New Jersey lawmakers are considering a significant transformation when dealing with individuals under 21 who illegally gamble inside Ocean City casinos.
A proposed bill in the state Senate gives courts the option of requiring compulsive gambling treatment and education programs for underage gamblers.
Currently, underage gambling in AC casinos is a disorderly persons offense and carries a fine of $500 to $1,000.
Gambling treatment, hefty aceree for underage betting throughout Atlantic Metropolis casinos
The proposed bill, S-1599, allows judges the discretion to issue a fine, require treatment, or both.
Sen. Jim Beach, D-Burlington, Camden, said the goal is to help young people by giving the criminal justice system an alternative option to deter illegal gambling behavior.
A Senate committee advanced Beach’s bill with a 5-0 vote earlier this month. Following the vote, Beach issued the following statement:
“Gambling addictions are a serious issue and a growing concern among young people. This affirmation legislation will help connect underage gamblers with treatment, rather than punishing them with fines which can have a disproportionate impact on low-income groups. It is our hope that this can help address unhealthy relationships with gambling and prevent youths from becoming repeat offenders.”
Is without a doubt NJ wishing to solve typically the ‘ wrong’ problem?
The legislature’s proactive efforts may be misdirected, however. There is little evidence to suggest that underage gambling in Atlantic City casinos is a widespread concern.
According to public records from the state Division of Gaming Enforcement, AC casinos are more frequently penalized for allowing excluded individuals to gamble (which is difficult to prevent or respond to quickly) than for allowing underage individuals to bet on their premises.
In the past five years, online gambling operators and sportsbooks have been more likely to be fined by NJ gambling authorities for violations than AC casinos.
Internet gambling probably a greater threat for the digital technology
Felicia Grondon, executive director for the Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey, said that while Beach’s bill is a “good start,” the data tells us that online gambling may pose more of a threat to underage individuals in the state.
“Internet gambling is just as popular, if not more popular, than live, brick-and-mortar casino gambling and it’s much more accessible,” Grondon told NJSpotlight News.
“And there’s more opportunity for youth to gamble online given the fact that one can hide their identity online.”
A good number of wagering options inside the Garden Talk about
Atlantic City is celebrating its 45th anniversary of legalized casino gambling on May 26. In 1978, Resorts International became the first US casino outside of Nevada. Today, there are nine casinos in AC.
New Jersey was the first state in the US to legalize casino gaming in 2013. Online sports betting in NJ has been legal since September 2018.
Most of NJ’s mobile sportsbooks require two-factor authentication.
The DGE recently imposed new mandates for online operators. They require operators to monitor user accounts for problematic and suspicious activity. New Jersey is the only state requiring licensed online gambling operators to take that extra step.
David Danzis is the lead writer for PlayNJ. He is a New Jersey native and an honors graduate of Rutgers University. As a newspaper reporter for the New Jersey Herald and Press of Atlantic City, David received statewide awards for his coverage of politics, government, education, sports, and business. Today, he is PlayNJ’s Atlantic City “insider” and a gaming industry expert on casinos, sports betting, and online gambling. David lives in Mays Landing with his wife and two children. When not at the shore, on the golf course, or snowboarding, David enjoys watching his beloved New York sports teams — Yankees, Jets, Rangers, and Knicks.
