The National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) has adopted a formal resolution urging prediction market operators to prominently promote gambling harm resources, arguing these platforms pose similar risks to traditional sports betting despite regulatory differences.
The nonprofit's board of directors passed the resolution targeting operators who facilitate buying and selling of event-based futures contracts, which have grown increasingly accessible through online platforms and mobile technology.
Risk Equivalency Claims
NCPG argues that prediction markets carry "substantially similar levels of risk to the consumer as traditional sports betting," including dangers from chasing losses, impulsive behavior, financial harm, and gambling problem development or escalation.
The organization highlighted a key concern: consumers may not recognize prediction market activity as functionally equivalent to gambling, regardless of legal definitions, making them less likely to practice responsible gambling behaviors or seek help when problems develop.
National Problem Gambling Helpline Access
The National Problem Gambling Helpline™ provides free, confidential, 24/7 support through multiple channels: calling 1-800-MY-RESET, texting 800GAM, or visiting NCPGambling.org/chat. This nationwide service offers resources for individuals experiencing gambling-related harm across all types of betting activities.
Helpline Promotion Mandate
The resolution specifically calls on all prediction market operators serving U.S. consumers to include "clear, prominent, and ongoing promotion" of the National Problem Gambling Helpline™ (1-800-MY-RESET) within their marketing materials and platform user experience.
NCPG expects this promotion to match standards "comparable to practices in regulated mobile sports betting," establishing consistency across gambling-adjacent platforms.
The National Problem Gambling Helpline™ provides nationwide free, confidential, and 24/7 support and resources for individuals experiencing gambling-related harm. Help is available through multiple channels: calling 1-800-MY-RESET, texting 800GAM, or visiting NCPGambling.org/chat.
Regulatory Context
NCPG, which describes itself as the only national nonprofit organization seeking to minimize economic and social costs associated with gambling addiction, maintains neutrality on legalized gambling while advocating for harm reduction measures.
The organization positions helpline promotion as "a critical baseline responsibility for any operator offering products that meaningfully resemble gambling activity and may contribute to gambling-related harm."
Industry Precedent Setting
This resolution establishes NCPG's expectation that operators offering "gambling-like products" should implement meaningful harm reduction measures as public health best practices, regardless of their formal regulatory classification.
The move signals growing scrutiny of prediction markets, which have operated in regulatory gray areas while attracting mainstream consumer adoption. By drawing explicit parallels to sports betting compliance standards, NCPG is effectively arguing for equivalent consumer protection measures across functionally similar products. For operators, this represents both reputational pressure and potential precedent for broader regulatory alignment. The resolution suggests that consumer protection expectations may increasingly transcend narrow legal definitions of gambling, focusing instead on actual risk profiles and user behaviors.
Compliance Strategy
Operators in regulatory gray areas should consider proactively implementing harm reduction measures that match regulated sports betting standards. This approach can help address reputational concerns and prepare for potential regulatory alignment, as consumer protection expectations increasingly focus on actual risk profiles rather than narrow legal definitions.
NCPG calls for clear, prominent, and ongoing promotion of the National Problem Gambling Helpline within marketing materials and platform user experience. The organization expects these measures to match standards comparable to regulated mobile sports betting practices.
NCPG argues that prediction markets carry substantially similar risk levels, including dangers from chasing losses, impulsive behavior, and financial harm. The organization is particularly concerned that consumers may not recognize prediction market activity as functionally equivalent to gambling, making them less likely to practice responsible behaviors.
The resolution establishes precedent for applying consumer protection measures across gambling-like products regardless of formal regulatory classification. This creates reputational pressure on operators and suggests that protection expectations may increasingly transcend narrow legal definitions of gambling.
According to National Council on Problem Gambling.
