NCPG Leadership Turnover Mounts Under Kalshi Deal Scrutiny

Jonathan Rodriguez

Written by: Jonathan Rodriguez

Published: Wed Sep 30, 2026, 10:00 am ET

Read Time: 4 minutes

NCPG Leadership Turnover Mounts Under Kalshi Deal Scrutiny

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The National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) has started another executive search after Heather Maurer resigned. Maurer will remain through October 16 to support the leadership transition.

The NCPG confirmed her departure on September 28 but did not provide a reason. Her resignation comes less than a year after she took the position in January 2026.

Maurer succeeded Keith Whyte, who left the NCPG in January 2025 after 27 years with the organization. The council is now preparing for another leadership transition within two years.

The timing also comes amid continued scrutiny of the NCPG's relationship with prediction market operator Kalshi. The partnership has created tensions with several state regulators and problem-gambling organizations.

Kalshi Committed $2 Million to NCPG Initiative

In May, Kalshi committed $2 million over two years to support an NCPG initiative focused on trader health and safety.

The partnership also created the NCPG's new Financial Services & Trading Subcategory. Kalshi became its first member and received Platinum-level membership.

The initiative aims to expand responsible-trading education across financial products. Those products include options, cryptocurrencies, futures and prediction markets.

The NCPG has defended the arrangement while maintaining neutrality on prediction-market legality. Instead, the organization says it focuses on reducing gambling-related harm.

Last week, NCPG Board President Derek Longmeier issued a statement defending that position. He said prediction markets can expose consumers to risks associated with traditional gambling.

Longmeier also stressed that membership or investment does not constitute an endorsement of a company's products. The NCPG maintains that its mission remains focused on preventing and reducing gambling-related harm.

That distinction has become increasingly important as prediction markets expand alongside traditional betting products. Consumers now encounter overlapping products across US online sportsbooks, US online casinos and prediction platforms.

State Regulators Opposed the Kalshi Partnership

The partnership also drew criticism from regulators involved in legal disputes with Kalshi.

Michigan provides one example. The Michigan Gaming Control Board withdrew from the NCPG after raising concerns about the partnership.

Its executive director said the relationship could undermine state enforcement actions against Kalshi. Michigan regulators have challenged Kalshi's sports-related contracts under the state's gambling laws.

Nevada and Ohio have also taken regulatory or legal action involving Kalshi's sports contracts. Those disputes helped create a wider conflict between state enforcement positions and the NCPG's relationship with Kalshi.

Several organizations subsequently ended their NCPG relationships. Those departures included groups from Ohio, Michigan, Nevada and Washington.

The issue is particularly significant because some departing organizations operate in states actively challenging Kalshi's sports-market operations.

Costello Clarifies Reason for Her Departure

Maurer's resignation followed the departure of NCPG Director of Programs Jaime Costello.

Costello initially said the organization's environment had shifted over the previous year. She wrote that she could no longer reconcile those changes with how she believed the work should be done.

She also said her final day came sooner than planned and "not by my choice." Those comments prompted speculation that her departure reflected disagreement with the Kalshi partnership.

However, Costello later clarified that interpretation in an interview. She said she did not leave because of Kalshi's funding or membership.

Instead, Costello described her decision as personal and tied to workplace culture. She said the environment had changed in ways that affected professionalism, collaboration and communication.

Costello also emphasized that her values still align strongly with the NCPG's mission. She said her concerns centered on the organization's internal working culture rather than a specific donation or initiative.

That clarification is important when assessing the recent leadership turnover. While Costello's departure occurred amid the Kalshi controversy, she has explicitly rejected the idea that Kalshi caused her resignation.

The NCPG has likewise not publicly linked Maurer's departure to the Kalshi partnership.

NCPG Faces Another Leadership Transition

The NCPG must now identify its next executive director while managing continued scrutiny of its Kalshi relationship.

The organization has also lost several members amid disagreements over prediction markets. Meanwhile, state regulators continue pursuing separate legal challenges involving Kalshi.

The next executive director will inherit questions about partnerships, membership and the NCPG's approach to emerging betting products.

For now, the council says its advocacy, programs and services will continue during the search. Its leadership transition arrives as the debate over prediction-market regulation continues across the US.

Jonathan Rodriguez
Jonathan Rodriguez

Jonathan is an avid basketball fan, and is often looking forward to the next upcoming NBA season when not checking players' stats during games. He also likes to keep his ears on the ground for the latest rumblings in the online casino industry.

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