What S597 would change
The New Jersey Senate Judiciary Committee advanced S597 on Thursday. The bill would move underage gambling violations out of criminal law and send the fines they generate to programmes for the prevention, education and treatment of compulsive gambling.
Money would go to organisations such as the Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey. The committee backed the measure with bipartisan support.
The fines cover players under 21 who gamble in casinos or at betting counters for simulcast horse racing. Guardians who allow it would be liable, along with licensees and casino employees who let minors play. A first violation carries a fine of up to $500, a second up to $1,000 and a third $2,000. Repeat cases get expensive fast, and for operators the bill is a prompt to tighten age checks at the entrance.
Sponsors and next steps
State Senator James Beach, who sponsors the bill, said criminal prosecution leaves young people with a record, while research points to their heightened vulnerability to addiction. Treating the causes of addiction works better than convictions, he said. Co-sponsor Senator Vince Polistina said betting has become part of daily life through sports broadcasts and social media advertising, and young people run into it more often than before. A criminal penalty for a mistake is too harsh, he said. The sponsors argue for a balance between accountability and prevention.
The measure revives a bill from last year that won preliminary approval but was never enacted. After the judiciary committee, S597 goes to the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee. It then needs approval from committees and full chambers of both houses before reaching the governor.
