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New Jersey state Sen. John F. McKeon is urging a public health approach to gambling addiction. His priorities include prevention, marketplace safeguards and better access to care.
In a opinion essay published by NJ.com Sunday, McKeon cited a 2023 Rutgers University study. It found 5.6% of New Jersey residents were considered high-risk problem gamblers, he wrote. He described that rate as about three times the national average.
McKeon Points to Gambling-Related Health Risks
The same study found nearly 28% of high-risk problem gamblers surveyed reported suicidal thoughts, according to McKeon. Twenty percent reported having attempted suicide.
McKeon argues that gambling problems can involve debt, damaged relationships, lost jobs and serious behavioral health challenges. He says those consequences warrant attention beyond casinos and gambling regulators.
New Jersey has embraced Atlantic City casinos, online gaming and sports betting. McKeon says gambling is now available on phones, often around the clock.
He also points to prediction markets, artificial intelligence, social media and new payment technologies as changing the marketplace. For young people, he argues, the distinctions between gambling, gaming and investing can feel increasingly blurred.
Education, Safeguards and Treatment Access
McKeon’s proposed approach starts with prevention and education.
“A bet is not an investment, and an investment should not be treated like a bet,” he wrote.
He also calls for collaboration among the gambling industry, regulators, technology companies, educators and public health experts. Their focus would be understanding market changes and safeguards.
“The goal is not to eliminate legitimate entertainment or economic activity,” McKeon wrote. “It is to make sure innovation does not move faster than responsibility.”
On treatment, he urges New Jersey to assess existing capacity, identify gaps and prepare its behavioral health system for future needs.
“No New Jersey resident or family in crisis should have to struggle to figure out where to turn or whether treatment is available.”
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Source: As reported by NJ.com.
