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Committee releases bill requiring colleges to host compulsive-gambling resources
Summary
The Assembly Tourism, Gaming and Arts Committee released Assembly Bill A1715, which requires public institutions of higher education that have sports wagering partnerships to establish a program promoting responsible gambling and to invite the Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey to campus at least once per semester.
Assembly Bill A1715 was amended and released by the Assembly Tourism, Gaming and Arts Committee on a unanimous roll call after brief remarks from the bill’s sponsor and no public testimony.
The bill requires public institutions of higher education that participate in sports wagering partnerships to establish a program providing students with materials that promote responsible gambling behavior and information on hotlines and counseling services. The committee amendment requires that “at least once per semester and as often as the institution determines to be appropriate, the institution must invite and facilitate the presence of the Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey on the institution's campus” to provide information on risks, counseling services and self-exclusion options.
The sponsor, identified in the record as Assemblywoman Hall, told the committee: “Public institutions that participate in sports wage wagering partnerships with that institution would be required to establish a program providing students with materials that promotes responsible gambling behavior and often on hotlines for students with a problem.” Hall cited national wagering figures while urging protections for vulnerable students, noting that the Tax Foundation reported U.S. legal sports betting set a 2023 record “with more than a $100,000,000,000 in wagers, and states collected 1,800,000,000.0 in tax revenue.”
A committee member added that the proposal followed a joint hearing in fall 2024 that considered the state’s sports-betting industry and included NCAA testimony; the member said the bill seeks to create an avenue of support for vulnerable populations and workforce training opportunities tied to higher-education programs.
On the motion to amend and release A1715, the roll call recorded votes as follows: Assemblyman McClellan — yes; Assemblyman Guardian — yes; Assemblywoman McCance D'Amato — yes; Assemblywoman Hall — yes; Vice Chair Calabrese — yes; Chairman Mone — yes. The bill was "released as amended." No formal amendments beyond the committee amendment described above were recorded in the transcript.
The record shows no public witnesses signed to testify on this bill. Committee members asked no further questions before moving the measure.
The committee action advances A1715 to the next legislative stage; implementation details such as required reporting or enforcement mechanisms were not specified in the committee record.
