New Jersey Senate advances bill to ban college player prop bets

A New Jersey bill aimed at banning individual player prop bets on college sports is advancing through the state legislature, potentially aligning the Garden State with more than a dozen others that have already outlawed the practice. 

The measure, known as S3080, passed the Senate Government, Wagering, Tourism, and Historic Preservation Committee on Thursday in a unanimous 5-0 vote. It now moves to the Senate floor for consideration.

The bill would prohibit sportsbooks from offering “player-specific proposition bets on college sports,” which are wagers on individual performance metrics such as rebounds, rushing yards, or passing completions, rather than final game outcomes.

“Proposition bets have led to a rise in the harassment of student-athletes and have threatened the integrity of college sports,” said Senator Kristen Corrado, who introduced the bill in April after similar legislative efforts failed last year.

“I have heard about many individuals who have been the victim of online harassment because they didn’t perform to the expectations of a bettor who made a side wager. This legislation will ban player-specific prop betting in New Jersey, which will help curb that appalling behavior and make college athletic events safer for all participants,” Corrado added.

The bill’s progress comes more than a year after NCAA President Charlie Baker urged states to crack down on college player props, citing growing concerns over athlete harassment and game integrity.

“Sports betting issues are on the rise across the country with prop bets continuing to threaten the integrity and competition and leading to student-athletes and professional athletes getting harassed,” Baker said in a March 2024 statement. “The NCAA has been working with states to deal with these threats, and many are responding by banning college prop bets.”

States including Ohio, Maryland, Vermont, and Louisiana responded to Baker’s request last year by removing such bets from the board. Eleven others had already banned them outright. However, legislative efforts in some states, including North Carolina, failed to gain traction.

The issue has drawn national attention as more college athletes publicly share stories of online abuse and harassment. In March, former North Carolina basketball standout Armando Bacot said he received angry social media messages from bettors when he failed to meet statistical targets. 

Former Auburn quarterback Payton Thorne reported similar experiences, including Venmo requests for financial compensation from losing bettors. Mississippi State’s Chandler Prater said she was subject to “hateful and abusive” messages after an NCAA tournament appearance this year.

In response to rising concerns, the NCAA launched an anti-online abuse campaign, and a recent study showed a 23% year-over-year decrease in betting-related harassment during March Madness.