The state of New Jersey is in the spotlight yet again; for betting. As a betting destination that sparks envy among many legislatures and residents of other states in the US, it is used as a benchmark for not only laws but also best practices. It has now emerged that the decision to allow people to bet on sports events between NJ colleges rests in the hands of the people.
This coming November, the people will vote in a referendum whose task is to establish whether local colleges in New Jersey will be taking part in competitive sports which will then be listed for gambling. Interestingly, this is a longstanding debate in the area and most people already have an idea of which side they will be on.
As with every upcoming election, there have been preliminary polls to establish the general mood of the electorate. Farleigh Dickinson University is among the market research institutions collecting and analyzing data from New Jersey at this time. From their findings, only 25% of all the people who took part in their survey were in support of legalization of sports betting in local college team matches.
What we cover
Legislators want In-State College Betting legalized
When the results by Farleigh Dickinson University became public, Eric Houghtaling, an Assemblyman from New Jersey together with Joann Downey, a state Senator, became partners in authoring a constitutional amendment document. The op-ed piece which will act in support of the constitution is supposed to garner support for the referendum in favor of legalization.
The state of New Jersey has been operating its sports betting industry legally since 2018. Even so, bets on in state college matches were either done in secret or not at all. It has now been noticed that people watch sports matches with a winner in mind. Aside from die-hard fans of clubs or teams who will support their teams all the time, most people can predict match outcomes based on past performance.
The debate on the NJ assembly currently is whether college based tournaments should have listed odds for betting purposes. Every punter in the state is hoping for a positive outcome to the referendum but there are a lot of factors to consider. In the past, it was argued that players in college teams are not paid and so could be subject to bribery or other manipulation to jeopardize the performance of their teams.
Other people arguing against the legalization of college sports as a viable sports betting option are of the opinion that college team members are under no obligation to give their best for the same reason of lack of pay. It is not yet clear what incentives will be given to winning college teams but there is obviously some planning going on behind the scenes.
If passed into law, the question to include sports events between college teams will cover the avenues through which people can place their bets. Casinos and online betting platforms in NJ will have to take up such game odds so as to include college sporting events. As a gambling enthusiast, you can expect to find listings for playoffs, tournaments, championships and other competitions that will take place within New Jersey borders.
What will happen if the referendum passes?
Legislators are looking at the constitutional amendment from a point of revenue collection. Well, more odds choices means that people have extra games to bet on and this means extra income in terms of tax income for the state. If the referendum is successful, it would open up the state to new laws concerning college sports and athletics.
With this kind of power resting in the hands of the lawmakers, laws would be passed to accommodate changing trends in the world of college sports. Provided that a New Jersey college sports team is playing a match whether in or outside the state, the lawmakers would have a say as to how betting on the match would be planned and executed.
The current state of NJ sports betting
Since the regulation of the New Jersey betting market in 2018, there have been a number of programs in support of responsible gaming in the state. The pace with which NJ state leaders are embracing betting trends is evidence of the desire to remain competitive in an environment that is constantly evolving.
While NJ is evidently in the front line as far as adoption of betting is concerned, there are seven other states that have overtaken it in college sports betting matters. The seven other states took advantage of the NCAA basketball tournament in March to convince their electorate of the need to accept in-state betting.
In the Op-Ed that has been drafted in favor of in-state College betting, the legislators cite concern for revenue lost. It must be appreciated that other states around NJ could be among the seven and so people could very easily cross over to place bets because they are unable to do it in their own jurisdiction.
Some of the states that have legalized in-state College betting and doing very well in at are New York and Delaware. These states are offering chance games like horse racing for bettors to wager on. It is a good thing that this referendum is coming at this time –there is still plenty of time for the state and its leadership to warm up to the trends before the division 1 NCAA Basketball tournament for men is held in 2025.
Conclusion
The people of NJ have been enjoying the gambling ride since 2018. As with any new activity, there is a thirst to indulge more. This should be the key points for the state legislatures to promote as they seek support for the referendum. Polls could be used in some instances to estimate the outcome but positions have turned around drastically in the past.
