Last week, the New Jersey Assembly approved a bill that would ban New Jersey sportsbooks from partnering with college sports programs to provide direct marketing and advertising.
The vote was unanimous, with 75 yeas from the lawmakers who were present to vote following the bill’s third reading. There were no nays or abstentions, but five assembly members were not present for the vote. The bill, A4113, now resides with the Senate Higher Education Committee, which will review it before it passes to the floor. It still requires a floor vote in the Senate and the Governor’s signature to become law.
The stated goal of the bill is to protect students from being exposed to gambling-related ads on campus, which includes team facilities and arenas.
Ads on college campuses are ‘unnecessary’
Bill A4113 has been on the minds of New Jersey lawmakers for a while, having been introduced nearly a year ago. It is gaining even more traction as it continues to move through the legislature.
Assemblywoman Linda S. Carter (D-Somerset), a primary sponsor of the bill, is making students and young gamblers a top priority. She said in a statement:
“Simply put, advertisements for sports betting on a college campus are unnecessary and can create harmful consequences.
“We must protect our students from the risks of gambling addiction by keeping these types of promotions off of campuses, where young adults are most vulnerable.”
While sports betting companies can’t partner with universities to display advertisements, there is a way to forge a relationship. The bill was amended last September to allow partnerships that are “established for academic purposes or provides experiential learning opportunities to students enrolled in the institution.”
Another amendment allows a partnership if a foundation is institutionally related to a public institution of higher education.
The bill states that partnerships would be banned for public institutions, which would include Rutgers. It appears it doesn’t apply to private schools such as Monmouth, Seton Hall, and others.
New Jersey to host March Madness games
The Garden State is home to the Sweet 16 and Elite 8 rounds in the East region in March Madness later in the month. Those finalists will be play at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.
New Jersey bettors already are banned from betting on in-state schools. Bettors will also not be able to wager on the Sweet 16 and Elite matchups in Newark, too.
The Garden State rules do not allow betting for any collegiate game taking place in the state. Even if Duke and Michigan State play each other in the Sweet 16, residents in New Jersey won’t be able to bet on the action.
Assemblyman Michael Venezia introduced ACR140 in July that would allow operators to accept bets on any games occurring in New Jersey. It hasn’t moved since.
