New Jersey AG Confirms Launch of Responsible Gaming Awareness Campaign

Currently, March is recognized as Problem Gambling Awareness Month, a period during which organizations across the globe help raise awareness of problem gambling, highlighting the importance of treatment, prevention and recovery from gambling harm. Amid the Problem Gambling Awareness Month, New Jersey Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin announced the launch of a new public awareness campaign that seeks to curb problem gambling and help dedicate more resources toward responsible gaming.

The recently launched campaign will last for a year. After its launch, it will focus on important sports events throughout the year, including March Madness. The initiative will continue through Super Bowl LIX in 2025. Ultimately, the campaign in New Jersey will seek to raise awareness about responsible gambling, encouraging bettors and gamblers to use the responsible gaming tools offered by licensed gambling operators.

Encouraging responsible play seeks to help reduce the risk of harm and problem gambling. At the same time, consumers will be offered access to resources and tools that help them identify whether a gambling activity is compulsory by providing insights. Messages within the Responsible Gaming Public Awareness Campaign will remind bettors to take a careful approach toward wagering, especially during live events when they could be emotional or have consumed alcoholic beverages.

Some $300,000 is dedicated toward the year-long campaign that was created by the marketing agency in Whippany, New Jersey, Marketsmith. The campaign leverages valuable input, and it is supported by the state’s gambling regulator, the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement, as well as the Office of the Attorney General.

The State Has Obligation to Provide Responsible Gaming Resources

The launch of the new campaign comes after last year, research by Rutgers University delved into the rate of problem gambling in the state. At the time, the study uncovered that the overall rate of high-risk gambling in New Jersey is nearly 6%, a result significantly higher when compared to the average on a national level which is between 1% and 2%. What’s more concerning is that the rate of gamblers who gambled in-person and online was close to doubling in 2023 to 36% from only 19% in 2017.

“As we learn more and more about the effects of problem gambling, especially following the legalization of sports wagering, we have an obligation to provide resources and support to the public on responsible gaming.“

Matthew J. Platkin, New Jersey Attorney General

Attorney General Platkin revealed that an overwhelming majority of people enjoy legal gambling without any issues. However, he said that it is imperative for the state to offer solutions and support for those affected by problem gambling. Finally, Platkin confirmed that the state is obliged to provide support and resources for responsible gaming, amid the ongoing expansion of sports wagering.