, the company had to include a fact sheet that told consumers that they did not need to purchase products to win a prize. Sales ended up declining amid negative press for the company, Lester said. However, Lester said PCH implemented what was called "the high-activity suppression program," which identified any consumers who were ordering too many products from PCH. The company would then stop mailing them. "It cost us a lot of money and profits, but it was the right thing to do," he said. Over the past couple of decades, PCH had to navigate additional challenges, including the decline of the magazine industry and the rise of competitors like Amazon, which threatened its merchandising business, Lester said. Annual revenue dropped from $854 million in 2017 to $182 million in 2023. In 2023, PCH also had to settle another lawsuit, this time with the Federal Trade Commission, over deceptive practices. As part of the settlement, PCH agreed to pay customers $18.5 million. The FTC alleges that PCH used "manipulative phrasing and website design," known as dark patterns, in order "convince consumers that they needed to buy a product of some kind to enter the company's sweepstakes or increase their chances of winning." Eventually, the company filed for bankruptcy in April of this year, leaving "forever" prize winners without a guaranteed stream of income. Lester said that at some point after he left the company, PCH stopped funding prize money using annuities and instead began using current profits. "That's the worst thing in the world a sweepstakes company could do. That's like going to a bank that is FDIC-insured and finding out the FDIC insurance was fake and the money you put in is gone," said Lester, referencing the fact that the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation protects deposits of up to $250,000 at banks that are insured by the agency. But going forward, ARB Interactive says it will fund prize winnings using "investment-grade assets" in FDIC-insured accounts, according to a September press release. Even with this recent misstep, Lester said he wants the company's reputation to be restored. Tell us what you've always wondered: By submitting, you consent to receive information about American Public Media's programs and offerings. You may opt-out at any time clicking the unsubscribe link at the bottom of any email communication.View our Privacy Policy. Dear reader,. Ready to finally understand how economics shapes your everyday life? "Economics 101" is a free, easy-to-follow online course that makes complex ideas simple - no prior knowledge needed. Sign up today for instant access and start learning at your own pace with weekly guides you can fit into any schedule.