The week before the 2026-27 NBA season starts, the NBA and WNBA announced a new responsible gaming campaign in collaboration with the National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) that addresses state-regulated sports betting and prediction markets together as one.
The leagues said that the campaign’s core aim is to educate fans about the risks associated with both sports wagering and sports event contract trading markets, with a particular focus on reaching young adults.
“Whether placing a sports bet or trading on a prediction market, both activities can put fans at meaningful risk when not done responsibly,” stated a press release.
The campaign will feature a new spot that will run across social and linear platforms through owned and partnered channels of both basketball leagues. The NBA’s broadcast partners include NBC/Peacock, Amazon Prime, and ABC/ESPN/Disney+. The campaign will emphasize how the impacts of gambling can extend beyond finances to mental well-being and relationships, and also stress that even fans who think they are basketball experts are still risking money and more when gambling on the leagues.
Leagues focused on consumer understanding
Officers from both leagues emphasized that the effort is an attempt to help basketball fans and viewers understand what they are getting into when they bet or trade on sports.
“As the ways people engage with sports continue to evolve, it is important that fans understand the risks associated with putting money on sports outcomes,” said NBA Head of Media Distribution and Partnerships Scott Kaufman-Ross. “Through this campaign, we want to help fans make informed decisions, understand the risk and, if they choose to bet, trade or anything similar, that they do so responsibly.”
WNBA Chief Growth Officer Colie Edison added that its desire to help fans make “informed decisions” is central to the initiative.
“By bringing this campaign to WNBA audiences, we can reach more fans with practical guidance on understanding financial risk, setting limits and recognizing when and where to find support,” said Edison.
Tip-off for the new NBA season is Oct. 20, while the WNBA Finals are currently ongoing to end the 2026 season.
Is NBA about to follow other leagues into prediction market deals?
There is plenty of noteworthy context surrounding the campaign, which ostensibly brackets sports betting and prediction markets together as methods of using real money to gamble on the NBA and WNBA.
For a start, the NBA has maintained a more cautious stance on prediction markets than some other major North American leagues. While the NHL and Major League Baseball have signed partnerships with leading companies, and numerous MLB teams have struck agreements with the likes of Kalshi and Polymarket, the NBA has kept distance between its operations and event contracts.
However, Front Office Sports reported in September that the league is likely to publicly confirm deals by the time the new season starts, with various prediction market companies being considered.
While the league has held back, the same hasn’t been true of all its stars. Multiple big-name NBA players established ties with prediction markets, including LeBron James with Polymarket and Giannis Antetokounmpo, who is a shareholder in Kalshi.
In contrast, San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama said earlier this month that he thinks it is “sad” that some of his comrades promote gambling in various forms.
NCPG in the spotlight over Kalshi deal and member exits
Meanwhile, the new campaign extends the NBA’s pre-existing responsible gaming collaboration with the NCPG at a time when the national non-profit council is under scrutiny.
The leagues and the council will encourage fans to understand the risks of gambling, set limits on the time and money they spend, and seek support if needed. The NBA and WNBA will direct fans to responsible gaming education and resources for recognizing problems and seeking help, including the 1-800-MY-RESET “national problem gambling helpline” number that the NCPG adopted after it lost the rights to use 1-800-GAMBLER last year.
“Awareness is an important first step in preventing gambling-related harm,” said NCPG Board President Derek Longmeier. “We’re proud to support a campaign that brings greater visibility to the risks of sports betting and prediction markets and puts education at the forefront, helping fans better understand the potential for harm and the resources available to those who may need help.”
Unlike the NBA or the WNBA, the NCPG has an official affiliation with Kalshi. It created a Financial Services and Trading membership category and made Kalshi the first member of that group as part of a collaboration that included the company pledging to invest $2m in the council.
Some member state organizations of the NCPG sharply criticized that relationship, and several directly cited it as a reason for withdrawing their membership of the council, including:
- The Evergreen Council on Problem Gambling (Washington State)
- The Michigan Gaming Control Board
- The Nevada Council on Problem Gambling
- The Ohio Casino Control Commission
Then, in late September, the NCPG confirmed to SBC Americas that Executive Director Heather Maurer resigned after less than a year in the role. The council did not provide a reason, but a Barron’s report linked it in part to the council’s work with Kalshi.
The NCPG maintains that it has a “neutral” stance on the legality of prediction markets, that membership or investment do not constitute endorsement, and that its goal is to collaborate with stakeholders to prevent and reduce all kinds of gambling-related harm.
