New Jersey lawmakers take action on ads near colleges and schools

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Lawmakers in the state of New Jersey are considering two bills that would take action to limit underage exposure to gambling advertising.

Assembly bill A5562 was given the green light by the Assembly’s Tourism, Gaming and the Arts Committee last week, while on Monday a companion measure, S4366, was introduced to the Senate by Sen. John McKeon and Sen. Renee Burgess.

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The Senate bill would ban gambling advertisements that appear to target people under 21, as well as those located near schools or colleges.

Both bills also call for the state’s gambling regulator, the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement, to study the effectiveness of the phrases used by online casino and sportsbook operators in their advertisements.

The Division of Gaming Enforcement would then be required to create a list of up to ten approved phrases for gambling advertisements.

New Jersey has one of the busiest gambling sectors in the US. Last year, its online casinos reported record revenue of US$2.4 billion, but the proliferation of gambling company advertisements has led to concerns about its potential influence on younger people.

A survey by the non-partisan think tank Pew Research Center found that around 60% of adults in the US reported seeing gambling advertisements very often.

Other states have imposed restrictions on gambling advertisements. In New York, these cannot be placed in media consumed mainly by those under 21.

In Massachusetts and Ohio, gambling companies are restricted in the language they can use in advertisements.

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