Understanding NCPG’s New Financial Services & Trading Membership Subcategory
Dear NCPG Members & Stakeholders,
Over the past several weeks, we have received questions about the National Council on Problem Gambling’s new Financial Services & Trading organizational membership subcategory. We appreciate the engagement of our members and welcome the opportunity to provide additional context.
At NCPG, our mission remains unchanged: to lead awareness and advocacy efforts to reduce gambling-related harm. NCPG has a responsibility to understand emerging products and platforms which methodologies present as gambling and thus may present risks to consumers. Today’s environment extends beyond traditional forms of gambling and increasingly includes online sports betting, gaming, cryptocurrency, financial trading platforms, prediction markets, and other activities that may function similarly to gambling.
Earlier this year, the NCPG Board of Directors discussed creating a Financial Services & Trading organizational membership subcategory as part of a broader effort to engage with emerging sectors where consumer risk may exist.
The creation of this membership subcategory reflects NCPG’s commitment to fostering informed dialogue, advancing research and education, strengthening consumer protections, and ensuring that individuals and families affected by gambling-related harm remain at the center of our work. Our goal is to better understand emerging risks and mitigate harm in order to ensure that those who may experience harm have access to the resources, support, and services they need.
NCPG remains neutral regarding the legalization of gambling and does not advocate for or against the legality of specific products or platforms. Questions regarding legality, licensing, and ongoing litigation are matters for regulators, lawmakers, and the courts. Our focus remains on prevention, education, consumer protection, harm reduction, and access to care.
As innovative forms of participation emerge, public health, research, and consumer protection efforts must evolve in response.
With kind regards,
Derek Longmeier, President, NCPG Board of Directors & Heather L. Maurer, NCPG Executive Director
