Legal sports betting is spreading across the United States, and there is now a plan afoot to give gamblers anywhere in the country a single phone number to call if they need help with addiction.
The National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) and the Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey Inc. (CCGNJ) recently announced a six-year licensing deal that will see the 1-800-GAMBLER hotline go nationwide. The helpline is currently in place in New Jersey to help anyone that may be suffering from issues related to gambling addiction in the Garden State.
However, at the moment, 1-800-Gambler is also federally trademarked by the CCGNJ. The new licensing deal will allow the hotline to be used across the country. That way, if someone calls the hotline, they will be rerouted to their state’s responsible gambling resource.
“We look forward to working with NCPG to ensure that people from across the country can easily access problem gambling support and resources using this simple, memorable number,” said Felicia Grondin, executive director of the CCGNJ, in a press release.
With the spread of legal and regulated sports betting across the United States, concerns about problem gambling have increased. There are still markets that have yet to open as well, such as California.
“This agreement is a vital step forward as we work to increase awareness and access to high-quality services for individuals, families, and communities impacted by problem gambling,” said Maureen Greeley, board president of the NCPG, in the press release.
Modern world
The NCPG-CCGNJ partnership dovetails with the former’s National Problem Gambling Helpline Modernization Project. The project aims to improve call center technology and data collection, among other things.
The project is also being funded in part by the National Football League Foundation, which provided a grant in 2021. As the NFL has softened its stance on sports betting, it has committed to improving problem-gambling resources.
“Since its inception in 1995, the National Problem Gambling Helpline has seen exponential growth in calls, texts and chat messages for help from individuals across the country as gambling has continued to expand,” said Keith Whyte, executive director of the NCPG, in the release. “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.”
While the change will be instituted in the coming months, for now, gamblers can continue to call the current National Problem Gambling Helpline Network number of 1-800-522-4700 for help nationwide. In New Jersey, they can keep using 1-800-GAMBLER.
