NBA and WNBA roll out responsible gambling campaign with NCPG

The NBA and WNBA have launched a responsible gambling campaign aimed at warning fans about the risks of sports betting and prediction markets, running across the 2026-27 season, according to EGR.

The initiative, developed with the National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG), will push customers to set limits on time and money spent on betting and prediction market platforms, avoid risking more than they can afford, and seek help if their habits become hard to manage.

A new advertisement forms the centrepiece of the campaign and will air across social and linear channels owned or affiliated with the NBA and WNBA.

In a statement, the NBA said both sports betting and prediction market trading "can put fans at meaningful risk when not done responsibly", warning that unchecked participation can damage mental wellbeing and relationships with family and friends, not just finances.

The league added that the campaign will stress that expertise offers no protection: fans' money remains at risk regardless of how much they believe they know about sport, and the activities should be treated as entertainment rather than a route to income.

The NBA described the effort as an extension of its existing responsible gaming education work with the NCPG, now broadened to reach WNBA audiences as well. Both leagues will direct fans to NCPG resources designed to help them recognise signs of gambling-related harm.

NCPG board president Derek Longmeier said "awareness is an important first step in preventing gambling-related harm," adding that the organisation was "proud to support a campaign that brings greater visibility to the risks of sports betting and prediction markets and puts education at the forefront".

The campaign lands against a backdrop of rapid growth in prediction markets. Figures from investment bank Macquarie, cited by EGR earlier this month, project taker volume on prediction markets reaching $187bn in 2026.

Prediction markets operator Kalshi joined the NCPG in May, committing $2m to initiatives focused on what it called trader health and safety. The Michigan Gaming Control Board and the Nevada Council on Problem Gambling both withdrew from the NCPG in the months that followed.

The NCPG has also seen leadership turnover tied to the fallout from Kalshi's involvement. Director of programmes Jaime Costello announced her early departure last month, and executive director Heather Maurer left days later, having held the role for less than a year.