Feb 13, 2021; Piscataway, New Jersey, USA; Rutgers Scarlet Knights guard Paul Mulcahy (4) controls the ball against Northwestern Wildcats forward Pete Nance (22) in the second half at Rutgers Athletic Center (RAC). Mandatory Credit: Catalina Fragoso-USA TODAY Sports
- New Jersey Assemblyman Michael Venezia (D-34) has introduced an amendment to allow bets on in-state colleges
- If approved by the legislature, New Jersey citizens would vote on the amendment in the November 2025 general election
- If approved by voters, wagers on in-state colleges would be allowed by 2026
New Jersey sports bettors can wager on random soccer games in Finland, but can’t place a bet on Rutgers University football or Monmouth University basketball.
One legislator is hoping that changes in 2026. New Jersey Assemblyman Michael Venezia (D-34) recently introduced an amendment, ACR140, to revise the state’s sports betting rules to allow for wagers on in-state college and university sports teams.
“Listen, if a person wants to truly bet on a New Jersey college sports game, they’re going to do it like they did before sports betting became legal. Why not regulate this, and why not receive revenue from this,” Venezia told Sports Betting Dime.
Time is Right For Amendment
Venezia’s amendment comes nearly three years after residents voted down a similar amendment to allow wagers on in-state college teams. More than 57% of citizens voted against the constitutional amendment, easily defeating the measure.
The time is right, Venezia said, to revisit the issue.
Sports betting has seen an extraordinary expansion since 2021, he explained. New Jersey derives tremendous revenue from sports betting and cannot fall behind when other states are allowing such wagers.
The previous amendment also came before the legalization of NIL deals, which allows college athletes to profit off their name, image, and likeness. With NIL deals now in place, college athletes are less tempted to become embroiled in a sports betting scandal, he said.
“Before NIL I felt the same way. We have to be very cautious about allowing sports betting on New Jersey colleges. But now that NIL has come into play and a good portion of student athletes are getting paid, which they should, that helps alleviate some of the concerns. Nobody is going to risk their NIL deal to throw a game or something along those lines,” he said.
When properly regulated, a state has a better process to potentially curb such behavior. When unregulated, Venezia said, you’re seeing more and more situations where it’s happening.
“We’re only hearing about the situations where people are getting caught. How many more situations are there where people aren’t getting caught?” he said.
In Support of College Player Prop Ban
It’s an interesting time to propose an amendment to expand college sports betting in the state, as the NCAA is actively trying to institute a national ban on college prop betting.
NCAA President Charlie Baker announced in March the NCAA would contact officials across the country to remove college player prop bets from all betting markets. Maryland, Ohio, and Vermont took action after his call and banned player prop bets from their markets.
In total, 13 states have banned college player props.
Venezia said he’s in favor of a college player prop ban in New Jersey.
“There’s a big concern with this right now and the NCAA President Charlie Baker is looking to ban prop betting on college athletes, and I’d be okay with that as well. When the NCAA president is pushing something like that, it should be a national ban,” he said.
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New Jersey Assemblyman Ralph Caputo has recently proposed a bill that aims to legalize betting on in-state colleges by the year 2026. This move comes as a response to the growing popularity of sports betting in the state and the potential economic benefits that could come from allowing bets on collegiate sports.
Currently, New Jersey allows betting on professional sports teams, but betting on college sports is prohibited. Caputo’s bill seeks to change that by allowing residents to place bets on games involving New Jersey colleges and universities.
Proponents of the bill argue that legalizing betting on in-state colleges could bring in additional revenue for the state and help regulate an activity that is already taking place illegally. By legalizing and regulating these bets, supporters believe that it will help protect consumers and ensure that the games are fair and free from corruption.
However, there are also concerns about the potential negative impacts of allowing betting on college sports. Critics worry that it could lead to increased pressure on student-athletes and potentially compromise the integrity of the games. There are also concerns about the potential for underage gambling and addiction issues that could arise from expanding sports betting to include college sports.
Overall, the debate over whether to legalize betting on in-state colleges is likely to continue as lawmakers consider the potential benefits and drawbacks of such a move. As Assemblyman Caputo works to push his bill forward, it will be interesting to see how the issue unfolds and what impact it could have on the state of New Jersey.
