Business
How a surge in legal betting fueled an ugly fight: The battle for 1-800-GAMBLER
The booming business of betting across America has led to soaring concerns over problem gambling.
Generally, ads for legitimate, licensed casinos and sportsbooks carry some kind of disclaimer that gambling is supposed to be for entertainment. The small print might offer: “Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER.”
That number is about as memorable and sticky as you can get. And it prompted a brief but intense legal battle over who has the right or the moral imperative to operate the closest thing the U.S. has to a national gambling hotline.
The National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) has been running the helpline since 2022, leasing it for $150,000 annually from the Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey (CCGNJ), which had previously operated it since 1983.
Since the national organization took over, monthly call traffic has increased 34% and media mentions have soared more than 5,000%, leading to a third of Americans recognizing 1-800-GAMBLER as a national hotline, according to the NCPG.
Now the CCGNJ wants its number back.
The contract between the two groups ends Tuesday. The national group notified the New Jersey group of its intention to exercise its right of renewal and extend for another five years. CCGNJ refused.
“It’s our property, ” Luis Del Orbe, CCGNJ’s executive director, told CNBC. The group also owns 800gambler.org.
The National Council sued for an emergency stay this summer to prevent the New Jersey council from taking back operations, arguing that the local group doesn’t have the resources to staff or operate the hotline around the clock.
NCPG has significant financial backing from the NFL — more than $12 million over six years — and major sportsbook operators. The council spends $1.5 million annually providing infrastructure and connection for callers in 10 states and serving as a kind of call-in way station for dozens of other jurisdictions.
Lawyers for the national council argued that reverting it back under New Jersey’s operation would have devastating consequences.
“Thousands of individuals and families could suddenly find themselves without access to the only national lifeline for problem gambling,” said Amanda Szmuc, an attorney with Offit Kurman.
Del Orbe of the New Jersey organization said his staff is prepared for an increase in calls. When calls come into his office after-hours, they’re forwarded to a 24-hour call center in Louisiana — the same one that services many states and local jurisdictions that funnel through 1-800-GAMBLER, he said.
Del Orbe told CNBC his organization felt NCPG was “weaponizing the number,” demanding data on problem gambling from local councils and threatening to bar them from the hotline if they refused.
The NCPG collects and analyzes data from problem gambling calls, often to illustrate the danger of addiction to betting. But not every state that uses 1-800-GAMBLER shares its statistics with the national council.
The national council said, “Despite repeated outreach and offers of consultation, training, and stipends, two state councils declined to participate, and one failed to meet requirements.” It said it began rerouting calls from those states to the call center in Louisiana.
“Our greatest fear is that people in crisis will pick up the phone, or send a text, and find no one on the other end,” said Jaime Costello, director of programs at NCPG.
The NFL said in a statement to CNBC, “Under NCPG’s stewardship, 1-800-GAMBLER has been transformed into a vitally important national resource—making it easier for anyone, anywhere in the country to get quality care when they need it. Any disruption or degradation of that service is deeply concerning.”
On Monday, the New Jersey Supreme Court denied NCPG’s request for an emergency stay, a last ditch effort to keep the number from reverting to the local council.
The National Council on Problem Gambling says for now it will revert to using its old number, 1-800-522-4700, which isn’t quite as easy to remember.
Business
Stock Market Updates: Sensex Down 131 Points In Pre-Open, Nifty At 24,604; RBI MPC Decision In Focus
Last Updated:
Indian equities are poised for a subdued start on Wednesday as investors remain cautious ahead of the Reserve Bank of India’s MPC
Stock market Today
Indian equities are poised for a subdued start on Wednesday as investors remain cautious ahead of the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) policy announcement scheduled for 10 a.m. At 7:17 a.m., GIFT Nifty futures were trading 12 points lower at 24,767, signaling a soft opening for domestic markets.
Most economists expect the RBI to hold rates steady, though some anticipate a rate cut. A poll revealed that while the majority forecast a status quo, a few—including the State Bank of India (SBI)—project an additional 25-basis-point (bps) reduction in the repo rate.
Global Cues
Asian markets opened on a mixed note following overnight gains on Wall Street. Japan’s Nikkei slipped 1.01 per cent, while South Korea’s Kospi was down 0.95 per cent. Chinese markets remained closed for the National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival holidays.
On Wall Street, all three major indices ended Tuesday’s volatile session higher despite lingering concerns over a potential US government shutdown, which could delay key economic data releases and complicate the Federal Reserve’s rate policy outlook.
Aparna Deb is a Subeditor and writes for the business vertical of News18.com. She has a nose for news that matters. She is inquisitive and curious about things. Among other things, financial markets, economy, a…Read More
Aparna Deb is a Subeditor and writes for the business vertical of News18.com. She has a nose for news that matters. She is inquisitive and curious about things. Among other things, financial markets, economy, a… Read More
October 01, 2025, 09:12 IST
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Business
Will RBI Slash Interest Rates Tomorrow? MPC Meeting Outcome Time, Where To Watch & What To Expect
Last Updated:
The outcome—including the MPC’s decision on the repo rate and other key policy measures—will be announced at a press conference on October 1.
RBI MPC Meeting October 2025 Live Updates: RBI Repo Rate Cut, Loan Interest and monetary policy committee latest news
RBI MPC October Outcome Today: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has announced that Governor Sanjay Malhotra will reveal the outcome of the Monetary Policy Committee’s (MPC) October meeting at 10 am on Wednesday. The announcement will be streamed live on the RBI’s YouTube channel, official website, and X account.
