NJ Assemblyman Hopes to Legalize Bets on In-State Colleges
Sports bettors in New Jersey can wager on Olympic basketball qualifiers happening in other parts of the planet. However, they can wager on Monmouth University football or Rutgers University basketball. One NJ assemblyman wants to amend the sports betting regulations to legalize bets on in-state colleges by 2026.
To permit wagers on in-state college and university athletic teams, New Jersey Assemblyman Michael Venezia has sponsored an amendment, ACR140, to change the state’s sports betting regulations.
According to pay per head software experts, it’s been nearly three years since the residents rejected the same measure to legalize betting on collegiate teams from within the state. The constitutional amendment was overwhelmingly defeated. Almost 57% of the voters rejected it.
Legalize Bets on In-State Colleges
Venezia stated that it is appropriate to address the matter again. In his explanation, he mentioned the phenomenal growth of sports betting since 2021. The Garden State cannot afford to lag behind other states that have legalized sports betting because of the enormous money it makes from this industry.
Further, the prior amendment was enacted before the approval of NIL deals, which permit collegiate players to earn from their likeness, name, and image. He claimed that having NIL arrangements makes collegiate players less likely to be caught in a betting scandal.
According to a political news forum, state governments are more likely to prevent this conduct when well-regulated. The number of cases when this occurs is increasing, according to Venezia, where regulation is lacking.
College Prop Bet Ban
Given the NCAA’s current efforts to restrict college prop betting nationally, suggesting an amendment to broaden the state’s access to college sports betting is intriguing. With the bill able to legalize bets on other sports it would go a long way in generating money.
According to NCAA President Charlie Baker’s March announcement, college athlete prop bets will be removed from all betting markets. The NCAA will contact officials nationwide to make this happen. After he made the call, three states—Vermont, Ohio, and Maryland—banned player prop bets. The use of props by collegiate athletes is illegal in thirteen states.
Venezia added that he supports a prop ban for collegiate athletes in New Jersey.
Although a bill to legalize bets that would have outlawed proposition betting on college athletes is considered “dead” in the North Carolina Senate this year, one politician claims that the battle is far from done. Sen. Julie Mayfield (D-Buncombe County) said the bill banning these prop bets will not pass the legislature in 2024. She promised a retry next year.
Mayfield and her Durham Democratic counterpart, Rep. Marcia Morey, sponsored legislation earlier this year to outlaw prop bets on collegiate athletes. According to AcePerHead.com sources, sports betting is permitted in 38 states on smartphones and in person at North Carolina casinos, including this one.
The over/under on a football receiver’s catch total is one example of a player prop bet, which lets punters wager on an athlete’s specific performance. According to the two lawmakers, one issue with player prop wagers is that bettors harass athletes.
