Diversion program would offer help to criminals with gambling addiction – Courier Post

TRENTON – Sometimes, what happens in Vegas doesn’t stay in Vegas.

A bill before New Jersey’s legislature would create a court diversion program — modeled on one in Nevada — for people who commit non-violent crimes due to a gambling addiction.

The proposal would allow problem gamblers to seek help with their addiction as an alternative to jail time, according to Assemblyman Ralph R. Caputo, a former Atlantic City casino executive and the bill’s prime sponsor.

“If you can get someone into treatment, that’s much better than sending them to prison,” said the Essex County Democrat, who chairs the Assembly’s committee for tourism, gaming and the arts.

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Supporters say the program would address a severe problem in New Jersey, one worsened by the introduction of sports betting in 2018 and an upsurge in online gambling for people now jobless or working from home.

The percentage of problem gamblers in New Jersey — an estimated 6.3 percent of all bettors — is three times the national average “largely due to availability and accessibility,” said Neva Pryor, executive director of the Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey.

“Since COVID-19, the calls to our helpline have increased,” she added.

About 20 percent of the calls are related to sports betting, which primarily occurs online, said Pryor.

One measure of online betting in New Jersey, internet gaming win, reached $419 million for this year’s first four months, jumping 66.4 percent from the 2020 period, said the state Division of Gaming Enforcement.

Authorities say problem gamblers can turn to crime to get cash for their wagering, often by stealing from employers or loved ones.

In a recent case, a suburban Philadelphia accountant embezzled $1.2 million from his employer over an eight-month period, then “immediately spent nearly this entire amount gambling on sports and making payments to pornographic web camera models,” alleged the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Philadelphia.

Christopher May, 32, received a 16-month prison term. Once free, the Paoli man “will also be required to attend mental health treatment to address underlying issues that may have contributed to his crimes,” the federal prosecutor’s office noted.

“And how about the gamblers’ families?” asked Caputo.

“One in five (problem) gamblers will attempt suicide,” said Pryor.

The bill to create a “gambling treatment diversion court” is currently before the Assembly Judiciary Committee.

A pilot program would initially operate from three courtrooms — one each in South, Central and North Jersey.

The current proposal says a judge and “associated health professionals” would determine if an offender qualifies for the diversionary program “or if the severity of their crimes would require more extreme consequences.”

Participants would have to complete a one- to three-year treatment program with regular progress reports. They’d also be required to make restitution to victims and, if their finances allow, to cover the cost of their treatment.

“If they don’t stay with the program, they’d go back to court” for sentencing, said Caputo.

The program would exclude a variety of defendants, including those who commit offenses against children or who face other allegations of violent crimes. 

“Gambling occurs in prison on a daily basis and to send a person to prison for a low level, non-violent criminal offense may not be the best solution,” observed Pryor, noting an addiction to betting “is a treatable and sometimes preventable disorder.”

“As gambling expands, we also need to expand the research, treatment, and support services for those struggling with gambling,” she continued.

“This includes examining the current judiciary and criminal justice infrastructure to provide the best support.”

The Nevada program, which began in November 2018, uses several measures to track participants’ progress, according to Stefanie Hui, specialty courts coordinator for the state’s Judiciary. These include drug-testing and “financial transparency” measures, she said.

Hui said other states have expressed interest in the concept, while New Jersey “has actually made the most progress so far in getting a type of gambling diversion court started.”

“Nevada is the only other place that currently has this,” noted Caputo. “If we can do it here, this could set a national precedent.”

Jim Walsh covers public safety, economic development and other beats for the Courier-Post, Burlington County Times and The Daily Journal.

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