The march to the November ballot to allow betting on in-state NCAA Division I college sports teams continued Wednesday in New Jersey.
The New Jersey Assembly Appropriations Committee voted unanimously (11-0) in favor of Senate Concurrent Resolution (SCR) No. 133 to allow betting on in-state college teams. The full Senate voted in favor, 36-1, on June 3.
“This bill makes more sense now that Greg Schiano (head football coach) is back at Rutgers,” Appropriations Chairman and Assemblyman John Burzichelli (D) said before the vote.
Similar Bill To Be Debated
ACR 200, a similar bill, will be on the floor of the Assembly June 21 for a possible full vote as well.
Currently, betting on sporting events inside the state or on games with any of the 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 whether betting on local teams should be allowed.
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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,” was passed through the Assembly Tourism, Gaming and the Arts Committee by a 7-0 vote.
Options Could Open Market
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.
