New Jersey Bill Proposes Limits on Esports Betting

The New Jersey State Legislature saw the introduction of a bill that calls for a ban on betting on professional gaming and esports events. The bill would allow “wagering at casinos and racetracks on certain professional and collegiate sports or athletic events”, but at the same time would prohibit “all high school sports events, electronic sports, and competitive videogames”.

There are exceptions to the rule, with the bill proposing that the prohibition on betting “does not include international sports events in which persons under age 18 make up a minority of the participants”, allowing fans to bet on events overseas, such as League of Legends European LCS, but would prevent those same fans from betting on the outcomes of their local Counter-Strike tournament. The wording of the bill is very vague, however, with the full implications still being thought through. With the unclear meaning of the bill, and the apparent localization of its effects, it remains to be seen how this will change the status quo when it comes to betting on esports, both for New Jersey and the wider United States.

Bryce Blum, founding partner of Electronic Sports and Gaming Law, spoke out on Twitter regarding the recent news, revealing his distaste for the news.

This is a perfect example of why I fear any form of regulation surrounding esports.

Here are the bill's sponsors - do they look like esports experts to you?

You cannot effectively regulate what you don't understand. This could be just the tip of the iceberg. pic.twitter.com/rL8O0qvXm7

— Bryce Blum (@esportslaw) June 6, 2018

For more gaming world news, check out Steams latest statement regarding their new stance on what can and cannot be published on their platform, here.