The National Football League Thursday announced an extended partnership with the National Council on Problem Gambling to support problem gambling prevention services and promote responsible gambling initiatives. The NFL Foundation will commit $6.4 million to the NCPG over three years, extending an original three-year grant of $6.2 million from October 2021.
According to a release, the renewed commitment addresses a need for resources devoted to responsible and problem gambling.
“Our partnership with NCPG underscores the vital impact of their work and our ongoing commitment to advocate for and support responsible gambling initiatives,” said NFL Senior Vice President of Social Responsibility Anna Isaacson in a statement. “We are proud to leverage our platform and resources with NCPG’s expertise to raise awareness, provide education and help prevent problem gambling. We look forward to our continued partnership with NCPG and expanding the reach of their impactful programs.”
The NFL’s funding supports three NCPG initiatives:
- Modernizing and strengthening the National Problem Gambling Helpline (1-800-GAMBLER), a resource for accessing problem gambling treatment, to enhance the helpline’s efficiency, improve access across the country and ensure quality care.
- Developing and implementing the Agility Grants program, the first national grant initiative designed to reach communities underserved by problem gambling prevention programs.
- Awareness efforts, including the ResponsiblePlay.org website, to educate fans and the public on responsible gambling practices.
“We are profoundly grateful for the NFL’s renewed investment in NCPG, which will enable us to grow the essential prevention, education and awareness initiatives that were established through their initial grant,” said NCPG Executive Director Keith Whyte. “This partnership has been instrumental in advancing our mission of minimizing gambling related harm. We look forward to building on the significant progress we’ve made together over the past three years and exploring new avenues for impact.”
Since the 2021 grant, the National Problem Gambling Helpline has undergone significant modernization, with upgraded technology, increased staffing and enhanced data collection efforts from the 28 contact centers of the National Problem Gambling Helpline Network.
The grant enabled U.S.-wide licensing for the 1-800-GAMBLER number, to reduce confusion resulting from multiple state-specific helplines and ensure seamless routing to designated state contact centers. Use of the helpline grew 104% from 2020 to 2023.
The Agility Grants fund projects reaching populations at higher risk of developing a gambling problem, including middle school, high school and college students and communities disproportionately affected by problem gambling. Agility Grant funding supported projects and organizations including:
- The Ohio State University’s “Buckeyes Know the Stakes,” which educates students through problem gambling prevention events and marketing campaigns.
- Freedom House of Mecklenburg, “Problem Gambling Primary and Secondary Prevention Curriculum Development,” a collaborative school-based project that incorporates an evidence-based problem gambling prevention curriculum across 49 Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools middle schools.
- The Hispanic Urban Minority Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Outreach Program’s education campaign for Hispanic youth in Cleveland, Ohio, to raise awareness of problem gambling behaviors in middle and high school students.
NCPG awareness and advocacy efforts have significantly raised public awareness about responsible gambling initiatives and where to get help and access resources for gambling addiction.
