In New Jersey, a bet is never far away. Atlantic City’s casinos are one option. Licensed online casinos and sportsbooks live on your phone. For most people, betting stays a form of entertainment. For others, it turns into problem gambling that costs them money, trust, and sleep.
And that’s where Better Bet comes in. Our NJ-licensed therapists provide gambling addiction treatment via secure video, so you can get support from home. You don’t need to hit rock bottom first.
Need Help Right Now?
Gambling debt and shame can leave you feeling trapped. If that’s where you are presently, reach out.
- Thinking about suicide or unable to stay safe? Call or text 988, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. It’s free, confidential, and open 24/7.
- Are you in immediate danger? Call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room.
- Need gambling-specific support? Call or text 1-800-GAMBLER, New Jersey’s 24/7 helpline. It’s both free and confidential.
Remember that reaching out in a crisis takes immense courage. More importantly, it also opens a way forward.
Does This Sound Familiar?
You convince yourself that you can stop at any time and that you’re in control of your vice. Then payday comes around or Super Bowl Sunday, and you’re back where you started.
Ask yourself honestly: Does any of this sound like you?
- Betting more than you planned to
- Chasing losses with one more wager
- Hiding bank statements or borrowing money you can’t explain
- Feeling restless or irritable when you try to cut back
- Needing bigger bets to feel the same rush
- Thinking about gambling when you’re at work, with family, or trying to sleep
- Promising yourself you’ll stop, then going back again
- Gambling to escape stress, loneliness, or a low mood
- Asking others for money to cover debts or bills
- Putting your job, schooling, or relationships at risk because of betting
You don’t need to tick every box. If gambling keeps winning the argument, that’s reason enough to talk to someone. Left untreated, gambling problems tend to escalate: debts grow, secrets get harder to keep, and stress, anxiety, and depression often deepen. Gambling disorder is a treatable mental health condition, and help works best before a crisis hits.
Gambling Addiction Treatment From Better Bet in New Jersey
Better Bet is a treatment provider. Our own licensed therapists deliver gambling addiction treatment by secure video. New Jersey clients work with a therapist licensed in New Jersey who specializes in gambling disorder. This is outpatient treatment built on individual therapy, so there’s no inpatient stay and no time away from work or family.
That means you can meet from home, wherever you are in the Garden State. Sessions fit around work, shifts, and family. There’s no clinic to visit and no waiting room where you might run into someone you know.
Here’s what you can expect:
- An initial assessment of how gambling shows up in your life
- A treatment plan built around your goals and schedule
- Evidence-based therapy, including CBT and motivational interviewing
- Confidential care from start to finish
You don’t need a diagnosis to start, and there’s no pressure to commit. Whenever you’re ready to talk, complete our short, confidential form.
Your First Month With Us
Starting treatment can feel like a big step. It helps to know what happens next. Fortunately, the path is short and clear.
It starts when you reach out. Complete our short, confidential form, or call us at (631) 887-3234, and tell us how you’d like us to contact you. Either way, we respond within one business day.
Next comes a free consultation. It’s a private conversation and a brief assessment, with no obligation. We ask about your situation and answer any questions you may have. From there, we book your first virtual session with a New Jersey-licensed therapist.
In the following weeks, you and your therapist start on the practical work. Expect to:
- Map the triggers and high-risk situations behind your urges
- Practice tools that help you ride out your cravings
- Challenge the thinking traps that keep you betting
- Put financial safeguards in place
That said, no two treatment plans look alike. Your therapist shapes yours around your triggers and life. Along the way, you build a relapse prevention plan and a crisis plan. You will keep both after treatment ends.
Built Around Life in the Garden State
Betting in New Jersey has moved onto phones. A 2023 Rutgers report found the share of gamblers who bet only online nearly tripled since 2017, from about 5% to nearly 15%. Among gamblers, the share who bet both online and in person nearly doubled, from 19% to 36%.
Treatment can meet you in the same place. Better Bet serves residents across the state, from Bergen County to Cape May. You skip the Turnpike, the Parkway, and the waiting room. Sessions fit around your shifts and your family.
New Jersey Tools That Work Alongside Therapy
Therapy works best with guardrails around it. Casino gambling in Atlantic City, racetrack sportsbooks, online casinos, and mobile sports betting are all legal in New Jersey. The state also has several protections, and your therapist can help you put them in place.
Self-Exclusion Through the DGE
The Division of Gaming Enforcement (DGE) regulates casinos and licensed online gambling in New Jersey. It also runs the state’s Self-Exclusion Program.
You can bar yourself from Atlantic City casinos and racetrack sports wagering facilities, from online gaming and sports betting, or from both. You choose the length: one year, five years, or lifetime. A lifetime exclusion can’t be reversed, so choose with care.
