The National Football League (NFL) today announced an extended partnership with the National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) to bolster nationwide problem gambling prevention services and promote responsible gambling initiatives. As the sports betting landscape continues to evolve, this renewed commitment addresses the critical need for resources in responsible and problem gambling.
This three-year, $6.4 million commitment from the NFL Foundation to NCPG follows the NFL's original three-year, $6.2 million grant awarded in October 2021, the largest in NCPG's nearly 50-year history. The new grant will enable the continued expansion of NCPG's critical initiatives, ensuring that the organization can sustain and build upon its significant progress since 2021.
“Our partnership with NCPG underscores the vital impact of their work and our ongoing commitment to advocate for and support responsible gambling initiatives," said Anna Isaacson, NFL Senior Vice President of Social Responsibility. "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 key NCPG initiatives: modernizing and strengthening the National Problem Gambling Helpline (1-800-GAMBLER) -- a crucial resource for accessing problem gambling treatment -- in order to enhance the helpline's efficiency, improve access across the country and ensure that everyone who reaches out receives high-quality care; developing and implementing the Agility Grants program – the first national grant initiative designed to reach communities underserved by problem gambling prevention programs; and 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 Keith Whyte, NCPG Executive Director. “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."
Results and Impact of Partnership to Date
National Problem Gambling Helpline Modernization Project: Since the 2021 grant, the National Problem Gambling Helpline has undergone significant modernization. The grant enabled funding for upgraded technology, increased staffing and enhanced data collection efforts from the 28 contact centers that comprise the National Problem Gambling Helpline Network. Data collection efforts are key to providing NCPG with insights into contact trends, allowing the organization to better advocate for federal funding that supports problem gambling prevention, education and treatment efforts.
The grant also enabled US-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, which NCPG attributes primarily to the increased promotion and awareness of the helpline.
Agility Grants: The Agility Grants fill gaps in problem gambling prevention programming across the United States. They 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. The grants focus on programs that minimize harm on a primary level (those who have not yet gambled) and on a secondary level (those who have limited gambling experience). To date, the program has provided nearly $1 million in grants to 26 innovative problem gambling prevention programs across 17 states, reaching over 40,000 individuals.
Agility Grant funding has supported the following projects and organizations, among others:
- The Ohio State University's “Buckeyes Know the Stakes," program which seeks to educate students through robust problem gambling prevention events and marketing campaigns.
- Freedom House of Mecklenburg, Inc.'s “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 (CMS) middle schools.
- The Hispanic Urban Minority Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Outreach Program (UMADAOP) and their education campaign for Hispanic youth in Cleveland, Ohio, to raise awareness of problem gambling behaviors in middle and high school students.
Awareness Efforts: Additionally, 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. The most prominent initiative was the launch of the ResponsiblePlay.org website in 2021, which has since reached approximately 750,000 visitors. The website provides a series of tips for visitors to keep gambling fun, offers basic facts about problem gambling and explains where people can get help for problem gambling, whether they are directly or indirectly affected by it.