The New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement reported that New Jersey’s total gaming revenue reached $636.2 million in November 2025, with growth in all three core sectors,...
Court blocks interference with 1-800-GAMBLER helpline
New Jersey Superior Court issued a temporary restraining order in favor of the National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG), blocking the Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey (CCGNJ) from interfering with the control over the 1-800-GAMBLER helpline.
The order was signed on July 14 by Judge Douglas H. Hurd, the day before the expiration of a licensing agreement between the two companies. NCPG claimed that its access to the national helpline was under imminent threat.
The court disclosed that “immediate and irreparable damage will probably result if restraints are not granted” and ordered that CCGNJ be “enjoined and restrained from any direct or indirect action that alters or deviates from the status quo with respect to Plaintiff’s use of the Helpline Number”.
The legal dispute started from a 3-year license agreement of 2022, when NCPG was allowed to use the 1-800-GAMBLER number as a national problem gambling helpline. NCPG was granted complete autonomy in how calls to 1-800-GAMBLER were routed and how the helpline was operated, as well as complete oversight over the nature and the quality of the provided services.
NCPG paid CCGNJ $150,000 annually while building a national call-routing infrastructure and launching public campaigns with professional sports leagues.
On July 9, NCPG issued a formal demand for mediation following the agreement’s dispute resolution clause, but was refused by CCGNJ on July 10.
The Licence Agreement said:
“In the event that either party deems it necessary to maintain the status quo prior to or during the mediation or arbitration, it may seek a restraining order from the New Jersey Superior Court in Mercer County, NJ.”
NCPG argued that without a temporary restraining order (TRO), it would face “irreparable harm in the form of damage to infrastructure that it has built for 800-GAMBLER and, more importantly, critical loss of health services to individuals who need them”.
The organisation now seeks enforcement of the Licence Agreement’s provision for compulsory arbitration following failed attempts to negotiate. The court has set a virtual hearing for August 26 at which CCGNJ must show why the temporary restraints should not be extended. CCGNJ has until August 18 to file its opposition, and NCPG has until August 22 to respond.
New Jersey's overall gaming income in October was $611.1 million, recording a 22.3% rise over the previous year's $499.8 million in the same month.
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