New Jersey lawmakers opened the 2026 legislative session by reintroducing a range of gambling-related proposals, ranging from responsible gaming and advertising rules to sweepstakes oversight and sports betting limits.
Most of the measures are carryovers from last year as NJ sports betting policy looks again to be a major theme in Trenton as lawmakers juggle consumer protections, industry pressures, and new forms of gaming.
College gambling awareness law
Gov. Phil Murphy added to that push on by signing bipartisan legislation requiring public colleges and universities to host the Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey on campus at least once per semester.
The goal is to give students access to education about gambling risks, counseling services, and self-exclusion resources, Murphy said in a statement. Lawmakers backing the bill framed it as a response to the rapid rise of online sports betting and its growing reach among younger adults.
Sweepstakes proposal on the table
One of the most closely watched bills is a proposal from Sen. Joseph Cryan that would regulate online sweepstakes casinos by folding them into New Jersey’s existing internet gaming framework.
S1500 would require sweepstakes operators to obtain licensure, submit to Division of Gaming Enforcement oversight, and follow the same core compliance standards that apply to regulated online casinos and sportsbooks.
New Jersey effectively shut that market down in mid-August 2025, when Murphy signed legislation that banned dual-currency sweepstakes platforms. NJ was one of the first states to launch regulated online casinos in November 2013 with Delaware beating the state by a few weeks.
NJ sports betting limits bill returns
Another cluster of bills takes aim at how sportsbooks operate, with lawmakers again weighing restrictions on some of the fastest-growing bet types.
Sen. Cryan is also backing S2160, a proposal to prohibit micro betting, the play-by-play wagers that critics argue can accelerate risky behavior because of their constant churn and near-instant settlement.
A separate carryover measure, S1170, would bar player-specific proposition bets on college sports. The bill mirrors efforts in other states to reduce harassment risk for athletes and limit integrity threats tied to highly granular player markets.
Lawmakers also revived S2334, which would establish a flat $250,000 annual sports wagering license fee and direct the proceeds to problem gambling and addiction treatment. Under the bill, $140,000 would go to the Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey, while $110,000 would be earmarked for addiction treatment programs.
NJ sports betting ad rules could tighten
Advertising is also back on the table. S2356 would require the DGE to study sportsbook and casino marketing language and establish mandatory responsible gaming messaging standards. The bill would also give regulators more authority to limit ads near schools or in media viewed as targeting vulnerable populations.
Another proposal, S1444, would tighten restrictions on deceptive or inappropriate advertising practices tied to casino games and sports wagering. Cryan has introduced versions of that bill in prior sessions, but it has repeatedly stalled in committee.
