The underlying tensions that led to a very public fight over the 1-800-GAMBLER helpline number are beginning to come to light, and some of the individuals who vocally criticized the Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey may want to take a step back and remember that the goal is to provide help to those in crisis, not to transform a lifeline into a tool for data extraction and bureaucratic control.
As I wrote in September, when a judge ruled in favor of the CCGNJ and NCPG, supporters ran to social media and the press:
“The press release above may shine some light on why CCGNJ has concerns, as it makes some very bold claims about the helpline’s visibility, the NCPG’s unique capability of running it, and the potential life-or-death fallout, given that the NCPG only took over the helpline in 2022. I’ve seen similar rhetoric on social media, and while I understand the frustration, the over-the-top language only serves to strengthen CCGNJ’s case that the hotline number is being weaponized.”
And thanks to some excellent reporting in Barron’s (seemingly aided by an insider with plenty of receipts), we know precisely what “weaponizing” means.
Per Barron’s:
“New data-collection efforts from the NCPG also created tension with local groups. In some cases, gamblers were asked to answer survey questions before receiving assistance, according to state advocates in New Jersey, Florida, and New Mexico.
“Florida helpline operators, who handled 33,000 calls and texts via 1-800-GAMBLER over a recent 36-month period, never collected that kind of data and pushed back on the changes, saying that additional friction on calls could result in hang-ups and untreated callers.”
Florida (and later New Mexico for similar reasons) was later cut out of the national system, “Due to FCCG’s lack of communication surrounding the Network Contact Center Standards,” Jaime Costello, the NCPG official overseeing helpline operations, told the organization in an email viewed by Barron’s.
In Florida, the calls were rerouted elsewhere, with critics alleging that disconnects and unreturned messages were not uncommon.
The New Mexico situation might be worse.
