The number of people with gambling disorders in New Jersey is four times the national average, according to a recent report by the Rutgers University Center for Gambling Studies. The report claimed the accessibility of casino gambling has resulted in one out of every 16 adults in the state reporting symptoms of a serious gambling problem.
The report stated, “The convenience and speed inherent in gambling online, combined with land-based opportunities like casinos, racetracks, convenience-store lotteries and poker tournaments, will increase the likelihood that individuals will gamble more frequently. Increased frequency, in turn, leads to increased losses over time as well as to habituation and cognitive distortions that challenge the notion of randomness and chance and fuel chasing behavior and continued play.”
Lia Nower, director of the center, said, “For most people, gambling is recreation. But the more games you play, the more often you gamble and the more venues you frequent, the more likely you are to develop a problem. We have to educate people on what is recreation and what is a problem.”
A total of 3,634 people were surveyed for the report. More than 6 percent met the criteria for having a gambling disorder, and nearly 15 percent reported gambling problems. Nearly 70 percent reported gambling in the past year, with 75 percent visiting casinos, 19 percent visiting casinos and gambling online and 5 percent gambling online. The rates are significantly higher than studies conducted in 1989 and 1999, according to the report.
Neva Pryor, executive director of the Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey, said, “This study will help us to target the areas that need attention the most. With the overall prevalence rates being higher compared to studies in the past, we know that it is extremely important to get out the message of support, treatment and hope to all residents of the state of New Jersey.”
