A DraftKings Sportsbook advertisement on an Outfront billboard on Jan. 25, 2025 in Kansas City, Missouri.Aaron M. Sprecher | Getty ImagesThe booming business of betting across America has led to soaring concerns over problem gambling.Generally, ads for legitimate, licensed casinos and sportsbooks carry some kind of disclaimer that gambling is supposed to be for entertainment. The small print might offer: “Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER.”That number is about as memorable and sticky as you can get. And it prompted a brief but intense legal battle over who has the right or the moral imperative to operate the closest thing the U.S. has to a national gambling hotline.The National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) has been running the helpline since 2022, leasing it for $150,000 annually from the Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey (CCGNJ), which had previously operated it since 1983.Since the national organization took over, monthly call traffic has increased 34% and media mentions have soared more than 5,000%, leading to a third of Americans recognizing 1-800-GAMBLER as a national hotline, according to the NCPG.Now the CCGNJ wants its number back.The contract between the two groups ends Tuesday. The national group notified the New Jersey group of its intention to exercise its right of renewal and extend for another five years. CCGNJ refused.”It’s our property, ” Luis Del Orbe, CCGNJ’s executive director, told CNBC. The group also owns 800gambler.org.The National Council sued for an emergency stay this summer to prevent the New Jersey council from taking back operations, arguing that the local group doesn’t have the resources to staff or operate the hotline around the clock.NCPG has significant financial backing from the NFL — more than $12 million over six years — and major sportsbook operators. The council spends $1.5 million annually providing infrastructure and co …
