A legal dispute among the leading associations of compulsive gambling threatens the survival of the national 1-800-GAMBLER hotline. The hotline’s trademark owner, the Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey (CCGNJ), and the National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG), the national operator, are at odds regarding the lapsed license agreement.
The center of the controversy is a 2022 contract that allowed NCPG to utilize the helpline number nationwide in return for a $150,000 annual fee.
That contract legally expired on May 31, and there are questions about whether an extension was legally invoked. A temporary extension was established through July 15, but even that grace period has lapsed.
NCPG reports it made several attempts to initiate arbitration – required by the initial contract – without a response from CCGNJ.
