A proposed law would allow New Jersey residents to bet on in-state collegiate sports

New Jersey lawmakers are trying again to add in-state wagering on collegiate teams. Last Friday, Assemblyman Michael Venezia introduced constitutional amendment ACR140. This would allow wagers in New Jersey on collegiate sports and athletic events through casinos and horse tracks. The Garden States' current law prohibits anyone from placing bets on New Jersey collegiate teams like Princeton, Seton Hall, or Rutgers. 

In November 2021, 57% of NJ voted no to rejecting a constitutional amendment to permit betting on in-state collegiate sports. According to NJ lobbyist Bill Pascrell III, he tried fighting for this initiative. He had this to say.

“I lobbied hard to get this on the ballot, but I couldn’t convince the industry to wage a campaign,” said Pascrell. “I am not at all surprised that it failed. All polling showed it upside down. It failed because not many voters knew it was on the ballot and many also didn’t understand the question. This is unfortunately a missed opportunity for the industry that can’t be revisited for three years.”

New Jersey sportsbooks have been fined for allowing bets on in-state collegiate sports

As a result of betting on in-state schools, several sportsbooks were fined by New Jersey’s Division of Gaming Enforcement. In March 2022, BetMGM had to pay a $25,000 fine for taking wagers on less than $100 worth of collegiate bets on a New Jersey basketball team. Additionally, Fox Bet was fined $20,000 in August 2023. They accepted multiple bets on New Jersey collegiate teams. Fox Bet was already on its way shutting down operations. State regulators say that Fox Bet allowed wagers on NJ schools like  Rutgers, Monmouth, Fairleigh Dickinson, and Seton Hall between 2021 and 2022. Weeks after Fox Bet received the $80,000 fine, PointsBet had a $25,000 fine they needed to pay for accepting bets on the Saint Peter’s basketball team.

NCAA President Charlie Baker has been working on an outright ban on player prop betting

For several months, NCAA President Charlie Baker has been working with lawmakers nationwide to try and ban collegiate player props. Athletes have been harassed due to player props and Baker says that’s not part of the game. Players 20-30 years ago did not have to deal with being heckled by fans for not scoring enough points. That’s an entirely new part of the game we’ve seen grow since sports betting has gotten popular.