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New Jersey Legislator Seeks to Legalize Gambling on In-State College Teams

Kelly Irvin

Updated as of July 6, 2024 at 5:50 PM EDT with a 1 minute and 19 second read. Find more information on Twitter and Google News.

Seton Hall Pirates guard Kadary Richmond celebrates after defeating the Butler Bulldogs at Hinkle Fieldhouse as we look at New Jersey college sports betting.
Seton Hall Pirates guard Kadary Richmond celebrates after defeating the Butler Bulldogs at Hinkle Fieldhouse. Photo by Robert Goddin/USA TODAY Sports.

A shift is happening in the world of New Jersey sports betting that may alter the options available for bettors in the Garden State when it comes to wagering on college sports.

At present, college sports betting is generally permitted through New Jersey sports betting apps, with the exception of any college sports events held within the state and betting on New Jersey athletes or schools.

However, one lawmaker is currently working to amend this by introducing a new bill that would permit in-state betting for patrons of the top sports betting websites.

What could change in New Jersey

Last week, New Jersey Assemblyman Michael Venezia took the lead in advocating for bill ACR 140, which was submitted to the Assembly Tourism, Gaming, and the Arts Committee.

If the bill is passed, it would permit top sportsbooks to provide betting odds on all sporting events and games associated with the state’s schools, including Rutgers and Seton Hall, known for their successful football and basketball teams. The state is home to a total of eight Division I college teams.

Changes would be made to casinos, horse tracks, and the online affiliates of those establishments, with many of them providing New Jersey sportsbook promotions.

In the end, the decision will be made by voters in November.

A second swing

Venezia is optimistic about achieving success following a recent setback in 2021 when 57% of voters rejected the bill just before reaching the goal line.

Determining the likelihood of success this time around is challenging. NCAA president Charlie Baker is still advocating for increased regulation of college sports betting, particularly focusing on prop bets. Some states, such as Ohio, Maryland, Vermont, and Louisiana, have already banned prop wagers, while others like Montana are maintaining their current stance.

Despite a temporary decrease in May to less than $1 billion, New Jersey’s sports betting handle had surpassed that amount for eight consecutive months before. With a total of $3.89 billion, New Jersey’s lifetime handle ranks second only to New York nationwide.

It appears that both bettors and voters will have a strong interest in betting on their local college teams.

Written By:
Kelly Irvin
Kelly Irvin has been in the sports media wilderness since 2009, and he joined Underscoreg Review in 2021. His work has been referenced in The New York Times and Forbes. He’s also made appearances on The Fan 590 and TSN 1050. Sean is a regular bettor who places bets daily while using a handful of books. Most frequently, he uses FanDuel and bet365 due to the quality experience on those apps. While he’ll often take an analytical approach, Sean enjoys the fun, recreational side of betting too, and embraces alternative markets on events like the Westminster Dog Show or Eurovision, or the many novelty props tied annually to the Super Bowl, for example. Beyond sports, Sean is also interested in the betting markets tied to politics, and especially those connected to American elections. He sees betting as a way to explore and engage in a deeper way, and takes that same view to his work. He plays poker periodically too, and is an avid fantasy sports player. Sean also previously spent time with Bleacher Report and theScore, all after earning his media studies degree from the University of Guelph-Humber.