New Jersey Bill Seeks to Ban College Prop Bets Amid Rising Harassment Concerns

Bill S-3080 has passed the New Jersey Senate State Government, Wagering, Tourism & Historic Preservation Committee, and if fully implemented, it will prohibit player-specific prop bets on college sports.

Bill Introduced to Curb Harassment Linked to College Sports Betting

Introduced by Sen. Kristin Corrado, Bill S-3080 aims to prohibit licensed sportsbooks in New Jersey from accepting wagers on the performance of individual athletes in college sports events. This restriction would cover popular prop bets, such as predicting the number of points a player scores, how many rebounds they collect, or which athlete scores first in a game. According to many, including Sen. Corrado, there is a rise in harassment aimed at college athletes, which tends to increase when young athletes do not perform the way that bettors expect.

Prop bets have grown increasingly popular on both online and retail sports betting platforms. Senator Corrado stated that the rise in online prop betting has prompted frustrated bettors to send abusive messages and threats to individual student-athletes when bets don’t go their way.

According to Corrado, the current regulatory landscape is putting both the integrity of college sports and the welfare of student-athletes at risk. The bill defines a prop bet as any wager involving elements of a sporting event unrelated to the final score or result. While prop bets are often seen as an entertaining and dynamic part of sports gambling, they pose a unique risk when applied to amateur athletes, who lack the compensation and protections available to professionals.

National Collegiate Athletic Association Supports Banning Prop Bets

The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) has also stepped in to support wider restrictions on prop bets across many states. The organization advocates for stronger protections for student-athletes and emphasizes the difference between betting on team results and individual player performances. While some sportsbook operators contend that prop bets boost user engagement and diversify revenue, critics argue that the potential threats to student safety and competitive integrity outweigh these benefits.

There have been several other states that have already banned prop bets for NCAA-sanctioned games. For example, in March of last year, the Ohio Casino Control Commission approved a rule change prohibiting sportsbooks from offering player-specific prop bets on NCAA games. Around the same time, Maryland implemented a comparable measure, with the Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Commission issuing a similar ban. In 2024, both Louisiana and Vermont adopted equivalent restrictions through their respective gaming regulatory bodies. Most recently, North Carolina discussed House Bill 828, a proposal aiming to ban college prop bets in the state.

If New Jersey’s S-3080 is enacted, it would represent a major policy shift for a state that played a leading role in legalizing sports betting in the country. The state is one of the oldest and largest betting markets in the US, and its legislative actions have often served as an example for other states.