You can enroll in person or by video call. Online-only exclusion can also be done through the DGE website, for one or five years. Need help signing up? Call the DGE at 1-833-788-4DGE.
800-GAMBLER
The Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey (CCGNJ) runs 800-GAMBLER. It’s free, confidential, and open 24/7. You or a loved one can call or text. Additionally, CCGNJ shares information on treatment and support.
Peer Support
Gamblers Anonymous holds support group meetings across New Jersey every week. You can find one through GA or CCGNJ. Gam-Anon offers meetings for partners, family, and friends. Both are free and can run alongside therapy. Neither is affiliated with Better Bet.
Financial Safeguards
For many people, money is where gambling harm shows up first: maxed-out cards, missed bills, loans from family, or debt that feels impossible to climb out of. Therapy addresses the urge to gamble, but rebuilding financial stability matters just as much for staying in recovery.
Your therapist can help you put practical safeguards in place, such as:
- Handing day-to-day control of your accounts or cards to someone you trust for a while
- Limiting access to cash, removing saved cards from betting apps, and turning on bank gambling blocks where available
- Building a simple personal budget that covers essentials first
- Listing every debt so you can see the full picture instead of guessing
- Working toward a realistic debt repayment plan, with help from a financial counselor if needed
One rule matters most: trying to win the money back is the strategy that reliably makes things worse. Recovery starts when the debt becomes a problem to plan around, not a reason to place another bet.
How We Treat Gambling Disorder
Gambling disorder is a recognized mental health condition, which means problem gambling is treatable. Our therapists use the following approaches that have the strongest evidence behind them.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
CBT targets the thinking that keeps gambling going. Think of the belief that a win is due after a losing streak. You learn to spot these thoughts and replace them with realistic ones.
Motivational Interviewing (MI)
Part of you may still want to gamble. That’s normal. Motivational interviewing helps you sort through mixed feelings and build your own reasons for wanting change. You won’t be lectured.
Relapse Prevention
A slip doesn’t mean treatment has failed. Together, you learn to spot early warning signs and interrupt them. You also leave with a relapse prevention plan to guide your aftercare.
Holistic Support
Gambling disorder is a behavioral addiction that shares a lot with substance use disorders, and it rarely travels alone. Depression, anxiety, ADHD, and substance abuse often show up alongside it as co-occurring disorders, so your therapist looks at the full picture, including other compulsive behaviors. Family therapy can help when trust at home needs rebuilding.
No medication is FDA-approved for gambling disorder. Some prescribers use other medications off-label, such as naltrexone. A qualified prescriber should make any medication decision.
Worried About Someone You Love?
Gambling affects the whole family. Partners often find out through a bank statement, a collections call, or money that has quietly disappeared. The broken trust can hurt as much as the financial loss.
You can help without taking on the problem yourself:
- Talk openly, without blame. Pick a calm moment and focus on what you’ve seen and how it affects you.
- Set clear financial boundaries. Protect shared accounts and your own money, and decide in advance what you will and won’t cover.
- Avoid bailouts. Paying off gambling debts can remove the consequences that motivate change.
- Encourage treatment. Offer to help them take the first step, like completing an intake together.
Family can also be part of recovery. With the client’s consent, family therapy sessions give everyone a structured place to rebuild trust, talk about money, and agree on how to support recovery at home.
Support for you matters too, whether or not your loved one is ready. Gam-Anon offers support groups for partners and family members across New Jersey, and 800-GAMBLER takes calls from loved ones as well. Our guide for loved ones explains where to start, and you can contact us on behalf of someone you care about.
Common Questions
Are Better Bet therapists licensed in New Jersey?
Yes. New Jersey clients are matched with a Better Bet therapist licensed to practice in New Jersey.
Do I need a diagnosis first?
No. Your first conversation includes a brief assessment, so you don’t need to be sure you have a problem.
Is video therapy effective?
Talk therapies like CBT and motivational interviewing work well over video. Many people also find it easier to stay consistent from home.
How often will I meet with my therapist?
Most people meet weekly at first. As things stabilize, you and your therapist can adjust the schedule. Sessions are booked around your work, shifts, and family.
What do I need for a video session?
A phone, tablet, or computer with a camera, a reliable internet connection, and a private space where you can talk freely. Some people use a parked car or a closed room at home.
Will anyone find out I’m in treatment?
Your sessions are confidential and protected under HIPAA. We don’t share your information with employers, family, or betting operators without your written consent, except in the rare situations where the law requires it.
Can my family be involved?
Yes, if you want them to be. With your consent, partners or family members can join some sessions. Loved ones can also reach out to us for guidance on their own.