Poker Writer
The National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) announced it has adopted 1-800-MY-RESET as the new National Problem Gambling Helpline. The new number replaces the familiar 1-800-GAMBLER number after the NCPG lost the rights to that number.
The NCPG said adopting the new number would strengthen the Helpline’s national visibility in a neutral, non-stigmatizing way. The President of the NCPG Board of Directors, Derek Longmeier, described the importance of the helpline:
Problem gambling support should never be limited to a single moment or a single definition of harm. 1-800-MY-RESET reinforces that the National Problem Gambling Helpline is available at any stage—whether someone is worried about themselves, concerned about a family member, or simply looking for trusted guidance. Making the Helpline number easier to remember is a practical, meaningful step toward reducing barriers to care.
Existing helpline access points will remain active until broader promotion of the 1-800-MY-RESET number in the coming weeks and months. The entire promotional rollout is scheduled to go throughout 2026 and 2027.
Losing the Rights to 1-800-GAMBLER
In September 2025, a New Jersey judge ruled in favor of the Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey (CCGNJ) in a legal dispute with the NCPG, finding that the CCGNJ had owned the number for the longest period of time, since the 1980s. The ruling required the NCPG to stop using the old number as of Sept. 29th and revert to the older 1-800-522-4700 number.
But many believed that the older number did not have the same memorability as the classic 1-800-GAMBLER number. A Bally’s representative outlined the challenge:
People understand brand, they understand loyalty, and that was a catchy number, right? Boom, it’s in your head that you can easily remember and regurgitate. It’s going to be a challenge only in the sense that it’s something new.
The goal of the new 1-800-MY-RESET number is to rejuvenate that instant recall factor while focusing on recovery.
