The Garden State is considering a change to its laws around underage gambling.

A recently proposed bill in the New Jersey legislature would lower penalties for those caught gambling underage. Currently, that violation results in disorderly conduct charges. The penalty includes up to $1,000 in fines plus potential jail time. 

The proposal would change underage gambling to be a civil offense. That would result in a fine of $500 for the first violation, with the number increasing based on the number of violations. Those fines will be used to fund problem gambling programs across New Jersey. 

Underage gambling is a danger that markets across the US have been attempting to address. Most markets have enacted severe punishments similar to New Jersey, but some question the strategy’s effectiveness. Underage gamblers dealing with addiction may not care about the potential consequences of their action, leading to their lives being further ruined without resolving the issue of problem gambling.

The state hopes the proposed changes will push education and prevention instead of using fear-inducing punishments.

NJ Also Considering Change to College Betting

In addition to helping curb underage gambling, New Jersey is also considering a ban on player prop bets for college sports. The move comes as NCAA President Charlie Baker is campaigning to end the controversial bet type in the US.

According to Baker, college athletes are becoming targets for harassment from angry bettors placing bets on their performance. A bad game or missed shot is leading to a flood of harassment online, putting the athlete’s mental health at risk. 

Many other states are taking action in response to Baker’s request, but not all are approaching it the same. For example, Wyoming is considering upping the penalties for bettors found guilty of harassing an athlete. The hope is this would curb the problem without having to remove the popular wager type from the bet catalog.