New Jersey’s Youth Gambling Crisis Demands Legislative Action

ByMaya Harborlight

New Jersey’s gambling addiction hotline has seen a staggering 277% increase in calls since sports betting was legalized in 2018, with young adults representing the majority of those seeking help. At a Trenton conference Thursday, mental health professionals and advocates warned that gambling disorders are destroying families and called for urgent regulatory action to address what has become a public health crisis.

“There are just so many families who have a kid who is struggling and there are people whose close friends are lost. They’re being destroyed by this addiction,” said Mark Gottlieb, executive director of the Public Health Advocacy Institute at Northeastern University School of Law, according to NJ Spotlight News.

Youth Gambling Reaches Alarming Levels

Calls from parents seeking help for their children have increased by an astounding 800% over the past seven years, according to Luis Del Orbe, executive director of the Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey. The organization hosted Thursday’s conference as part of Problem Gambling Awareness Month, highlighting the growing risks as online betting continues to expand.

“We have people calling us who lost a brother to suicide, they lost their son to suicide, and they were 26 years old or 25 years old,” Gottlieb said. “They want to know what they can do. Their voice is not getting out there right now.”

The timing of these warnings coincides with the upcoming NCAA basketball tournaments, where Americans are expected to wager a record $3.1 billion this year, according to the American Gaming Association. This surge in sports betting creates additional risks for vulnerable populations, particularly young adults already immersed in sports culture.

Mental Health Impact and Suicide Risk

A 2023 Rutgers University report revealed disturbing connections between gambling disorders and mental health crises. The study found that approximately 28% of high-risk problem gamblers reported suicidal thoughts, 20% had attempted suicide, and 26% engaged in self-harm behaviors, according to the official report.

“They’re losing their families, they’re losing their jobs, they’re losing things that define them, and suicide ideation is something that’s very much part of the suffering a lot of these individuals do when it comes to problem gambling,” Del Orbe told WHYY.

Unlike substance abuse disorders, gambling addiction often lacks visible physical symptoms, making it easier to conceal from family members and friends until financial devastation occurs. This invisibility factor compounds the challenge of early intervention.

Micro-Betting Intensifies Addiction Risk

Experts at the conference identified micro-betting as a particularly dangerous development in online gambling. These rapid-fire wagers on individual plays throughout games—rather than just final outcomes—create constant dopamine releases that significantly increase addiction risks.

“They have the live-action betting; this, of course, encourages individuals to be more involved, that’s going to increase impulse decisions, it’s going to fuel chasing your losses,” Del Orbe explained. The quick succession of betting opportunities makes it nearly impossible for vulnerable users to step back and assess their behavior.

State Senator John McKeon has introduced a package of six bills to address what he describes as “the growing gambling crisis” in New Jersey. His legislation would restrict advertising, increase taxes on online betting platforms, establish mandatory warning notices, and fund addiction treatment programs.

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Proposed Solutions and Industry Response

Conference participants called for both state and federal action. At the federal level, advocates highlighted the SAFE Bet Act, recently reintroduced by U.S. Rep. Paul Tonko (D-NY) and U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), which would establish national oversight of the sports betting industry.

Governor Phil Murphy has proposed increasing the tax rate for both online gambling and sports betting from the current 13-15% to 25%, potentially generating an additional $400 million in revenue that could partially fund treatment programs.

Assemblymen Brian Bergen (R-Morris), who spoke at the conference, has sponsored bills that would prohibit online and television advertisements for sports wagering in New Jersey, addressing concerns about how marketing targets young people.

Gottlieb suggested that most legislators don’t fully comprehend the scope of harm that gambling products can cause. “I think most legislators don’t really fully understand the scope of the harm and the risk of harm that these products can cause, and how that will impact citizens in the long term,” he said.

In December, the state Department of Human Services allocated $720,000 for nonprofit organizations to expand treatment services for people with gambling disorders who also struggle with mental health conditions or substance use issues.

As public awareness grows and calls for action intensify, New Jersey finds itself at a crossroads between the economic benefits of legalized gambling and the mounting social costs that advocates say can no longer be ignored.

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