KEY TAKEAWAYS
- The National Council on Problem Gambling named Charles H. Jeffers II as its interim executive director on Oct. 26.
- The NCPG will begin searching for a permanent replacement for Heather Maurer in January 2027 after Maurer’s resignation in September 2026.
- The latest leadership change comes amid scrutiny over the national non-profit’s work with Kalshi, while several longstanding members of the council also offer sports prediction markets trading.
The National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) named consultancy leader Charles H. Jeffers II as interim executive director while it searches for a permanent replacement for Heather Maurer.
The NCPG said in a press release on Tuesday that Jeffers is the founder of The Jeffers Group, a consulting firm focused on interim executive leadership, governance, strategic operations, and organizational culture.
His previous roles include:
- COO and interim CEO of Destination Marketing Association International from 2014-16
- COO of Visit Baltimore from 2017-21
- CEO of the Bermuda Tourism Authority from 2021-22
- Interim Executive Director of the American Occupational Therapy Association from 2023-24
The NCPG noted that Jeffers’ experience includes senior leadership roles across technology, operations, membership, strategic planning, destination sales, and marketing. He also serves on the Board of Trustees of the Maine Central Institute.
“Charles’ depth of experience in understanding culture dynamics, operational demands, and board governance is key to our selecting him to lead as Interim Executive Director of NCPG,” said NCPG Board President Derek Longmeier. “As he navigates the leadership transition, he will be focused on operations aligned with strategy and transparency, and culture reflecting NCPG values.”
The council will begin a search for a permanent executive director in January 2027 as it looks to replace Maurer, who left the national non-profit organization abruptly in September 2026.
Why did Executive Director Heather Maurer leave NCPG?
The NCPG is looking for its third permanent leader in the space of two years.
After longtime Executive Director Keith Whyte left in January 2025 to end 27 years with the organization, the council’s board identified and appointed former National Association of Nurse Practitioners in Women’s Health CEO Maurer as his replacement in November 2025.
Maurer resigned from her role last month after just 10 months in the job. No public reason was provided for her departure. The NCPG says that it does not discuss the details of personnel changes as a matter of policy.
Maurer’s exit came soon after Director of Programs Jaime Costello announced her departure earlier in September by writing in a LinkedIn post that “over the past year, the environment shifted in ways I could no longer reconcile with how I believe this work should be done.”
How NCPG’s partnership with Kalshi works in practice
Those high-level personnel changes came amid scrutiny of the NCPG’s decision to accept a $2m donation from Kalshi and make the prediction markets company the first member of a new Financial Services & Trading Subcategory of membership.
The new subcategory was positioned as a proactive effort from the NCPG to address the growing range of financial products with gambling-like features, including prediction markets, credit-based products, and other trading platforms. Discussions about establishing the subcategory pre-dated both Maurer’s appointment and the council’s conversations with Kalshi.
The council uses any funding from donations in three areas: developing industry standards for consumer protection, public education about gambling and trading risks, and promoting responsible trading policies, player protection tools, and access to support services.
After the NCPG announced its work with Kalshi, the collaboration was criticized by some in the industry. Several member organizations from several states cited the decision to work with Kalshi as their reasoning for withdrawing their membership, including:
- Michigan
- Nevada
- Ohio
- Washington
All of those states are engaged in litigation with Kalshi over the legality of the company’s sports event contracts.
Under the NCPG’s existing governance policy, new donations or memberships do not require board approval, although that may be reevaluated under new leadership. In the meantime, the board has not changed its position on the council’s relationship with Kalshi amid the pushback.
Several NCPG members already offer prediction markets
The NCPG continues to engage in outreach with other prediction markets companies and financial platforms. Several of the council’s longstanding members now offer prediction markets alongside their gaming products, including:
- Betr
- DraftKings
- Fanatics Betting and Gaming
- FanDuel
- Underdog
The NCPG’s website indicates that Betr, along with gambling-related financial counseling organization GamFin, are also now members of the Financial Services & Trading Subcategory alongside Kalshi.
NCPG: ‘Prediction markets are functionally gambling’
The NCPG maintains that donations or membership do not constitute endorsement, that donors and members do not confer any role in developing or influencing NCPG’s policy positions, and that it holds a neutral stance on the legal status of gambling-like products.
“Prediction markets are functionally gambling, and they have exploded in popularity,” Longmeier noted in a recent statement provided to SBC Americas. “The people who develop problems on these platforms deserve the same protections as anyone else who gambles.
“NCPG’s goal in engaging these companies is the same as it has been with every other part of the industry for more than 50 years. We advocate for strong consumer protection standards, responsible gambling tools, and to ensure clear paths to help are in place before the harm happens, not after.
“We hold every operator to the same principles, regardless of who regulates them, and our positions are never for sale.”
