With professional and collegiate fall sports underway, many people in New Jersey and across the country are regularly placing bets during sporting events.

While many gamble in moderation, some wrestle with a gambling habit that can lead to financial ruin, strained relationships and thoughts of suicide. Across the country, 2.5 million adults are estimated to meet the criteria for a severe gambling problem in any given year, according to the National Council on Problem Gambling.

Since 2018, the year New Jersey legalized sports betting, the Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey has seen a 277% increase in calls to its 800-GAMBLER helpline, with a shift to many more calls from young adults, according to the council. Most of these calls are from young men betting on sports, according to the council, which said this rise in helpline calls illustrates the surge in problem gambling the conference aimed to address.

Read more at NJ Spotlight News