New Jersey Bill Wants to Ban Text Messages to Gamblers, and More

New Jersey lawmakers are advancing a wave of new gambling bills that could significantly change how sportsbooks limit accounts, market to players, and process payments.

New Jersey Sees New Efforts to Boost Transparency, Consumer Protections

The newly-filed bills are seeking to strengthen existing rules as well as provide more clarity into the inner workings of the industry. First, there is Senate Bill 3419, which specifically seeks to obligate “sports wagering licensees to adopt and publish rules governing wagering account limitations.”

In other words, should a bookmaker ban you in New Jersey, they will have some explaining to do. The bill is sponsored by Sen. Paul Moriarty and follows up on a similar effort in Massachusetts. 

While sportsbooks may limit your account for simply “winning too much” or not using it for “entertainment purposes,” they will now need to specify why a restriction was applied in each case. 

Sen. Moriarty is also sponsoring Senate Bill 3420, which specifically looks into prohibiting sportsbooks and casinos from offering incentives to people who have been using responsible gambling tools. The idea is to limit temptation for customers who may be more likely to gamble impulsively. 

Sen. Moriarty Leads the Fray, Others Join In

The senator is also running ahead with the Senate Bill 3461, which will attempt to ban credit cards from gambling in the Garden State. The premise is simple and already enforced elsewhere. 

Sen. Moriarty wants to see the funding of gambling accounts with credit cards prohibited, including direct use and secondary funding through e-wallets:

“Establishes certain requirements for online gaming and online sports wagering accounts; prohibits use of credit card payments to engage in online casino games or online sports wagering.”

Other bills that are worth noting are the effort led by Sen. Andrew Zwicker, another Democrat. Sen Zwicker’s Senate Bill 3401 wants to tighten safeguards and protect players in the state from overreaching marketing practices, specifically:

“Prohibits casino and sports wagering licensees from utilizing push notifications or text messages for promotional purposes.”

Success for any or all of these gambling bills could lead to a more transparent and open gambling industry where players have more agency and are better protected by the regulatory framework.