Everything in moderation.
Jake’s 58 Hotel and Casino as well as Suffolk Off-Track Betting (OTB) recently recognized such a concept, as well as the broader one of problem gambling, from the lobby of Jake’s 58 in Islandia to close out March.
One of March’s themes is Problem Gambling Awareness Month, courtesy of the New York State Legislature, and although the month has passed, Jake’s 58 still adheres to identifying and helping problem gamblers throughout the year.
“Suffolk OTB and Jake’s 58 are committed to fostering an environment of responsible gaming and addressing problem gambling head on, ensuring that patrons play responsibly and those who may need help have the resources they need,” said Jake’s 58 and Suffolk OTB CEO Phil Boyle (pictured below).
Boyle described the casino’s plan for helping patrons who come face-to-face with problem gambling, with the first step being training.
“Every single person who works in this casino and interacts with folks on the floor gets annual training on how to see and help individuals that may have a problem gambling,” said Boyle. “A lot of these people come day after day. They know the people that work here, the people that work here know our customers, and [the staff] know when there may be an issue.”
Boyle says that annual training consists of gently confronting a suspected problem gambler and offering resources on the spot. Conversely, patrons are also able to approach casino staff in search of resources.
“There is a robust self-exclusion program here in the casino. Any patron who feels there’s an issue can go to one of our workers on the floor at the cage and say, ‘I’d like to talk to someone about self-exclusion,’” said Boyle, adding that the guest would subsequently be led to a private room with full confidentiality for consultation with a supervisor on entering the self-exclusion program.
The self-exclusion program is one into which guests voluntarily enter. Under the program, the patron will be barred from entering the premises of Jake’s 58. As the facial recognition technology at Jake’s security checkpoint demonstrates, the self-exclusion program can be, and is, rapidly expanded to other gambling forums across the country.
“They [guests] can decide whether they want to be excluded for one year, three years, five years, or for a lifetime. Once their name has been added to the self-exclusion list, the request and the information submitted will be shared with the New York State Division of the Lottery,” said Boyle. “The guest is then excluded from all gaming facilities in New York State.”
Jake’s 58 is one of only two casinos in the state to have facial recognition capabilities. Boyle said that the security team at Jake’s is downloading a 5,000-name list so as to exclude those who have put themselves on the list but hail from a different party of the state.
“Even if someone who self-excluded walks in and gambles all day, their name is going to come up when they try to cash their voucher,” said Boyle.
Once a guest’s self-exclusion period has expired, they can choose to have their name removed from the list if they believe their problem gambling to be under control, or can choose to remain on the list until the next period ends.
Boyle shared that since Jake’s 58 opened in 2017, 996 patrons have requested to be placed on the list. In 2024, the casino saw 271 patrons self-exclude; 569 patrons are currently on the list. For the 2025 calendar year, almost 90 patrons have opted for the gambling-control strategy.
For March 2025’s Problem Gambling Awareness Month, Boyle shared that the final part of their plan was to partner with several organizations.
“The vast majority of folks who walk through these doors are not folks that have a problem, but there’s a small percentage who do or who will develop a problem over the course of time,” said Dr. Jeff Reynolds, President and CEO of the Family and Children’s Association (FCA). “We know that generally in the general population we’re talking about 1% to 2% of folks will have a serious problem gambling issue and another 4% to 6% will have a moderate problem or some of the signs developing that can potentially lead to an issue.”
Reynolds (pictured above) also raised the issue of ubiquitous gambling, such as mobile sports betting, which makes it much more difficult for problem gamblers to either be confronted or confront themselves on the addiction.
“Here in New York, about $2 billion were brought in last year for sports betting alone. It’s something that I don’t think is going to go away and it’s going to continue to increase over time,” said Reynolds, adding that the “average” problem gambler racks up anywhere between $40,000 and $70,000 in debt, with debts ranging in the six-figures not terribly uncommon.
“Whether they’re older, younger, that means that there are other obligations that they can’t meet. It means that they’re defaulting on their rent payments, they’re defaulting on their mortgage payments, in some cases turning to criminal activity, stealing from their employer and doing other things in order to finance their habit,” said Reynolds, also sharing that gambling has multiple correlations, such as alcohol use, depression, anxiety, and suicide rates, the last of which, Reynolds, says are “fifteen to twenty times higher” than those of the average individual.
Nicole Vasselman, Vice President and Chief Program Officer for FCA, said that the non-profit, with locations in Hicksville and Hempstead, offers mental health and addiction treatment, with staff trained to treat co-occurring disorders.
“We recognize most people are going to gamble and engage in gambling activity without encountering a problem, but for those, the disorder does not discriminate,” said Pam Brenner-Davis, Regional Lead for the New York City Council of Problem Gambling (pictured above). “Gambling problem is not a financial problem alone. It has an impact on people’s mental and physical well-being, and impacts communities as a whole. So, for those that encounter a problem, all of us here today are committed to making sure that access to support and services are straightforward and confidential.”
Jake’s 58 Hotel & Casino is located at 3635 Express Drive North in Islandia and can be reached at 631-232-3000.
