The New Jersey State Athletic Control Board (SACB) has adopted new sports betting policies that protects bettors and the integrity of combat sports. This comes in the wake of the controversial bout between Jake Paul and Mike Tyson earlier this month.
New Jersey sports betting operators accepted bets on the fight, while other markets, such as Pennsylvania and New York, did not. The contest has come under fire for a potential predetermined outcome, which Paul has denied.
Regardless, the SACB has instituted a new set of rules that prohibits key participants from betting on combat sports.
SACB commissioner issues strong message
The new rules have been implemented to guard against unethical betting behavior, which involves boxing, wrestling, extreme wrestling, kick boxing, and combative sports exhibitions.
According to Insider NJ, here the the policies SACB has put into place:
- Officials, members, and employees are prohibited from betting on any combative sports event, both within New Jersey and globally. Legal betting on non-combative sports is allowed, provided it complies with local laws. Board employees must register with the Division of Gaming Enforcement (DGE) before placing such bets in New Jersey.
- All forms of illegal betting, including through unauthorized platforms, are strictly prohibited.
- Prohibited conduct includes match fixing and acting on or spreading insider information.
- Board personnel are prohibited from working for sportsbooks or their affiliates.
- Promoters and participants, along with their agents and managers, must refrain from betting on combative sports events held in New Jersey or engaging in any actions that compromise the integrity of performances.
- All stakeholders, including board officials, members, employees, promotors, participants, agents, managers and seconds, are obligated to report any violations of this policy to the SACB Commissioner immediately.
- Board personnel are required to undergo training and acknowledge this policy.
- Violations may result in disciplinary actions, including fines, license suspensions, or revocation.
SACB Commissioner, Larry Hazzard Sr., said of the new policies:
“With this action, we are safeguarding the integrity of combative sports events. By implementing these standards, we are sending a clear message that unethical behavior will not be tolerated in New Jersey’s combative sports industry.”
Paul’s camp denies rigging accusations
The integrity of the Paul-Tyson fight has been called into question, after the former YouTube star defeated the former heavyweight by unanimous decision. The fight was sanctioned by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation.
Despite that fact, the accusations of the fight being fixed or scripted have been flying after the fight. Most Valuable Promotions (MVP), the company that represents Paul, issued the following statement, defending the outcome:
“Both fighters in good faith performed to the best of their abilities with the goal of winning the fight,” the statement read. “There were absolutely no restrictions – contractual or otherwise – around either fighter. Each boxer was able to use his full arsenal to win the fight. Any agreement to the contrary would violate TDLR boxing rules.
“Trash talk and speculation are common in sports, and athletes and promoters need to tolerate nonsensical commentary, jokes and opinions. But suggesting anything other than full effort from these fighters is not only naïve but an insult to the work they put into their craft and to the sport itself. It is further illogical and inane that MVP, in the debut of a hopeful long-term partnership with the world’s biggest streamer — an organization that made its first-ever foray into live professional sports with Paul vs. Tyson — would even so much as consider such a perverse violation of the rules of competition.”
No matter the Paul-Tyson debate, New Jersey took matters in its own hands. It’s protecting the integrity of combat sports, along with the public, too.
