NFL Responsible Gambling Investment: Will Other Leagues Join?

The National Council on Problem Gambling has an admirable mission and is full of great people who do great work. What the organization has always struggled with is funding. And that lack of funding causes the NCPG to spend a lot of time trying to secure funding. That time would be better spent achieving its mission.

The NGO has plenty of donors in the gambling industry. Still, those donors have never been able to fully fund the organization in a manner that allows the NCPG to fully realize its responsible gambling goals.

Enter the NFL, which issued a press release this week that reads in part [bold mine].

“The National Football League (“NFL”) today announced the launch of an extensive, integrated league-wide responsible betting public awareness program designed to educate fans who choose to engage in sports betting to do so responsibly.  The key message encourages people to play responsibly by sticking to a game plan, including setting a budget to know their limits, using licensed, regulated operators, and asking for help if they need it. The core message of the campaign’s creative is “Stick to Your Game Plan. Always Bet Responsibly.”

“As part of this initiative, the NFL has made a multimillion-dollar, multi-year commitment to significantly expand its long-standing partnership with the National Council on Problem Gambling (“NCPG”).”

“With this partnership, we are able to exponentially enhance the NCPG’s ability to provide advocacy, awareness, and assistance on problem gambling,” said Keith Whyte, National Council on Problem Gambling Executive Director. “The league’s support of our advocacy efforts will help fund new communications initiatives, such as ResponsiblePlay.org and a PSA about problem gambling, expand gambling prevention services where they are most needed, and modernize our National Problem Gambling Helpline operations with updated capabilities.”

Whyte told ESPN that the NFL grant doubles the annual budget of the organization.

NCPG And NFL Partnership Details

From the NFL press release:

“The league’s support will also transform the national problem gambling Helpline system and allow for the development of improved communications tools, including a new website, www.responsibleplay.org, which will provide the public with quick tips about betting safely and support resources for those in need.”

The press release goes on to list several other ways the partnership will bear fruit:

NFL Campaign

The NFL’s initiative is informed by fan research and was developed in collaboration with NCPG. The goal of the platform is to establish a clear tone and stance that provides fans who choose to engage in sports betting with an opportunity to raise awareness about responsible betting tactics and resources. 

Consumer-Facing Messaging Details:  

• Primary Message: “Stick to Your Game Plan. Always Bet Responsibly.”
• Messaging Will Encourage Bettors To:  Have a solid game plan; Set a budget; Know your limits; Use licensed, regulated operators; and Bet responsibly
• Messaging Will Drive Bettors To: Visit responsibleplay.org for additional resources and to learn more

National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG)

The NFL has partnered with NCPG and is providing financial support to help prevent gambling addiction and to help develop a sustainable and safer sports betting ecosystem. The NFL will also serve as a voice for the NCPG so that fans and bettors are aware of the resources available to them.

The NFL has provided the organization with support in upgrading the National Problem Gambling Helpline system by raising criteria, improving call center technology, data collection, reporting, training, and certification.  This National Helpline is crucial in prevention and safety, and connects callers instantly and automatically with the appropriate state call center.   Help is available 24 hours a day/365 days a year by calling or texting 800-522-4700 or by going to ncpgambling.org/chat.

In addition to supporting impactful programs such as Helpline, NFL contributions will provide a wide range of additional benefits, including:   

• Critical investment in the foundation of a national safety net to prevent gambling addiction
• Providing Agility Grants to state NCPG affiliates, nonprofits or other community organizations that can implement innovative problem gambling prevention programs in their local communities
• Ongoing initiatives such as the league’s awareness and education marketing campaign to help fans and the public understand and use responsible betting techniques, and know where to get help

Will Other Leagues Follow Suit?

The big question is, with sports betting on the rise, what will other leagues and multi-billion-dollar gambling companies do? Will they follow the NFL’s lead and boost their support of the NCPG and other organizations? Or do they see it as the NFL’s thing and look at the multi-million-dollar grant as an outlier?

Hopefully, it’s the former and not the latter. Doubling the NCPG’s budget is undoubtedly a positive development. That said, to have the impact the industry needs, the NCPG needs something along the lines of a ten-fold increase.

Doubling or even tripling its budget takes a lot of fundraising pressure off the organization and allows them to hire an extra person or two, hold an additional conference, and carry out their established objectives.

A ten-fold increase allows the NCPG to take on new, innovative projects and take the risks the responsible gambling industry desperately needs. That can only be accomplished if the organization has a budget that allows the occasional dud.