It seems pretty fair to say that when the history of legal sports betting in America gets written, New Jersey will get top billing.
After all, it is the state where voters overwhelmingly approved sports betting by referendum, which led to a few court cases (and losses), which led to U.S. Supreme Court consideration, which led to PASPA being overturned, which led to us being able to place 16-leg parlays.
Beyond that, the state has been held up as an example of a state that’s doing it right. Reasonable tax rates for the operators, plenty of choice for the bettors. Brick-and-mortar operators happy with the deal, online providers happy with the deal, all good (most of the time).
But a series of bills now at different stages in the state legislative process threaten to, at best, change the way things are done in the state, and at worst, kind of flip over the whole apple cart.
Worth noting: The bills below are either bipartisan or Democratic-sponsored, the legislature is Democrat-dominated, and the governor is a Democrat. Meaning, basically: If these bills get through, they are likely to be signed into law. Here’s a rundown.
Prediction markets S3692/A4689: Bans prediction markets on politics, deaths, and catastrophes. Would allow sports markets only if they get a New Jersey license, take bets only from people 21 and up, run responsible gaming programs, and pay the same tax as online sportsbooks, all under Division of Gaming Enforcement (DGE) oversight, with a $1 million-per-day penalty for violations. Both bills sit in committee. The Senate version was introduced Feb. 24. Obviously, the feds or the courts will have something to say should the legislation become state law.
Microbetting S2160/A3258: Bans bets on the next play, like whether the next pitch is a strike. The two chambers no longer match: S2160 cleared a Senate committee in March as a full ban, while A3258 was watered down in committee in early June to cover only online microbets, leaving them legal in person and at kiosks. A3258 now heads to the full Assembly.
College player props S1170/A3382: Bars college player props. Both bills sit in committee. It is a carryover of a bill that cleared committee the last two sessions but never went further.
Credit card ban S3461/A4276: Prevents people from funding online casino or sportsbook accounts with a credit card; debit cards and e-wallets stay legal. Both sit in committee.
Account-limit transparency S3419/A4002: Makes sportsbooks publish their account-limiting rules and tell a customer when and why they have been limited, with the DGE setting the standards. S3419 cleared its Senate committee 5-0 on May 21 and moved to budget; A4002 cleared its Assembly committee and is headed to the floor.
No promos for responsible gaming users S3420/A4003: Stops sportsbooks from sending bonuses or promos to anyone who has turned on responsible gaming tools like deposit limits or self-exclusion. S3420 sits in committee; A4003 cleared its Assembly committee unanimously and awaits a floor vote.
Ban promo push alerts and texts S3401: Bars casinos and sportsbooks from using push notifications or texts to nudge people to bet or deposit, with fines of at least $500 each. Operators can still advertise on websites and other public channels. It sits in committee.
Win/loss push alerts S4280: Requires casinos and sportsbooks to send texts to customers of what they have won and lost. Introduced May 14, it sits in committee.
Compulsive gambling fee S2334/A2392: Charges each sportsbook a flat $250,000 a year on top of existing fees, sending $140,000 to the Council on Compulsive Gambling and $110,000 to treatment programs. Both sit in committee. It is a carryover that got no hearings in 2024 or 2025, though budget pressure could give it new life.
Ad-language study and location limits S2356/A1542: Orders the DGE to study which words in gambling ads actually push people toward safer betting, then write messaging rules, and lets the agency keep ads away from schools and campuses. S2356 cleared its Senate committee 5-0 on May 21; A1542 sits in committee.
Restrict deceptive and youth-targeted ads S1444. Directs the DGE to bar gambling ads that are deceptive, aimed at people on the self-exclusion list, or pitched to those under 21. It sits in committee, where similar past versions stalled.
Ban all sports betting ads, online and TV A646: Would bar sportsbooks and their partners from running, sponsoring, or financing any sports betting ads online or on web and mobile platforms.
The New Jersey legislative session runs through Dec. 31, 2026.
