A bill sponsored by a pair of state representatives would revise the charge for underage gambling in New Jersey down to a civil penalty. It would also require any fines from such an offense to be used for gambling addiction treatment.
Representatives Claire Swift (R) and Anthony Verrelli (D) co-sponsored New Jersey Assembly Bill 5086, which has now left a committee and awaits action by the general assembly.
New Jersey gaming law requires persons to be at least 21 years of age to gamble in the state. That requirement applies to online casinos and in-person gaming, as well as sports, betting, the state lottery and sweepstakes. Currently, a person convicted of underage gambling is charged with a misdemeanor criminal offense.
Under Bill 5086, offenders found guilty of underage gambling in New Jersey would face a fine of “up to $500 for the first offense, up to $1,000 for the second offense, and up to $2,000 for any offense thereafter,” according to the language of the proposed legislation.
Offenders of underage gambling also include anyone age 21+ who permits an underage person in their care to place a wager. It also states that a ” licensee or employee of a casino who allows someone under the age of 21 to gamble is guilty of a disorderly persons offense…”
The bill to decriminalize underage gambling is a bipartisan effort. Swift, a Republican, represents the 2nd Legislative District and is in her first term. Verrelli is a Democrat from Trenton who represents the 15th District. He has been elected to three terms on his own after being successful in a special election to replace an open seat in 2018. He was formerly a carpenter and president of Carpenters Local Union 254 in Edison.
Funds from Fines for Underage Gambling Would go to Treat Gambling Addiction
When the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) in 2018, New Jersey was the first state to move to legalize online gaming. The state even had a lawsuit in place in hopes to force the issue.
Since the ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court, legalization of online sports and casino betting has swept across the country. More than 35 states now have some form of legal gambling online. That’s led to concerns over the impact on public health of such measures.
According to a 2024 study by the National Association of Administrators for Disordered Gambling Services (NAADGS), spending on problem gambling and addiction services has jumped since 2006, but at a relatively modest rate of 12% annually. However, research by NAADGS reveals that since 2023, the rate has been two and a half times that.
With its fine requirements, Bill 5086 is aimed at gathering money to fund treatments services specifically aimed at problem gambling in New Jersey.
That’s a wise strategy, according to experts.
“The good news is we’re seeing the largest increase in investment in problem gambling services in the U.S. from an aggregate level over the years that we’ve been tracking,” says Dr. Jeff Marotta of Problem Gambling Solutions.
Swift and Verrelli’s bill would require money paid in fines for an underage gambling offense to be “used for prevention, education, and treatment programs for compulsive gambling, such as those provided by the Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey.”
The Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey is an organization based in Hamilton Township. It maintains the 1-800-GAMBLER hotline that the Division of Gaming Enforcement and State Attorney General’s Office promotes under responsible gambling sections of its websites.