A press conference at noon will follow on the same platforms to provide deeper insights into the central bank’s policy decisions. News18 will also share live updates through its blog on the MPC policy meeting.
The October MPC meeting was held from September 29 to October 1. The remaining MPC meetings for the 2025-26 financial year are scheduled for December 3-5, 2025, and February 4-6, 2026.
Where To watch Sunjay Malhotra’s Address LIVE
Viewers can tune in live at 10 a.m. on Wednesday to catch RBI Governor Sanjay Malhotra’s announcement of the MPC’s October policy outcome. The address will be streamed on the RBI’s official YouTube channel.
It can also be viewed on the central bank’s website and its official X account. These platforms will provide direct and uninterrupted access to the event, ensuring that viewers can follow the announcement in real time.
RBI MPC Meeting Expectations
Economists broadly expect the MPC to maintain the status quo on policy rates, which would mark the second consecutive pause. Between February and June 2025, the RBI had lowered the repo rate by a cumulative 100 basis points (bps) to 5.5%, where it currently stands.
“The Monetary Policy Committee is anticipated to maintain the status quo on the repo rate in its October 2025 review. This view is supported by the positive impact of GST reforms on demand, stronger-than-expected Q1 FY26 GDP growth, and an inflation trajectory that, while lowered due to GST rationalisation (FY26 average now ~2.6%), is expected to slope upwards thereafter,” said Aditi Nayar, Chief Economist at ICRA Ltd.
India’s GDP growth rose to a five-quarter high of 7.8% in Q1 FY26, compared with 6.5% in the same period last year and 7.4% in Q4 FY25.
The government recently rolled out a two-slab GST structure of 5% and 18% (effective September 22) by abolishing the previous four-rate regime—an overhaul expected to further boost consumption.
“RBI is likely to remain on pause in October, awaiting clarity on GST impact and tariffs,” said Gaura Sengupta, Chief Economist at IDFC FIRST Bank. She added that the RBI’s growth outlook remains positive due to stronger rural demand and sustained government capex, even as urban consumption and private capex remain muted.
However, some experts see scope for a rate cut.
Soumya Kanti Ghosh, Group Chief Economic Advisor at State Bank of India (SBI), said there is a “merit and rationale in going for a rate cut,” but stressed that it would require calibrated communication given the higher threshold for cuts post-June.
“No point in committing a Type 2 error (no rate cut with neutral stance) in September also… A 25-bps rate cut in September is the best possible option for RBI,” he noted in a recent report, adding that it would signal the RBI’s forward-looking stance.
Economists at Nomura expect two additional cuts in the October and December meetings. “As the market is currently only pricing in around 10 bps of cuts over the next few months, we see the risk/reward as attractive,” Nomura said in a report.
Meanwhile, Goldman Sachs expects inflation to remain benign on account of softer food prices and the pass-through effects of lower GST rates. Headline inflation rose to 2.7% in August from an eight-year low of 1.61% in July. “Assuming a partial pass-through of lower GST rates, we recently lowered our headline inflation forecasts for CY25 and FY26 by 0.2 percentage points and 0.3 percentage points to 2.8% YoY,” Goldman Sachs said.
External Factors
The MPC meeting coincides with ongoing India-US trade negotiations following US President Donald Trump’s decision to hike tariffs on Indian goods by an additional 25% (effective August 27), bringing the total to 50%. The outcome of these talks could significantly influence India’s growth outlook.
The meeting also follows the US Federal Reserve’s first rate cut of 2025, lowering its benchmark rate by 25 bps to 4–4.25%.
Previous MPC Decisions
- February 2025: Repo rate cut by 25 bps
- April 2025: Repo rate cut by 25 bps to 6%
- June 2025: A 50-bps jumbo cut lowered the repo rate to 5.5%
- August 2025: Repo rate held steady at 5.5% with a neutral stance
The October decision is being closely watched for signs of further easing or continued pause as India navigates evolving global and domestic challenges.
Aparna Deb is a Subeditor and writes for the business vertical of News18.com. She has a nose for news that matters. She is inquisitive and curious about things. Among other things, financial markets, economy, a…Read More
Aparna Deb is a Subeditor and writes for the business vertical of News18.com. She has a nose for news that matters. She is inquisitive and curious about things. Among other things, financial markets, economy, a… Read More
September 30, 2025, 07:44 IST
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NEW DELHI: Commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal will visit Doha next week to kick off talks for a bilateral trade agreement, adding another Gulf nation to the bouquet of countries negotiating trade treaties with India. UAE already has a pact with India.Sources said the minister will travel to Singapore as well, an ASEAN member with which India has a Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA) but is not satisfied with the outcomes. He will also meet European trade commissioner Maros Sefcovic on the sidelines of the G20 meet in South Africa in Nov. India and EU are trying to conclude an FTA by the year-end. The talks come amid turbulence in the US-India trade relations with 50% tariff on Indian goods entering American markets from Aug 27.At a CII event, Goyal described India as the fastest-growing large economy in a world “full of uncertainty, turbulence and volatility.” He said that India is focusing on self-reliance by strengthening capabilities and making supply chains more resilient to counter the “weaponisation of trade.”
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Stock Market Updates: Sensex Down 131 Points In Pre-Open, Nifty At 24,604; RBI MPC Decision In Focus
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