New Jersey’s Council on Problem Gambling will next month consider legalizing sports betting and the surge in gambling addiction that has come with a proliferation of gambling apps and ads targeted at young people.
The 2024 conference, “Betting for Change: Confronting the Surge in Gambling Addiction,” will be held on Friday, Sept. 20, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the New Jersey Hospital Association, 760 Alexander Road in Princeton.
The council said calls to its 800-GAMBLER helpline have increased 277% since New Jersey legalized sports betting in 2018. In recent years, the demographics of callers have shifted to include a majority of young men for whom sports betting has become a full part of their lives.
The conference’s keynote and closing plenary sessions will address this issue and explore various aspects of sports betting, while other sessions will address the financial problems caused by problem gambling and restoring financial stability, as well as the path to recovery from problem gambling from both a personal and clinical perspective.
“Over the past six years, gambling has become increasingly ingrained in our society,” said Felicia Grondin, executive director of CCGNJ. “At our conference, our experts will give insightful presentations on gambling trends and their impacts. We will also provide a story of hope through one person who has recovered from a gambling addiction.”
To register to attend the conference or for more information regarding sponsorship and exhibit opportunities, please visit the New Jersey Council on Problem Gambling’s website here.
The nonprofit Council’s 1-800-GAMBLER Helpline and www.800gambler.org website are resources for thousands of people with a gambling problem, those in recovery, and their friends and family. The 1-800-GAMBLER Helpline is free, confidential, and available 24 hours a day in New Jersey and most parts of the United States.