A bill that would ban New Jersey sportsbooks from partnering with college sports programs to provide direct marketing is gaining momentum.
Earlier this week, a vote moved A4113 out of the Assembly Higher Education Committee.
The bill, introduced back in April, aims to protect students from seeing gambling-related marketing on campuses and in team facilities and arenas. There have been amendments to the bill that includes educational-related partnerships between sportsbooks and college programs.
Bill A4113 doesn’t exclude all sportsbook-university partnerships
As initially constructed, A4113 prohibited partnerships of any form between sportsbook operators and college sports programs. After a unanimous vote that moved the bill out of the Assembly Higher Education Committee, there have been some key amendments.
The amended bill still does not allow allow direct advertising or marketing to enrolled students on campus or off. Here is a description:
“The amended bill defines a sports wagering partnership as a partnership or a contractual agreement between a sports wagering operator or intermediary and a public institution of higher education, including an athletic department or booster club of the institution, for access to advertise in the institution’s stadiums and other facilities, in digital and broadcast sports content, and through other means.”
However, there are certain partnerships that are permitted as long as it is “for academic purposes or provides experiential learning opportunities to students enrolled in the institution,” according to the bill.
The bill only addresses state universities such as Rutgers who cannot enter a partnership involving direct marketing. It appears it doesn’t apply to private institutions such as Monmouth, Seton Hall and others.
Betting on college sports in New Jersey
New Jersey, of course, features eight Division I-level athletic programs. When it comes to betting on those sports, however, the Garden State has specific regulations for sportsbooks to follow .
New Jersey bettors are prohibited from wagering on games or schools that take place or reside in the state as a way to protect student-athletes. However, that could change in the near future.
Assemblyman Michael Venezia introduced ACR140 in July that would allow operators to accept bets on any games occurring in New Jersey.
Another bill introduced in April, S-3080, would eliminate player-specific prop betting for the college sports that are available. State Sen. Kristin Corrado, R-Passaic, who introduced the legislation, said earlier this year:
“This legislation will ban player-specific prop betting in New Jersey, which will help curb that appalling behavior, and make college athletic events safer for all participants.”
That are lots of moving parts to the sports betting industry in the Garden State. The latest bill, A4113, certainly adds another layer to the market.
