One minor step toward the march to New Jersey’s November ballot of allowing betting on in-state NCAA Division I college sports teams was taken on Tuesday.
The state Assembly Budget Committee passed ACR 200 — with Senate Concurrent Resolution 133 — to allow New Jersey sports betting on in-state college teams and in-state collegiate events by a 13-0 vote and now will be voted on by the Assembly at 1 p.m. ET on Thursday.
Latest Movement In Law Change
Last week, the New Jersey Assembly Appropriations Committee voted unanimously (11-0) in favor of SCR 133. On June 3, the full Senate voted 36-1 in favor.
Currently, betting on sporting events inside the state or on games with any of New Jersey college teams is prohibited. But with the Senate passing the bill, the issue is now on track to go to the November ballot for voters to decide if betting on local teams should be allowed.
The bill is the latest piece of legislation that would lift the betting ban on in-state teams. In May, ACR 200, which “permits sports wagering through certain off-track wagering facilities on any professional, collegiate, or amateur athletic competitions,” passed through the Assembly Tourism, Gaming and the Arts Committee by a 7-0 vote.
What Voters Can Change
New Jersey has numerous college teams and is a regular when it comes to hosting tournament events.
The state is home to eight NCAA Division I men’s and women’s programs: Rutgers, Seton Hall, Saint Peter’s, Rider, Fairleigh Dickinson, Monmouth, NJIT and Princeton. Monmouth, Princeton and Rutgers also have football teams.
The NCAA selected the Prudential Center in Newark to host the 2025 NCAA Men’s College Basketball Sweet 16 and Elite Eight.
If voters decide to amend the state’s constitution and allow betting on in-state wagering, New Jersey’s sports betting market will continue to grow and flourish. The state is regularly at the top of sports betting handle charts. In 2020, New Jersey recorded the highest handle of any state, taking in $15.2 billion in wagers.
