The NBA and WNBA will launch a responsible gaming campaign with the National Council on Problem Gambling during the 2026-27 NBA season, directing particular attention to young adults and the risks associated with sports betting and prediction-market trading.
The campaign will stress that knowledge of basketball does not remove financial risk. It will frame betting and trading as entertainment rather than a means of earning income, while urging participants to set limits on both time and money and never stake money they cannot afford to lose.
A campaign spot will run through the leagues’ social and linear platforms, including NBA- and WNBA-owned channels and partner outlets. The NBA said further details on the creative material and its debut timing will be released later.
The messages will also address the effects of gambling that becomes difficult to control. The leagues said those effects can go beyond financial losses to mental well-being and relationships with family and friends. Fans will be directed to education and resources intended to help them identify gambling problems and find support.
ResponsiblePlay.org will carry responsible gaming information and resources. People concerned about their own gambling or that of a loved one can call or text 1-800-MY-RESET for free, confidential support available around the clock.
The initiative expands the NBA’s existing responsible-gaming education work with the NCPG to WNBA audiences. The nonprofit works on preventing and reducing problem-gambling harms through prevention, education, advocacy, research and support resources.
The campaign comes as sports betting has become widely available in the United States. A Cornell Journal of Law and Public Policy article noted that 39 states permitted sports betting in some form by 2025, following the Supreme Court’s 2018 Murphy decision striking down the federal prohibition on states legalizing such wagering.
Scott Kaufman-Ross, the NBA’s head of media distribution and partnerships, said changing forms of sports engagement made it important for fans to understand the risks of putting money on outcomes. Colie Edison, the WNBA’s chief growth officer, said bringing the campaign to WNBA audiences would offer more fans practical guidance on financial risk, limits and where to find support.
