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NCPG Inks Deal for Nationwide Roll Out of 1-800-GAMBLER Helpline
By Jeff Osienya Jun 12, 2022 IndustryFollowing a landmark deal between the National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) and the Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey, Inc (CCGNJ), the 1-800-GAMBLER® helpline is going national.The quest for safer gambling in the US gaming scene has now been taken a notch higher, with the 1-800-GAMBLER® helpline set to take on a national profile. The National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) has inked a six-year compact with the Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey, Inc (CCGNJ) to roll out the 1-800-GAMBLER® helpline on a national level.
Thanks to this newfangled arrangement, the helpline that has only been available to NJ residents for decades will be accessible to residents of all 50 US states as well. Likewise, the federally registered 1-800-GAMBLER® service mark owned by the CCGNJ will also be available to gamblers in US territories like Puerto Rico, Guam, and American Samoa.
This agreement marks a significant milestone for the NCPG in its efforts to break any barriers that may curtail access to essential resources needed by individuals affected by problem gambling. By and large, this is a step in the right direction for the entire US gambling industry.
Speaking on the nationwide rollout of the 1-800-GAMBLER® helpline, Felicia Grondin, who is CCGNJ’s Executive Director, said:
Quote“CCGNJ has always been at the forefront of providing support for people in communities affected by a gambling problem. 1-800-GAMBLER® serves as an essential tool for accessing this support. We look forward to working with NCPG to ensure people from across the country can easily access problem gambling support and resources using this simple, memorable number.”
How Will This Arrangement Work?
For nearly 40 years, NJ has been using the 1-800-GAMBLER® helpline to tackle the sensitive issue of problem gambling. The CCGNJ, established in 1982, launched the essential helpline a year later in 1983.
On the other hand, since its institution in 1972, the NCPG has supported and advocated for US residents suffering from problem gambling and their families. All the while, the NCPG has always maintained a neutral stance on gambling legalization as it continues to push for the development of improved programs to assist those dealing with problem gambling. By the same token, the NCPG also has its problem gambling assistance helpline – 1-800-522-4700, which went live in 1995. The Council is the only national non-profit organization focused on minimizing the economic and social impact of gambling addiction.
No doubt, this NCPG-CCGNJ deal will make it easier for problem gamblers countrywide to reach out for professional help. Instead of each state having a respective helpline for problem gambling, the shared national helpline will create a uniformity that will streamline the processes of offering professional assistance.
When a caller outside The Garden State reaches out to the 1-800-GAMBLER® helpline, their call will be rerouted to their jurisdiction’s state-approved gambling resource center. So, as part of its continued efforts to streamline the implementation of the helpline to a nationwide status, the CCGNJ has already established collaborations with problem gambling organizations in West Virginia and Pennsylvania. Meanwhile, the existing National Problem Gambling Helpline Network number – 1-800-522-4700, will keep operating as usual, in unison with the routing of calls placed on the helpline.
Building on the National Problem Gambling Helpline Modernization Project
Efforts to take the 1-800-GAMBLER® nationwide are part of the wider NCPG’s National Problem Gambling Helpline Modernization Project. The Project has been kept afloat through a grant from the National Football League (NFLF) Foundation in 2021.
Mind you, the NFL is one of the many pro-sports organizations with a history of distancing itself from the gaming industry. However, come 2018, when the Supreme Court made a landmark ruling permitting legal gambling nationwide, the NFL and many other pro-sports leagues such as the NBA jumped aboard the regulated gaming train.
The wider goals of the Helpline Modernization Project include the improvement of call center technology, as well as the process of collection and reporting of data. The project also focuses on revamping the upgrade criteria and offering standardized training and certification for all the centers under the National Problem Gambling Helpline Network in the country.
Following the inking of the new deal, The NPCG reiterated its support for the Modernization Project with its Executive Director, Keith Whyte, saying in part:
Quote“Since its inception in 1995, the National Problem Gambling Helpline has seen exponential growth in calls, texts, and chat messages for help across the country as gambling has continued to expand. The Modernization Project will allow us to make significant improvements to the operations, technology, and infrastructure of the network to keep up with the ever-growing need for problem gambling resources.”
Besides the professional sports leagues, leading sports betting operators are also chipping in to help fight problem gambling. In January, DraftKings announced an initiative to provide funding worth $15,000 per month for three years to state-responsible gaming councils across the US sports betting scene. On a similar wavelength, Fan Duel pledged $100,000 to the NCPG meant to commemorate the Month of March, which is the Problem Gambling Awareness Month. The firm (FanDuel) also pledged to launch a new advertising campaign dubbed “The System,” meant to promote safer betting.
No More Misdials by Vulnerable Gamblers
According to Jamie Costello, the Director of Programs at NCPG, data indicates that the number of calls to problem gambling usually spikes following the debut of sports betting in states. Interestingly, this data doesn’t support any inference that problem gambling is more prevalent in the sports betting scene.
Rather, the reason for the spiked volume of calls is that so many people end up misdialing one number due to the lack of uniformity of problem gambling helplines across the country. That’s because the problem gambling advertisements aired during sporting events after the regulated activity goes live feature a long list of helpline numbers based on the viewer’s location. Additionally, White also indicated that evidence shows that sometimes a vulnerable gambler seeking help may be unable to get proper assistance on their issue because of this mistake of not dialing the correct number.
Now, since the 1-800-GAMBLER® helpline is going nationwide, it is anticipated vulnerable gamblers will be in a better position to reach out for help more efficiently. So, with the latest NCPG-CCGNJ arrangement, there’s a better opportunity for the NCPG to have a better understanding of the scope of problem gambling across the USA.
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