New Jersey eyes betting on college playoff games

Sportsbetting will be permitted during post-season games, but not during the regular season

A lawmaker in New Jersey is pushing to allow betting on college playoff or championship games. With this, they aim to ask voters to amend the state Constitution next year to permit it.

Should voters follow through with an approval for a referendum it would remove a significant part of New Jersey’s ban on such college sportsbetting.

Democrat Sen Paul Sarlos, who represents an area including the MetLife Stadium within East Rutherford, home of the NFL’s Jets and Giants, has put forward a bill requiring the question to be placed on next year’s general election ballot.

This would permit betting on college playoffs or championship games taking place in New Jersey, along with further games played in other states which teams from New Jersey are involved in. Sarlos pointed out, “These are games that are nationally televised, with a lot of interest all around the country, and a lot of people are coming into the state from all over the country to witness these games,” whilst also adding, “Many of them would want to make a wager on these games, but they can’t do it in New Jersey. Why should we lose out on that money?” Fellow Democrat and State Senate President Steve Sweeney admitted that he will back the bill, but wants reassurance that it would not endanger the likeliness of New Jersey being awarded future college tournaments. “I fully support what Sen. Sarlo is doing,” Sweeney said. “I just want to make sure we’re not costing ourselves anything.”

In 2018, New Jersey won a U.S. Supreme Court case which cleared the way for all 50 states to allow legal sportsbetting.

The state Constitution does not permit college sportsbetting which is held in New Jersey, our out-of-state games involving New Jersey teams.

However, with such a ban currently in place, a widespread sentiment that the state would wait a couple of years to demonstrate that it is actively able to regulate betting on professional games whilst also maintaining contests integrity, and then revisit the question of betting on college games. “We have proven to date that we can do this safely and responsibly,” Sarlo said. This change would only permit sportsbetting on postseason games, however, such a ban would be maintained during regular-season matches.

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