Addicted to the casinos? NJ offers virtual way to self-exclude

New Jersey has announced two new tools to assist people who fear that they're addicted to gambling.

Live now are a toll-free number and a video conferencing option for individuals who want to block themselves from legally gambling any further.

At 1-833-788-4DGE, individuals can contact the Division of Gaming Enforcement to learn about and initiate the self-exclusion process for online and/or in-person betting.

Users can use the phone call to a set up an in-person appointment with DGE staff, or they can take advantage of the second new tool, a video conference with DGE personnel.

"The efforts announced today (Monday) underscore our commitment to helping problem gamblers by expanding the entry points for self-exclusion and other methods to receive assistance," said Attorney General Matthew Platkin.

There's also an online form for individuals who want to self-exclude, but that's specifically related to internet wagers. Until now, in-person visits were required for self-exclusion from brick-and-mortar casino gambling.

April 2023 was the second-highest grossing month, after March 2023, for New Jersey's online casinos since online play was legalized a decade ago.

New Jersey officials teased the new tools during an April announcement about a crackdown on betting advertisements.

In May, New Jersey announced Deputy Attorney General Jamie McKelvey as the state's first Responsible Gaming Coordinator.

If you or anyone you know has a gambling problem, call 1-800-GAMBLER.

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Places in NJ where gun owners have sued to carry a legal gun

New Jersey passed its own law in December, trying to ban legal guns from “sensitive places.”

A federal judge found many of those spots to be legally protected on grounds of armed self-defense, noting in her opinion, “Crowded locations are not sensitive places."

As of June, a federal appeals court granted the state attorney general's request to keep part of the law that bars people from carrying handguns in “sensitive places” in effect.

The decision means handguns cannot be carried in places such as zoos, public parks, public libraries and museums, bars, and health care facilities.

The law bars handguns from being carried in those places as well as schools and child care facilities. The lower court's May injunction did not specify those locations, and the appeals court also didn't remove the prohibition in those places.

Gallery Credit: Erin Vogt & The Associated Press