New Jersey Passes Gambling Addiction Education Bill for Public Colleges

^{There was little debate in the New Jersey Assembly about a bill that would make gambling addiction education mandatory at the state’s public universities. (Photo: Mike Catalini / AP)}

The New Jersey legislature has passed a bill that will require regular gambling addiction education at public colleges and universities in the state in an effort to combat the potential risks of gambling among teenagers and young adults.

The legislation, known as Assembly Bill A1715, was first passed unanimously in the New Jersey Assembly in March 2025.

Bill Mandates CCGNJ Visits, Educational Materials

While the process of moving the bill through the New Jersey Senate was slow, it was relatively uncontroversial. After several amendments were made to clarify the specifics of how the educational interventions would work, the state senate also unanimously approved the bill last week.

The legislation will require all public higher education institutions in New Jersey to follow specific steps to address problem gambling among students. For starters, at least once per semester, each campus must invite the Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey – an organization many may know due to its battle over the 1-800-GAMBLER phone number – and facilitate their presence. That organization would then educate students on gambling risks, self-exclusion programs, and counseling services.

Each college or university would also be required to provide educations materials on campus promoting responsible gambling behaviors and telling students how to contact helplines and other support services if needed.

A1715 was sponsored by Assemblywoman Garnet R. Hall (D-Essex) and now heads to the desk of Gov. Phil Murphy for his signature. 

Lawmakers Grapple with College, Youth Gambling 

Bills such as these come as legislators grapple with balancing the revenue that comes from gambling expansion with the increased risk of problem gambling among young adults and college students. A series of scandals regarding gambling on college basketball and other sports may also have added momentum to the effort. 

This is far from the only attempt to bring gambling education to younger people in New Jersey. 

In September 2024, Senate Bill 3666 was introduced, which would require school districts in the state to provide education on the risks of compulsive gambling as part of the state’s Comprehensive Health and Physical Education standards. State Senator Shirley Turner (D-Hunterdon County), who co-sponsored the bill, said at the time that the popularity of online sports betting had magnified the issue of teenage gambling. Meanwhile, Assembly Bill 5562 would restrict gambling advertisements near college campuses.

According to the New York Council on Problem Gambling, 90 percent of high school students surveyed by the organization said that they have gambled at least once in the past 12 months, ranging from casual bets with friends to lotteries and sports betting. Meanwhile, a 2023 study by the NCAA found that 58 percent of individuals between the ages of 18 and 22 had participated in at least one sports betting activity at some point in their lives.