NCPG says its mission is to combat gambling harm wherever it occurs
America’s National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) is pushing back against criticism of its work with prediction markets provider Kalshi.
Several members of the NCPG have left the organisation in recent months after Kalshi joined as a member of the NCPG’s newly created financial services and trading subcategory.
Some of the NCPG’s members have expressed concern about being associated with prediction markets, whose sports and election-related event contracts are considered to be illegal gambling in numerous jurisdictions in the United States.
But the NCPG is pushing back against criticism of its decision to give Kalshi membership, stating that its mission is to minimize gambling-related harm, wherever that harm occurs.
“Prediction markets have moved rapidly to a mainstream product used by millions of Americans. Regardless of how prediction markets are currently legally defined, NCPG believes it is functionally gambling and can expose consumers to many of the same risks and harms associated with traditional gambling,” said Derek Longmeier, president of the NCPG.
“We’ve been clear about this well before we launched our Financial Trader Health and Safety Initiative earlier this year. And the exposure today — in scale, in speed, and in reach to new and often young users — is unprecedented. NCPG is neutral on whether prediction markets should be legal. We are not neutral on the need to prevent and reduce gambling-related harm wherever it occurs.”
Longmeier added that the NCPG has always been transparent about being a donor-supported organization, given its non-profit status, but stressed that donor engagement does not mean endorsement.
Kalshi’s membership of the organization came with a $2 million donation to build out the NCPG’s financial trader health and safety initiative.
“Membership, funding or collaboration does not give any person or organization control over NCPG’s research, advocacy, policy positions, or public statements,” Longmeier explained. “We welcome engagement from gambling companies, sports leagues, prediction market platforms, financial-services organizations, regulators, policymakers, consumer advocates, researchers, community organizations, and prevention, treatment, and recovery professionals to advocate for and build real consumer protections such as responsible-engagement tools, self-exclusion options, age verification, clear risk disclosures, and direct lines to help.
“Our goal is to get ahead of harm, and we consider the aforementioned protections to be minimum standards for entities offering gambling and functionally gambling products.”
Kalshi’s membership of the NCPG has led to the departure of the Michigan Gaming Control Board, the Nevada Council on Problem Gambling, and the Ohio Casino Control Commission.
The NCPG says that it remains neutral regarding the legalization of gambling and does not advocate for or against the legality of specific products or platforms.