NPR Blasts Legal Sports Betting, Claims Help for Problem Gamblers Limited

Posted on: March 30, 2025, 09:34h. 

Last updated on: March 30, 2025, 09:34h.

Devin O'Connor @CasinoorgDevinO Read More

Expertise: Asia Pacific Gaming, Commercial Gaming, Legislation, Politics.

• NPR wrote a piece arguing more help is needed for problem sports bettors
• March Madness is the busiest sports betting season
• The gaming industry claims it takes care of its consumers

National Public Radio, or NPR, argued in a Saturday report that help for those who become addicted to betting on sports is few and far between.

In a piece published Saturday, Katia Riddle, an NPR correspondent who covers mental health matters for the public broadcasting organization headquartered in Washington, DC, wrote that “March Madness is a season for betting, but help for problem gambling is hard to find.”

Is that actually true? Every state where sports betting is legal requires sportsbook operators to include responsible gaming messaging and promote help resources.

Riddle and some mental health experts say it’s not enough. They believe federal funding is needed to adequately assist problem sports bettors.

National advocates warn treatment is underfunded, especially compared to the billions of dollars of investment that the federal government puts into resources for addiction to alcohol, tobacco, and other substances,” wrote Riddle.

Cait Huble, a spokesperson for the National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG), agrees.

“There’s no federal funding for gambling addiction. It is several decades behind it in terms of public opinion and recognition of it as a mental health condition,” Huble said.

NPR Commentary

NPR is facing a bounty of criticism from Republicans after NPR President Katherine Maher conceded that the news organization has made some coverage mistakes in the past. Maher acknowledged that the network was wrong to dismiss the Hunter Biden laptop controversy as a “non-story.”

The GOP-controlled Congress is mulling whether to cut or abolish government funding for NPR and PBS. During a contentious hearing this week before the Committee on Oversight & Government Reform, Maher testified that NPR provides critical, unbiased news to millions of Americans.

“I do not believe we are politically biased,” Maher stated. “We are a non-biased organization.”

Many Republicans feel that isn’t true.

“There’s no revenue without the addicted gambler,” declared Les Bernal of the advocacy group, Stop Predatory Gambling.

Industry Defense

The American Gaming Association says the legal, regulated commercial and tribal gaming industries contribute around $130 million a year for “problem gambling services, preventions, and treatments.” Roughly $100 million in casino gaming taxes is also set aside annually for problem gambling services.

The AGA also continues to develop its responsible sports betting program, “Have A Game Plan.” Launched in 2019, the year after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the federal ban on sports betting, the initiative “convenes leagues, teams, media, sportsbook, and other important industry stakeholders to make sports betting education approachable for fans.”

The public service campaign encourages bettors to set a budget, keep it social and fun, know and understand the odds, and play only with legal sportsbooks.

For those who fail to stick to their game plan, the AGA says the National Problem Gambling Helpline is a good place to start in seeking help. The 1-800-GAMBLER helpline automatically redirects a caller to their state resource agency where counselors are available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.