Sportsbook operator William Hill US has donated $50,000 Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey to fund a campaign that supports people with gambling problems.
The two organizations announced the donation Tuesday.
William Hill operates sportsbooks in New Jersey at Monmouth Park Racetrack, Ocean Resort Casino, Tropicana Atlantic City, and online with the William Hill New Jersey sports betting app.
The campaign will include production of an educational video that depicts the family of a problem gambler and directs them to helpful resources. The video will be distributed online and via social media, and promoted through ads on TV, radio, online and in movie theaters.
William Hill CEO Joe Asher said the company committed to donating a portion of the proceeds from settling a copyright infringement lawsuit with FanDuel in January to an organization that supports people with gambling problems. Asher has long talked about his own experience with a family member with a gaming problem.
“The Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey saw the article about our intentions and reached out to us,” Asher said in a statement. “We spent a lot of time working on best use and we decided to focus on reaching out to family members of those with a gambling problem. I know from personal experience that family members of problem gamblers can help push those that need help to seeking it.”
Neva Pryor, executive director of the Council, said the organization is neither for nor against gambling, “but if you do gamble, do so responsibly.”
She said the donation will allow the Council, “to alert the public that problem gambling is a treatable disease and that there is help not only for the problem gambler, but for the family as well.”
In addition to New Jersey, William Hill operates sportsbooks in Nevada, Mississippi, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island and serves as the exclusive risk manager for the sports lottery in Delaware.
