The National Council for Problem Gambling (NCPG) Monday lost access to operating the 1-800-GAMBLER problem gambling hotline after a New Jersey judge ruled that control of the number will go back to the Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey (CCGNJ).
The NCPG must stop using the number, which is posted in casinos and on online gambling and sports betting platforms across the U.S., by Sept. 29. The organization had leased the number, and after talks broke down between the two groups earlier this year, the CCGNJ said it was not inclined to extend the lease.
The NCPG has operated the number nationally for the past three years under a license from the CCGNJ, paying $150,000 annually. The license expired in May, and the two organizations have been in a legal dispute over renewal of the license.
