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The Council of Compulsive Gambling of Pennsylvania told PlayPennsylvania last week that it is business as usual despite a change of control in the 1-800-GAMBLER hotline.
The 1-800-GAMBLER hotline had been run by the National Council on Problem Gambling and the Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey. However, the CCGNJ regained control of the resource last month after a legal dispute between the two sides.
The CCGP had worked with the NCPG and the CCGNJ since a 2022 lease agreement had both parties operating the hotline together. It has made a smooth transition with the CCGNJ, which assumed full responsibility of the hotline late last month.
Seamless transition
In a phone interview last week, CCPGPA Executive Director Josh Ercole told PlayPennsylvania that the organization has not missed a beat since the CCGNJ has been operating 1-800-GAMBLER solo since Sept. 29, a key component of responsible gambling efforts in Pennsylvania.
Even though the CCGP had nothing to do with the legal process, it still had to prepare for the switchover. Ercole explained that the CCGNJ requested the CCGP’s terminating line.
Anybody that calls 1-800-GAMBLER with a Pennsylvania area code would be directly rerouted to the CCGP’s hotline. If a transplant living in Pennsylvania calls the hotline, the caller would be directed to contact Ercole directly, which had been the same protocol prior to the NCPG and CCGNJ partnership, Ercole said.
“We’ve seen [no issues]. We’ve been in touch with [the NCPG], we’ve been in touch with [CCGNJ] and we’ve been in touch with our helpline center with no reported issues.
“We’ve done test calls ourselves. Different groups we work with in the state also reached out and done test calls and nobody has reported any issues. We hope that’s going to continue.”
Gamblers needing help in Pennsylvania would not know there was a dispute between the NCPG and CCGNJ, which was the executive director’s goal in preparing for the new agreement, Ercole said.
“Let’s look at it from the person struggling and what is their experience going to be like. Once we started working from that end and back, we can have this all put into place so it’s a really seamless transition. They wouldn’t know any different.
“That’s really what we want. We don’t want anyone stressing about doing the right thing or [going to] the right place or anything. We just want it to be as frictionless as possible.”
Other options for problem gamblers
Ercole has confirmed that problem gamblers in Pennsylvania will not experience any hitch when seeking help. He also noted that the CCGP promotes the 1-800-GAMBLER exclusively across the state, which is required by the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board.
However, Ercole did mention that the NCPG, since it lost control of 1-800-GAMBLER, is repurposing its old number, 1-800-522-4700, which was used for 25 years prior to 2022.
“Even though it’s not promoted, it’s still important to know that those numbers are all active.”
The CCGP does not have a stance on the legal matter between the NCPG and the CCGNJ. Ercole said the CCGP has one priority, which is “making sure that services are in place for folks that are struggling and need help.”
For those seeking help, the CCGP has call, text, and chat options on its website.
