The Colorado Lottery is making a major change to how it delivers problem gambling resources by promoting a new national hotline for gambling support.
On Thursday, the Colorado Lottery announced plans to provide residents and visitors with access to the National Council on Problem Gambling’s (NCPG) support helpline.
The helpline, 1-800-MY-RESET, will replace the 1-800-GAMBLER helpline that was at the center of a legal dispute in 2025 between the NCPG and the Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey (CCGNJ). The Colorado Lottery plans to discontinue promoting access to 1-800-GAMBLER on a roll-out basis across its various forms of communication.
“There has been a change at the national level, and the Colorado Lottery is making the change to remain consistent with our alignment with the National Council on Problem Gambling,” said Colorado Lottery Senior Director Tom Seaver.
“Players can find the support they need by calling either number at this time.”
Colorado regulator continues to use 1-800-GAMBLER
The Colorado Lottery plans to promote 1-800-MY-RESET despite the Colorado Division of Gaming sending a notice in September 2025 directing the public and gaming license holders to continue to use 1-800-GAMBLER until otherwise directed by the state.
As of July 2026, the Colorado Division of Gaming continues to promote and provide direct access to the 1-800-GAMBLER helpline as the Colorado Lottery takes a different approach.
The division leverages its Bet Smart Colorado website to promote 1-800-GAMBLER.
Problem gambling helpline sparks legal dispute
1-800-GAMBLER has been owned by the CCGNJ since the 1980s. The council licensed the helpline to the NCPG in 2022 as part of a three-year deal which expired in May 2025.
The end of the deal sparked a legal dispute between the NCPG and the CCGNJ.
According to court filings, the NCPG attempted to initiate an option to extend its original agreement with the CCGNJ to use 1-800-GAMBLER. The NCPG filed a temporary restraining order (TRO) to prevent the CCGNJ from blocking its access to the helpline. The council filed a TRO after being offered a new licensing agreement by the CCGNJ that it would reject.
A Superior Court judge granted the NCPG’s request for a TRO, with the CCGNJ responding to the ruling by filing a motion for the court to lift the TRO and order NCPG to no longer use 1-800-GAMBLER. In September 2025, Judge Douglas H. Hurd ruled in favor of the CCGNJ and ordered the NCPG to stop using the 1-800-GAMBLER helpline and marks.
Hurd determined that the CCGNJ had the sole right to operate the national helpline.
The NCPG responded to losing its right to use 1-800-GAMBLER in January by launching 1-800-MY-RESET, providing U.S. residents with two national problem gambling helplines.
The availability of two national helplines created early confusion for operators and bettors across the country when also combined with state-specific phone numbers. Despite early hiccups in notifying consumers about the availability of 1-800-MY-RESET, the Colorado Lottery is embracing and promoting the new national helpline operated by the NCPG.
