The National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) has been ordered by a New Jersey Superior Court judge to stop using the 1-800-GAMBLER phone number and mark anywhere in the U.S. by Sept. 29.
Judge Douglas H. Hurd determined on Monday that the non-profit Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey (CCGNJ) has the sole right to run the national problem gambling helpline, as it did from the resource’s initial launch in 1983 until 2022. The CCGNJ licensed it to the NCPG in 2022 in a three-year agreement that expired May 31, 2025.
NCPG said it tried to extend agreement past original deal
The NCPG alleged in court filings that it attempted to activate an option to extend that deal and asserted that the two councils’ contract mandated that the dispute be resolved through arbitration. It filed for a temporary restraining order (TRO) against the CCGNJ to prevent the hotline from being shut down until the dispute was resolved in court, and was granted a TRO in July, pending Monday’s hearing.
In August, the CCGNJ filed for the court to lift the TRO and order the NCPG to cease and desist using 1-800-GAMBLER.
CCGNJ Executive Director Luis Del Orbe told SBC Americas in August that, as the licensing agreement had expired, the arbitration mandate was not valid. He also stated that his council offered the NCPG a new license agreement that was rejected by the national council.
Del Orbe added at that time that the CCGNJ intended to keep running the helpline nationally without the NCPG.
“CCGNJ and the 1-800-GAMBLER has passed the test of time,” he said on Aug. 14. “The 1-800-GAMBLER helpline is not going to go away, ever.”
NCPG will ‘aggressively’ appeal, claiming grave dangers
NCPG issued a public statement on the ruling on Monday evening, confirming that it will “aggressively” appeal the ruling. It is in the process of filing an emergency motion to stay the decision while the appeal is considered.
“This decision will fundamentally hinder nationwide access to timely, confidential, and high-quality care for those in need of problem gambling support by taking critical services offline,” the group said in a statement. “Moreover, it will degrade public trust for the 121 million Americans who recognize 1-800-GAMBLER as the National Problem Gambling Helpline.”
Call traffic to the number has increased 150% since 2018, added the NCPG. The group said it dedicated $1.4 million to operating the helpline in FY 25, which it stated is almost half the CCGNJ’s annual revenue.
Only we’re qualified, says NCPG
The NCPG also warned that, in its view, blocking its right to run the helpline will have several major negative consequences. It said those include that national demand will outpace state-level capacity, that the NCPG will be legally forced to disconnect the text message routing system, that essential data reporting and public trust in the 1-800-GAMBLER number will be eroded and that the NCPG’s free translation support in 240-plus languages will be cut off.
The NCPG also claimed that nine states plus D.C. rely “entirely” on NCPG’s infrastructure and funding to connect callers to care through 1-800-GAMBLER.
“CCGNJ lacks the infrastructure and funding required to shoulder the significant and unpredictable responsibilities of running 1-800-GAMBLER nationwide,” added the NCPG. “NCPG is the only national organization qualified, equipped, and positioned to manage the National Problem Gambling Helpline.”
SBC Americas contacted the CCGNJ seeking clarity on the council’s transition plan moving forward, as well as responses to the NCPG’s statements.
