NCPG Resolution Asks Prediction Markets to Push National Gambling Helpline, 1-800-MY-RESET
Maintaining its neutrality on legal gambling, the NCPG says prediction markets bear the same level of responsibility as regulated sports betting companies.
A resolution issued by the National Council on Problem Gambling’s (NCPG) Board of Directors is asking US-facing prediction markets to promote 1-800-MY-RESET, the National Problem Gambling Helpline.
The resolution, dated Feb. 9, notes the similarities between event contracts and sports betting and argues they pose the same consumer risks. Given that likeness, the Board urges “all Prediction Market Operators serving U.S. consumers” to add “clear, prominent, and ongoing promotion” of the helpline to marketing materials and on-platform experiences “comparable to practices in regulated mobile sports betting.”
In an email, an NCPG spokesperson told Gambling Insider the council has “a responsibility to promote measures that can help reduce the risk of harm.
Prediction markets have expanded rapidly, particularly in sports-related offerings, and without responsible gambling safeguards. Our research indicates that prediction markets carry substantially similar levels of risk as traditional betting platforms. There are 20 million Americans who report experiencing at least one indicator of problematic gambling behavior many times in the past year, and we will continue working to provide education and awareness to help prevent that number from going up.
We are calling on prediction market operators to promote access to help through 1-800-MY-RESET as a critical baseline responsibility.”
Promoting Helpline a ‘Baseline’ Responsibility
The timing of NCPG’s call to action is no accident — US-facing prediction markets have experienced explosive growth over the last year, as established firms like Kalshi and Polymarket began trading sports-event contracts in all 50 states, including those where legal sports betting is not available.
That success has prompted sportsbooks such as FanDuel and DraftKings to launch their own prediction markets to share in some of that growth. However, US sports betting is regulated at the state level, while prediction markets are under the federal Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC).
With this resolution, the NCPG argues that the risk to consumers is the same; therefore, protections should be comparable.
Per the resolution:
Buying and selling of futures contracts via prediction markets carries substantially similar levels of risk to the consumer as traditional sports betting, including risks associated with chasing losses, impulsive behavior, financial harm, and the development or escalation of gambling-related harm…
NCPG believes that all operators offering gambling-like products should take meaningful, visible steps to reduce harm and promote access to help resources as a public health best practice.”
Of particular concern is that, irrespective of prediction markets’ legal definition, consumers won’t recognize that buying and selling event-based contracts is functionally equivalent to gambling. This confusion could make people less likely to practice responsible gambling behavior or seek support when a problem develops.
Given its mission to “mitigate gambling-related harm” and the public’s increasing access to prediction markets, the council has a “responsibility” to act, it told GI.
Line Between Futures and Betting ‘Increasingly Blurred’
While the NCPG is urging stronger consumer protections, the council is not opposed, unlike the American Gaming Association (AGA), to prediction markets outright.
The AGA has taken a firm stance against prediction markets offering sports-related contracts. As a result, FanDuel and DraftKings abandoned their AGA memberships.
Announcing the split, the companies said the future of online betting is increasingly tied to booming prediction markets and no longer aligns with the AGA’s objectives.
As with all forms of gambling, the council takes a neutral approach, prioritizing public safety.
“NCPG is neutral on legalized gambling and does not take a position on whether prediction markets should exist,” the NCPG told GI.
From a problem gambling standpoint, however, betting on futures is functionally gambling. The line between purchasing futures contracts and placing a bet has become increasingly blurred, particularly when those contracts relate to sporting events.
“Anyone who gambles is at risk for developing a gambling problem, no matter the platform. If a product carries the same behavioral risk factors — frequent wagering, rapid feedback, and financial loss — it should be subject to comparable consumer protections. At the very least, prediction markets need to adopt 1-800-MY-RESET as a resource.”
‘Neutral’ New Number May Lower Barriers to Support
Notably, the resolution follows NCPG’s adoption of 1-800-MY-RESET as the national helpline, which went live in January. The shift came after it lost access to 1-800-GAMBLER when its licensing deal with the Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey (CCGNJ) expired.
So far, NCPG’s spokesperson said, the council has received positive feedback since the helpline’s launch, although its rollout will continue over the coming months. The organization is also encouraged by Ohio and Nevada issuing guidance to permit its promotion, “an important early step toward national consistency.” Furthermore, the council is optimistic that additional jurisdictions and operators will adopt the new number in due course.
“Many stakeholders have expressed appreciation for a number that feels more neutral and less stigmatizing, which can lower barriers to reaching out for support.”
FanDuel co-Founder says Kalshi is on a Dark Path
In a recent X post, Nigel Eccles, FanDuel co-founder and CEO of crypto casino BetHog, suggested Kalshi’s bull-in-a-china-shop approach could have unintended business consequences.
Referring to ads featuring young women promoting Kalshi as a way to make money, Eccles said the company was following in the footsteps of the former vape powerhouse, Juul.
Ads like this, Eccles added, are extremely rare in real-money gaming, firstly because operators view them as highly unethical and secondly, because they don’t work.
“For those that don’t remember, Juul was one of a number of the main vaping brands in the 2010s. It took a product that had a social good (helping smokers quit), but then aggressively pushed it into a new market, non-smokers, and particularly kids. (See the similarity?)
The backlash took time to build, but when it did, it was devastating for the company.”
Importantly, Eccles was referring specifically to Kalshi, not every prediction market. However, if one company’s boundary-pushing attracts the wrong attention, it could have consequences for all.
Further, it’s worth asking whether a company engaging in risky advertising would be willing to promote harm reduction without specific regulations requiring it.
Gambling Insider contacted Kalshi, Polymarket, and DraftKings for comment on NCPG’s resolution.
While they didn’t reference 1-800-MY-RESET directly, a DraftKings spokesperson shared a statement with Gambling Insider. They also directed us to DraftKings’ Responsible Trading Center.
“Our Responsible Trading program extends to DraftKings Predictions, where we provide customers with access to tools and resources that support responsible engagement and informed decision-making, including deposit limits, cool-off periods, and self-exclusion.”
Neither Kalshi nor Polymarket responded.
NCPG said that, so far, it has had “constructive conversations” about the vital need for visible support resources on all platforms.
“We urge all operators to recognize that player protection and innovation are not mutually exclusive.”
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