Every March, New Jersey turns its attention to a public health issue that hides in plain sight.
There are no track marks, no slurred speech, no empty bottles. Gambling addiction is invisible, and that invisibility is precisely what makes it so dangerous.
This month, the New Jersey Lottery and the Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey (CCGNJ) have launched their 2026 Problem Gambling Awareness Month campaign under the theme “Shine a Light and Take a Stand: Unmasking the Hidden Epidemic.” The initiative aligns with the National Council on Problem Gambling’s broader 2026 effort, “Caring Communities, Stronger Futures,” and represents the most ambitious awareness push the state has undertaken to date.
The urgency is backed by numbers.
Since New Jersey legalized online sports betting in 2018, calls to the CCGNJ’s 1-800-GAMBLER helpline have nearly quadrupled. The explosion of mobile wagering apps, combined with relentless advertising from sportsbook operators, has created an environment where gambling is no longer something you go out to do. It’s now something that follows you home, into your pocket, and onto every screen you own.
What the 2026 Campaign Looks Like
This year’s effort goes well beyond public service announcements. The NJ Lottery is embedding responsible gaming messaging directly into the spaces where betting culture is most active. Messaging will be integrated into events and platforms connected to the New York Red Bulls, Rutgers Basketball, the New Jersey Devils, the Trenton Thunder, and New Jersey Motorsports Park.
On the digital side, the Lottery is producing weekly social media video content and running responsible gaming graphics during live sporting events and across its digital platforms throughout March.
The CCGNJ is simultaneously conducting community outreach, providing free educational programming, and staffing its 24-hour confidential helpline.
The NJ Lottery also recently received Level 4 recertification from the World Lottery Association. This is the highest standard for responsible gaming practices.
The Campaign’s Core Goals
The 2026 initiative is organized around several key objectives
- Breaking the stigma by reframing gambling addiction as a treatable public health condition rather than a personal failure.
- Expanding access to the 1-800-GAMBLER helpline and the CCGNJ’s prevention and treatment network.
- Reaching people where gambling happens through sports venue partnerships.
- Deploying digital-first outreach with weekly video content aimed at younger, mobile-first audiences.
- Sustaining year-round accountability through quarterly campaigns like “Not 18 Yet? No Bet” and “Gift Responsibly”.
- Encouraging self-assessment through the Positive Play Quiz on NJLottery.com, which helps players evaluate their own gambling habits before a problem develops.
Why It’s Called a “Hidden Epidemic”
Unlike substance use disorders, problem gambling rarely leaves visible evidence. A person struggling with a gambling disorder can maintain appearances for months or years while quietly accumulating debt, lying to family members, and withdrawing from relationships.
Warning signs include spending more money or time gambling than intended, chasing losses, hiding gambling activity, borrowing money to gamble, feeling restless when trying to stop, neglecting responsibilities, gambling to escape stress, and repeated failed attempts to cut back.
Getting Help
If you or someone you know is struggling with gambling, help is free, confidential, and available 24/7. Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit 800gambler.org.
Additional resources, including the Positive Play Quiz, are available at NJLottery.com. The 1-800-GAMBLER number is printed on every NJ Lottery ticket, brochure, and piece of signage, and appears in all of the Lottery’s broadcast advertising.
