New Jersey Senate to Vote on College Player Prop Ban

The Garden State is considering a significant change to its sports betting market.

The New Jersey Senate’s Government, Wagering, Tourism, and Historic Preservation Committee voted 5-0 to advance bill S3080. The bill, which would ban college player prop bets, will not head to the Senate floor for a vote. If approved and signed into law, it would make New Jersey the latest of a growing list of markets to ban the controversial bet type.

The ban was proposed in response to a startling rise in the harassment of college athletes. Some angry bettors have been charged with stalking and harassing players they blamed for a lost wager. This led to NCAA President Charlie Baker issuing a plea for states to ban player props, which are contributing to these incidents.

"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.”

The NCAA recently released a study showing a 23% decrease in athlete harassment during March Madness compared to the same period in 2024. This shows that new messaging and bans are having an impact, which is a strong argument in favor of passing S3080. 

Ban Could Have Unintended Consequences 

While S3080 is well-intended, it only addresses New Jersey’s regulated sports betting market. The state has made a concerted effort to shut down illegal online sportsbooks, but some remain operational. This could lead those who prefer betting on college player props to use those operators, putting themselves at risk and potentially depriving the state of tax revenue.

Expect to see these concerns echoed during the Senate vote, but they haven’t prevented other markets from enacting bans. While the risk is acknowledged, many lawmakers believe a lack of action will lead to more damaging consequences.