Content on this page may include affiliate links. If you click and sign up/place a wager, we may receive compensation at no cost to you.
New Senate bill would ban New Jersey online gambling push notifications, text messages
New Jersey online casinos may soon be prohibited from sending text messages or push alerts to its users, which lawmakers hope will improve responsible gambling in the state.
A bill in the New Jersey Senate was introduced recently to bolster the state's emphasis on responsible gambling with legal online casinos and sportsbooks. As written, Senate Bill 3401 would prohibit NJ online casinos and sportsbooks from using mobile push notifications or text messages to encourage individuals to gamble.
Bill would prohibit use of push notifications, alerts by NJ online casinos
Proposed by Sen. Andrew Zwicker, the bill looks to crack down on how NJ online casinos and sports betting sites market to their customers outside of actual app usage and emails.
In particular, S3401 focuses on operators sending such alerts to users who don't have the casino app or sportsbook open – essentially cold-calling customers with those notifications inviting them to gamble.
New Jersey would find real money online casino and sports betting operators up to $500 for each violation of the proposed bill, which would also apply to land-based casinos and sportsbooks throughout the state, including those in Atlantic City.
It's the latest of a string of efforts legislators have taken to improve responsible gambling in New Jersey, which comes off a record-setting year of nearly $3 billion in online casino gaming revenue.
Lawmakers continue to look for ways to improve responsible gambling
Even with the NJ online casino industry approaching 13 years old, lawmakers have continued to find ways to improve the market with measures that aim to prevent problem gambling or gambling addiction. That has been especially true of late in the Garden State.
A recently passed bill, for example, requires higher-education institutions to partner with the Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey to offer students resources about responsible gambling, which Gov. Phil Murphy said reflected the state's effort to take proactive steps to "address gambling-related harm before it takes root."
Similar to S3401, two other Senate bills also take on how NJ gambling operators approach marketing. One proposal, S2356 would require the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement, which regulated online casinos in New Jersey, to conduct a study of gaming advertisements as a way to hone the state requirements for responsible gaming messaging in marketing materials. The bill would also permit the DGE to ban gaming advertisements near schools or that target specific demographics.
Meanwhile, S1444 would give the DGE additional power, allowing the regulatory body broader authority to ban NJ online casino advertisements that the DGE considers deceptive or inappropriate.
All of this is to say that while the NJ online casino industry continues to thrive and grow, lawmakers are continuously looking for ways to ensure it remains a safe and enjoyable form of entertainment rather than a potential ban on the New Jersey community. That way, Cash App casinos and other regulated online gaming outlets can continue to thrive in New Jersey.
