N.J. Bill on Partnerships Between Operators, Universities Advances

A bill that would prohibit New Jersey’s public colleges and universities and their affiliates from partnering with sports betting and iGaming operators is on the move in the state legislature.

Introduced in April, an amended version of A4113 passed 6-0 by the Assembly Higher Education Committee on Monday in a legal sports betting state.

The amended A4113 defines those deals as a “partnership or a contractual agreement between a sports wagering operator or intermediary and a public institution of higher education, including an athletic department or booster club of the institution, for access to advertise in the institution’s stadiums and other facilities, in digital and broadcast sports content, and through other means.”

The amended bill also includes online casino licensees in the Garden State, but it doesn’t cover more than a dozen private higher-learning institutions. 

The bill is sponsored by Assemblywoman and committee chair Linda Carter (D) along with Assemblymen Benjie Wimberly (D) and Reginald Atkins (D).

Special cases

Changes from the original version that passed on Monday do allow public higher-learning institutions to partner with licensed gaming operators “for academic purposes” or to “provide experiential learning opportunities to students enrolled in the institution.”

Additionally, an institutional foundation “related to a public institution of higher education is not prohibited from entering into a sports wagering partnership” as long as no marketing or advertising occurs. 

“Under the amended bill, direct advertising or marketing includes advertising or marketing at on-campus locations and off-campus locations associated with the institution, and any electronic advertising or marketing explicitly directed to students enrolled in the institution,” A4113 states.

This move comes at a time when the NCAA has urged legal sports betting state lawmakers and regulators to ban college player prop wagering. New Jersey sports betting on college teams and players located in the Garden State is prohibited by law. 

Try, try again

Sports betting companies aligning directly with colleges and universities for marketing and advertising purposes has been primarily taboo since PASPA was overturned in 2018. 

The University of Colorado had a deal with PointsBet, which was acquired by Fanatics Sportsbook last year, in 2022 that didn’t last long. 

While it hasn’t been put into law in many of the 38 U.S. states with legal sports betting, many regulators have made it clear to operators seeking or owning a license that marketing to college students or on campuses is off-limits.   

However, this is not the first time that the New Jersey Assembly has attempted to outlaw the practice. Bill A5226 was introduced in February 2023 to prohibit sports betting companies from advertising through colleges and universities. The bill moved through a couple of committees before stalling.  

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