Key Moments:
- The NCPG has lost management of the US national gambling helpline, which will return to CCGNJ control on September 29.
- The original three-year agreement worth US$150,000 annually ended in May and was extended until July.
- The NCPG is pursuing an emergency motion to maintain its management while appealing the decision.
Change in Helpline Administration
The National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) has expressed strong opposition to the decision returning oversight of the US national gambling support helpline to the Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey (CCGNJ). NCPG had managed the 1-800-Gambler helpline since 2022, under a three-year contract valued at US$150,000 per year with the CCGNJ.
Expiration and Extension of the Agreement
The contract concluded in May and was temporarily extended through July. However, disagreements emerged regarding the helpline’s future operation. Subsequently, New Jersey Judge Douglas Hurd ruled that the CCGNJ would resume responsibility for the helpline starting September 29.
NCPG’s Response and Concerns
The NCPG issued a statement highlighting its disappointment, asserting that the decision will “fundamentally hinder nationwide access” to problem gambling assistance by “taking critical services offline.” The organization is currently taking steps to file an emergency motion to preserve its management arrangement during the appeals process. The NCPG stated that CCGNJ, as a state-level nonprofit, “CCGNJ lacks the infrastructure and funding required to shoulder the significant and unpredictable responsibilities” of administering the helpline. It also remarked, “will be solely responsible for managing a complex network of contact centres and administrators, hundreds of helpline staff, and dozens of independent regulatory bodies, without the infrastructure, recognition or experience of a national service organisation.”
- Author
Daniel Williams
