HAMILTON TWP., N.J. - Since online sports betting was legalized in New Jersey in 2018, phones at 1-800-GAMBLER have been ringing off the hook. The confidential line that serves all of New Jersey and parts of Pennsylvania, including the Lehigh Valley and Philadelphia-area, is expected to get even busier as March Madness approaches.<\/p>\n
\"Good morning. This is the 800-GAMBLER Helpline. Phil speaking,\" is how 1-800-GAMBLER peer support specialist Phil Glick answers countless calls.<\/p>\n
Losses range from $2,000 to $500,000 among those Glick talks to about their problems with online sports betting.<\/p>\n
\"The money is part of it, but it's not the number-one issue,\" said Glick. \"It's what's going on in their brain.\"<\/p>\n
He knows, since he considers himself a gambling addict in recovery, for nearly four years.<\/p>\n
\"I was probably 30 days away from prison, insanity or death,\" said Glick.<\/p>\n
But he got help and uses that first-hand knowledge to give back to others. It's been needed, especially during the pandemic.<\/p>\n
\"People are inundated with advertisements,\" said Felicia Grodin, the executive director at the Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey.<\/p>\n
\"Wake up in the morning and oh what teams are playing? What games are going on? During the game, they're eight to 10 ads about gambling sites,\" said Glick.<\/p>\n
Everything's at the tip of your fingers, until you have nothing left.<\/p>\n
\"When people call here, they're at their lowest point,\" said Glick. \"Often, they want to stop and can't stop.\"<\/p>\n
Lots of people give fake names, which Glick doesn't mind, since he's just happy they're getting help.<\/p>\n
When necessary, Glick connects callers with mental health professionals.<\/p>\n
Other times, he sets them up with software to block sports betting programs, gets them into Gamblers Anonymous meetings, introduces them to counselors or gets them on the state self-exclusion list.<\/p>\n
Then, there's conversations with family members, where he tells them you can love someone, without loving what they're doing, and to stop sending money that can fuel an addiction.<\/p>\n
\"That's a tough piece of advice to give,\" said Glick.<\/p>\n
Last year, the Garden State broke records, when nearly $11 billion was wagered in sports betting, generating over $100 million in tax revenue.<\/p>\n
The American Gaming Association reports New Jersey had the most sports wagering handled for 2021.<\/p>\n
However, the negative impacts of online sports betting have prompted some to ask: is it worth it? Glick answered that question with more questions: \"Is New Jersey debt free? Are the roads perfect? Is every school awesome?\"<\/p>\n
It's something each person can decide for themselves.<\/p>\n
The New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement wasn't available for an interview.<\/p>\n
It said in a statement, \"We do have many responsible gaming protocols in place. For example, there is the DGE self-exclusion list, where patrons who wish to can exclude themselves from playing at both the brick-and-mortar casinos as well as online gaming and sports wagering sites. We also offer an online-gaming-only self-exclusion option.\"<\/p>\n
The state says as of the beginning of February, there were 2,009 individuals self-excluded from Atlantic City casino properties, which also includes online gaming websites. 12,646 people chose the online-gaming-only self-exclusion option.<\/p>\n
The Division isn't who decides, whether gaming or wagering policy or law, but it focuses on compliance with existing rules and laws.<\/p>\n
Glick acknowledges many wager small amounts as a hobby but insists there's a huge need to save those in too deep.<\/p>\n
\"We have 45 or so providers in the state that have been approved, gone through our training to deal with this addiction,\" said Glick.<\/p>\n
The Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey says that's not enough to deal with the increasing need.<\/p>\n
\"It's a hidden addiction, and it's one that needs to be paid attention to to a much greater degree,\" said Grodin. \"I believe that the state needs to partner with us to administer a joint public service announcement, much like those that were done for alcohol and drug addiction.\"<\/p>\n
\"They can't have it one way of, 'we're gonna allow all this legal gambling, and then we're not gonna have the resources to deal with it,\" said Glick.<\/p>\n
The Division says the distribution of gaming-related funding is governed by the Casino Control Act. In the meantime, Glick is focused on providing support, treatment, and most importantly, hope.<\/p>\n
\"If they give it a real effort for 30 days, they're going to see some light at the end of the tunnel,\" said Glick.<\/p>\n
Glick says if you know someone who has a gambling problem, try your best to slow it down.<\/p>\n
\"If it's a son or daughter, or a parent who's getting up there in years, take control of their money if you can, if they will let you do that,\" said Glick.<\/p>\n
He also recommends calling companies your loved ones owe money to.<\/p>\n
\"Say, 'can you close this account? Can you put a hold on this account? We'll pay. We're going to pay you back what's owed, but we may do it over a number of weeks, months or years,\" said Glick.<\/p>\n
The 1-800-GAMBLER website has links to dozens of different kinds of resources.<\/p>\n
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Read more:<\/p>\n
A day in the busy life of a gambling help expert, as NJ's online sports betting continues to break records - WFMZ Allentown<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" HAMILTON TWP., N.J. Continue reading