NCPG director Heather Maurer exits amid Kalshi controversy
She leaves less than a year in, after a Kalshi deal that led organisations in four states to quit the council.
Key Takeaways
- Heather Maurer has stepped down as executive director of the National Council on Problem Gambling less than a year after joining in November 2025. The NCPG gave no reason.
- NCPG has launched a search for her replacement.
- In May, NCPG announced a multi-year agreement with Kalshi and made it the first member of its Financial Services & Trading category. Several organisations left as a result.
US.- Heather Maurer has stepped down as executive director of the National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) less than a year after taking the position. The council has already launched a search for her replacement and said its advocacy, programmes and services will continue during the process.
Maurer joined the NCPG in November 2025, replacing former executive director Keith Whyte, who left the organisation in January 2025 after 27 years. The NCPG did not provide a reason for Maurer’s departure.
Maurer’s exit follows controversy surrounding NCPG’s partnership with Kalshi. In May, the organisation announced a multi-year agreement that included a US$ 2 m investment from Kalshi, while making the company the first member of its new Financial Services & Trading membership category.
The arrangement drew criticism from several states and other non-profit organisations, including NCPG members involved in legal disputes with Kalshi. The Michigan Gaming Control Board (MGCB) withdrew from the National Council. Organisations in Nevada, Ohio and Washington have since left and Minnesota state Senator John Marty has called on the council to revoke the prediction market operator’s membership. The states argue that the company’s event contracts can function as sports betting without the required licences, while also allowing users aged 18 and older in jurisdictions where sports betting generally has a 21-year minimum age.
The NCPG has maintained that its position on the legality of prediction markets is neutral and that membership or financial support from Kalshi does not represent an endorsement. “NCPG exists not to litigate whether prediction markets or other emerging activities meet a legal definition of gambling, but to prevent and reduce gambling-related harm wherever it occurs,” said board president Derek Longmeier on September 22.
NCPG has seen changes involving the national problem gambling helpline. In September 2025, a New Jersey court ordered the council to stop using the 1-800-GAMBLER number after it failed to reach a new licensing agreement with the Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey (CCGNJ), which owns the number. It launched 1-800-MY-RESET as a new 24-hour support service, while CCGNJ continues to operate 1-800-GAMBLER.
Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
- Why did Heather Maurer leave NCPG? NCPG has not given a reason. Her exit follows controversy over the council’s partnership with Kalshi.
- What is NCPG’s partnership with Kalshi? In May, NCPG announced a multi-year agreement that includes a US$2 million investment from Kalshi. It made the company the first member of its Financial Services & Trading category and added it to the Leadership Circle. NCPG says this is not an endorsement of prediction markets.
