With the Super Bowl only four days away, the New Jersey Council on Compulsive Gambling is making a new effort to reach out to gamblers who may be out-of-control.

(David Matthau, Townsquare Media)
(David Matthau, Townsquare Media)
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The council has launched a mobile billboard that's driving all over the state, especially in heavily populated areas, that features the 1-800-GAMBLER hotline number in bold print.

"We hope it's the start of what will be a successful and greatly expanded awareness campaign," said executive director of the Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey, Don Weinbaum, during a late morning new conference.

He pointed out the rolling billboard will be on the road from now through next Monday, the day after the big game.

"Often times, the day after the game is a day of reckoning and it's a day of reflection for problem gamblers who maybe lost their bet, didn't cover the spread," Weinbaum said. "It's a good time to call and speak with someone who understands."

(David Matthau, Townsquare Media)
Frank, a recovering compulsive gambler, discusses the importance of seeking help for gambling addictions.
(David Matthau, Townsquare Media)
Frank, a recovering compulsive gambler, discusses the importance of seeking help for gambling addictions.
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Jersey resident Frank - a recovering compulsive gambler who lost millions and spent four years in jail for theft  - to cover his betting -  says constantly betting on games almost pushed him over the edge.

"Whether I was winning or I was losing, there were times when I would just totally blank out -  I didn't even know what I was watching," he said. "I didn't know what my action was, because if I lost I was chasing loss, and if I won I was going to now turn that into even a greater win."

He said if people see the billboard and feel their gambling is going out of control, they should "reach out, get help, because this is a dead end, there is nothing possibly good that can come out of it."

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