The Assembly Tourism, Gaming and the Arts Committee advanced a bill on Thursday that would ban player-specific prop betting in college sports in New Jersey. Assemblyman Sterley Stanley introduced A4905 last month.
The goal of the bill is to protect student-athletes from harassment, whether it’d be online or in-person. Eliminating props on NJ online sportsbooks would be a step in the right direction, especially for the well-being of student-athletes.
Proponents believe prop ban protects student-athletes
During the NCAA Tournament last year, President Charlie Baker issued a statement that sternly suggest states ban college props out of the best interest of student-athletes.
Some states took that to heart, including the Garden State, who introduced the bill that would “prohibit sports wagering licensees from offering or accepting wagers on player-specific proposition bets on collegiate sports or athletic events,” according to the New Jersey Assembly.
After the bill advanced during the Assembly Tourism, Gaming and the Arts Committee meeting on Thursday, Stanley released the following statement:
“As one of the first states to legalize sports gambling, I believe that it is our responsibility to ensure that we set the best example we possibly can for all others who wish to follow our lead.
“Even as a staunch supporter of the sports betting industry, I believe it is incumbent upon us to recognize the incredible pressures that college athletes face between their academic and athletic responsibilities.
“My legislation ensures that they do not have those pressures compounded by problem gamblers that have come to harass our college athletes when gamblers lose money on college player proposition bets.”
The timeline of the bill remains unknown. Perhaps it can pass before the end of the college basketball season, which concludes the first weekend in April.
NJ already prevents wagering on in-state college sports
NJ sportsbooks currently take player props on college athletes. However, there are already restrictions in place regarding schools in the Garden State.
Bettors are not allowed to wager on any New Jersey school. Sportsbooks are also not permitted to offer markets on any game that is played within the state, no matter the schools’ home-base.
Banning props would be considered one of the last steps in protecting college athletes in the Garden State. There would be no way for a bettor to place a wager on a New Jersey team while in the state.
Should the bill pass, New Jersey would be one of 13 states to have banned college prop betting. Neighboring states such as New York and Pennsylvania have eliminated such wagers, too.
The Garden State is attempting to carry out the NCAA President’s message and protecting college athletes.
