A new responsible gaming coordinator role is among the steps the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement has announced it is taking to further combat problem gambling.
The Garden State’s regulator is also setting new advertising standards for operators and making it easier for players to access self-exclusion tools.
Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin and David Rebuck, director of the DGE, announced the initiatives at the East Coast Gaming Congress at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Atlantic City.
Platkin said the creation of the new, “senior level” position at the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement – which will be filled by an experienced attorney – will send a “clear message that we take this work seriously.”
The new advertising rules include operators being required to display New Jersey’s 1-800-GAMBLER hotline in their promotions, as well as limiting advertising in locations where it would tempt people under the age of 21 to play. Operators must also make wagering requirements clear and remove promises of “risk-free” bets if the customer will not be fully compensated for the loss of their funds.
Platkin also announced the addition of a video-conference option to its self-exclusion package, allowing players another route to seek help alongside the current methods of in-person appointments and online applications.
A 24/7 hotline will subsequently be established to assist customers through the self-exclusion process.
Rebuck said: “We have seen tremendous growth in sports wagering and online gaming in New Jersey.
“In the face of that boom, we have a duty to protect the public from advertising that could be misleading or harmful.
“And for those in the grip of gambling addiction, we need to offer as many exit ramps from their condition as possible.”