New Jersey bill proposes mandatory treatment for underage bettors
Bill S-1599 proposes alternative options for those aged under 21 who gamble at Atlantic City casinos.
US.- New Jersey lawmakers are considering alternative options for dealing with people under 21 who illegally gamble in Atlantic City casinos. A new Senate bill, S-1599, would give courts the option of requiring compulsive betting treatment and education programmes.
Currently, underage gambling at Atlantic City casinos carries a fine between $500 and $1,000. The proposed bill would allow judges to issue a fine, require treatment or both. According to the bill’s sponsors, senators James Beach, Shirley Turner, and co-sponsor Patrick Diegnan, underage people who gamble may have a deeper problem that needs treatment.
The state is creating new initiatives to promote responsible gaming. In April, New Jersey attorney general Matthew J. Platkin and Division of Gaming Enforcement (DGE) director David Rebuck announced that a new responsible gaming coordinator will be appointed. There will also be new advertising standards for operators and easier access to self-exclusion for players.
Platkin made the announcement before regulators and industry representatives at the East Coast Gaming Congress held at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Atlantic City. The new measures will be added to the DGE’s Responsible Gaming Initiative, which was announced in February.
Atlantic City casino profits decline in 2022
The New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement’s profitability figures for Atlantic City’s nine casinos show an aggregated operating profit of $731.2m in 2022, down 4.6 per cent compared to 2021. Only two casinos improved their operating profits in 2022. Hard Rock generated over $128m, up more than 20 per cent and Ocean $96.2m, an increase of 5.5 per cent.
Bally’s recorded a loss of $1.8m compared to a profit of $13.1m in 2021, Borgata was down 19.4 per cent, Caesars down 2.7 per cent, Harrah’s registered a loss of 10 per cent, Resorts down 24 per cent and Tropicana down 7.6 per cent.
