New Jersey considers decriminalising underage gambling

New Jersey may seek to amend its approach to underage gambling, by shifting its response to it from criminal penalties to civil fines.

Under current law, individuals under 21 caught gambling face disorderly persons charges, which can lead to fines of up to $1,000 and potential jail time. Newly proposed legislation seeks to reclassify such offences as civil violations.

The new rules would introduce a tiered fine system: $500 for a first offence, $1,000 for a second, and $2,000 for subsequent infractions. The collected fines are earmarked for prevention, education, and treatment programs targeting compulsive gambling, according to the bill.

Organisations like the Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey are expected to benefit from this funding, enhancing their efforts to address gambling addiction. Assemblyman Don Guardian, a Republican and former mayor of Atlantic City, initially expressed reservations about reducing the severity of penalties.

However, the allocation of funds to problem gambling treatment programs influenced his support for the bill, he said.

The bill has advanced through an Assembly committee and awaits a full Assembly vote. To become law, it must pass both legislative houses and receive approval from Governor Phil Murphy.

The Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey has expressed conditional support. Luis Del Orbe, the council’s acting executive director, said he appreciates the funding for treatment and education but advocates for mandatory education on problem gambling to accompany the fines.

This legislative move comes amid a surge in gambling activities among young people, particularly in sports betting, as the practice gains nationwide traction.

While specific data on underage gambling cases in New Jersey is limited, treatment and recovery professionals have reported an uptick in youth engagement with gambling, including sports betting.

By redirecting fines to support compulsive gambling programmes, New Jersey seeks to mitigate the risks associated with gambling, particularly among its youth.

The proposed legislative changes aim to balance enforcement with education, ensuring that the penalties serve as both deterrents and opportunities for awareness.

New Jersey online revenue keeps growing

In a related development, New Jersey’s iGaming market continues to flourish. In November, online gambling revenues exceeded $214m, slightly surpassing last month’s record.

This marks a 25% increase from the same period last year. It is also part of a trend that is witnessing iGaming become a much larger part of New Jersey’s gambling landscape.

Despite this online growth, physical casinos in Atlantic City are striving to regain pre-pandemic performance levels. Only three of the city’s nine casinos reported higher in-person revenue compared to November 2019. Hard Rock, Ocean and Resorts all did better than their peers.

The state’s total gaming revenue, including online and sports betting, reached $556m, a 15.4% increase from the previous year.

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