New Jersey moves to ban college sports betting partnerships with key exceptions

New Jersey lawmakers advanced a bill on Monday that would prohibit public universities from forming partnerships with sportsbooks, while allowing certain exceptions for educational purposes. The bill, A4113, passed unanimously in the Assembly Higher Education Committee and now moves forward to the state legislature.

The bill would block state universities, like Rutgers, from partnering with sports betting companies. However, it does not address private institutions like Princeton and Monmouth. The legislation makes exceptions for partnerships aimed at providing “academic purposes” or “experiential learning opportunities,” as long as these arrangements do not involve direct marketing or advertising to students.

“Allowing this balance in terms of ensuring that our students remain as safe as possible but at the same time recognising that this could be a valuable career for them is the proper balance,” said Jennifer Maloney, executive director of the New Jersey Association of State Colleges and Universities, in support of the bill.

The push for more regulation on the relationship between colleges and the sports betting industry comes as similar measures have surfaced across the U.S. The NCAA has asked states to ban college-player prop bets, and some, like Massachusetts, have restricted partnerships between universities and gambling companies.

New Jersey's legislative move reflects a growing national trend of concern over the influence of gambling on college campuses.

In Texas, West Texas A&M University recently blocked access to online gambling sites via university resources, like university devices or campus WiFi, citing worries about addiction and student well-being. Purdue University in Indiana and several other schools have imposed similar restrictions on gambling on campus.