New Jersey Addresses College Campus Problem Gambling Issues

Putting Nevada aside, New Jersey has always maintained its position as a leader in sports and online casino gambling. The state was the first to legalize casino gambling in the mid 2010s, following that up with becoming the first state to legalize retail and online sports betting in 2019.

After supporting various forms of gambling for many years, state leadership still has legitimate concerns about residents falling victim to problem gambling issues. These are viable concerns because supporting data show there is a direct correlation between retail/online gambling access and the number of people who get bitten by gambling addiction.

One key area of concern is the availability to university students of retail and online sports betting access. Some of these people are of gambling age, while a great majority would actually fall below the state's minimum age requirement. In both cases, college students have shown to be more susceptible to problem gambling issues than the average fully mature adult.

Realizing this is becoming a significant issue among students, NJ Governor Phil Murphy has just signed a new bill into law that requires public universities and community colleges to offer more in the way of education on gambling addiction.

About This New Legislation

The bills in question are Assembly Bill 1715 and its sister bill, Senate Bill 3184. This law behind these two bills was signed on January 9, 2026.

This law requires that college-level educators be prompted on how to identify the signs of gambling addiction. Furthermore, colleges must host informative sessions manned by representatives from the Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey. While colleges are free to offer additional educational opportunities, this law requires that such seminars be offered for free at least once per semester.

Assemblywoman Garnet Hall was the co-sponsor of the Assembly Bill. She was emphasizing the long-term impact when she stated to the press:

“These are formative years for students, and we can’t let hidden addictions derail their paths.” 

On the Senate side, Sen. John McKeon noted:

"This isn’t just policy; it’s about saving futures.”

How This New Law Can Help

Since retail and online sports betting were legalized in 2019, New Jersey has seen a significant rise in college students, especially male students who are falling victim to gambling. This has been made evident by a vast increase in annual calls to the available problem-gabbing help lines. Since 2019, the increase in calls to 1-800-GAMBLER has increased by 277%, with a majority of the calls coming from persons under the age of 30.

With the proper education, the hope is that problem gamblers will recognize their issues and take a more active approach to addressing them.

How big is the problem nationwide? A recent study from the NCAA indicated that 58% of students ages 18 to 22 have partaken in either retail or online sports betting. An additional study from Rutgers University pegged the percentage of sports bettors with problems at about 5.6%. That's a scary number if millions of college students arewagering on sports events.

NJ lawmakers recognize that now is the right time for action.