NCPG addresses prediction market risks amid Kalshi partnership scrutiny

The rapid growth of prediction markets has prompted the National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) to address the potential risks and societal impacts of these platforms.

In a recent statement, NCPG President Derek Longmeier emphasized that prediction markets present significant gambling-related risks, reinforcing the Council’s commitment to addressing these concerns.

Longmeier's statement reads: ‘’Regardless of how prediction markets are currently legally defined, NCPG believes it is functionally gambling and can expose consumers to many of the same risks and harms associated with traditional gambling…

‘’NCPG is neutral on whether prediction markets should be legal. We are not neutral on the need to prevent and reduce gambling-related harm wherever it occurs.’’

What is interesting is that this statement follows scrutiny of NCPG  by state-level gambling harms councils and regulators because of its partnership with Kalshi.

Earlier this month, the Ohio Casino Control Commission withdrew its membership from NCPG. The Michigan Gaming Control Board and Nevada Council on Problem Gambling previously departed the organization earlier in 2026, while the Massachusetts Gaming Commission is also weighing the possibility.

Indeed, in May, Kalshi joined NCPG as a platinum-level member, becoming the first organization in the Financial Services & Trading Subcategory. It committed to a $2m, two-year investment in initiatives focused on trader health and safety.

Now, Longmeier notes that NCPG has always been transparent that it is a donor-supported organization given its nonprofit status. He added that many of its donors are gambling operators. According to him, this allows NCPG to go where the harm is, despite the lack of federal funding.

Thus, the NCPG maintains that accepting donor support does not equate to endorsing those donors. The Council reiterated that membership, funding, or collaboration does not grant any individual or organization influence over NCPG’s research, advocacy, policy positions or public statements.