DraftKings Stadium? NJ Group Makes Predictions About Sports Betting

The Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey is neither for nor against wagering on sports, but the organization is worried that the growing popularity of sports betting will result in a greater number of Garden State residents becoming hooked on the habit.

In a webinar hosted by the group during Problem Gambling Awareness Month, peer gambling recovery specialist Phil Glick said he believes the major sites that handle these bets, as well as casinos, will make their names known in more ways and by more people, opening the door to sports betting for those who may not have given it a thought beforehand.

"I don't know if we're quite there yet, but I don't think we're very far away from the FanDuel Arena or the DraftKings Stadium," Glick said. "That's a negative to me."

These entities may also get their names on to players' uniforms, Glick suggested, to get in front of more eyes.

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"We've got to be a little bit better than that, I think," said Glick, who struggled with a gambling addiction and currently helps others with the same issue.

Glick said he wouldn't be surprised to see sportsbooks attached or next to stadiums and arenas in New Jersey in the future. As of now, only specific sites are permitted to accept sports wagers in the state.

The numbers easily show that more sports bets are coming in on a regular basis, ever since legal sports betting got the green light in New Jersey in June 2018. New Jersey sportsbooks collected $10.94 billion in bets in 2019, compared to less than $5 billion in 2019, according to the Division of Gaming Enforcement.

New York's entrance into sports betting may put a dent in New Jersey's numbers, now than New Yorkers don't have to come over the bridge to place online bets.

Possible warning signs for problem gambling:

• Wagering increasing amounts
• Being preoccupied with gambling and acquiring gambling money
• Trying to cut back or stop gambling, without success
• Feeling restless
• Gambling for escape
• Chasing losses
• Lying to friends and family
• Asking for bailouts
• Losing or risking relationships