Ohio, Michigan, Nevada Cut Ties With NCPG Over Kalshi Funding Deal
Three US gaming regulators have severed links with the National Council on Problem Gambling after it accepted a $2-million Kalshi partnership.
This article was produced with AI assistance and edited by the ON360 newsroom.
Three US state gaming regulators, Ohio, Michigan and Nevada, have cut ties with the National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) after the organization accepted a $2-million partnership with prediction market operator Kalshi. Gambling Insider reports that Ohio was the first to sever the relationship, doing so in June.
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Regulators cite Kalshi’s legal status
Ohio Casino Control Commission Executive Director Andromeda Morrison told Legal Sports Report the state acted to protect its own credibility. “I regret this action is necessary but trust you will understand the Commission’s need to ensure that it is not associated with organizations that are affiliated with companies engaged in illegal gambling in Ohio,” she said.
Kalshi’s event contracts on sporting outcomes remain contested across several US jurisdictions. Regulators in Ohio, Michigan and Nevada have all taken the position that the products function as sports betting, which is not permitted under Kalshi’s federal commodities licence.
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Funding model under scrutiny
The exits have renewed questions about how the NCPG, which describes itself as neutral on legalized gambling, sustains its work when much of its budget comes from the industry it monitors. Bally’s, FanDuel, DraftKings and Caesars all sponsored the NCPG’s 2026 Annual Conference in Nashville this summer.
NCPG Executive Director Heather L. Maurer defended the arrangement. “These resources are critical because the US provides no dedicated federal funding for problem gambling prevention, treatment, or research, despite the federal government collecting tax revenue generated from legalized gambling, which continues to expand nationwide,” she said, adding that the gap contrasts sharply with public spending on alcohol and tobacco harms.
Louis Ruggiero, a recovering gambling addict and host of the “Nothing’s Off the Table” podcast, has been a persistent critic. “The NCPG keeps saying a donation isn’t an endorsement,” he told Gambling Insider. “Kalshi didn’t write that check out of the goodness of their heart. They bought a seat at the table with the one organization whose name means something in problem gambling.”
Ruggiero argues the dependence softens accountability. “A sponsorship isn’t a commitment,” he said. “It’s a receipt. It’s what they point to when a regulator or a reporter comes asking questions.”
Why it matters north of the border
Ontario has its own funding structure for problem gambling supports, separate from the US model now under fire. Regulated operators licensed by iGaming Ontario are required to offer deposit limits, self-exclusion and other player-protection tools, and provincial resources such as ConnexOntario remain available for anyone affected by gambling harm.
Kalshi has not launched in Canada, but the dispute over its US sports-adjacent contracts continues to draw attention from regulators watching how prediction markets intersect with traditional gambling oversight.
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No date has been set for the NCPG to respond formally to the three regulators’ exits. Its next annual conference is expected in 2027.