- A New Jersey lawmaker desires playing textual content messages banned
- Andrew Zwicker’s invoice is aimed toward a advantageous of at least $500 for any entity discovered breaking the rule
- Atlantic Metropolis casinos, sportsbooks, and on-line playing platforms market through SMS
Casinos, sportsbooks, and different playing operators market their companies in quite a lot of methods, together with by textual content messages to recognized clients. A state lawmaker in New Jersey desires to ban the SMS promoting observe.
A graphic reveals an animated cell phone receiving a textual content message to “guess now!” Laws in New Jersey seeks to ban casinos, sportsbooks, and iGaming platforms from sending textual content message communications that encourage play. (Picture: Shutterstock)
New Jersey Sen. Andrew Zwicker’s (D-Somerset) Senate No. 3401 seeks to ban all licensed playing entities within the Backyard State from using push notifications and textual content messages for promotional functions.
The statute would bar Atlantic Metropolis casinos, retail and on-line sportsbooks, iGaming platforms, and their associates from using SMS expertise to achieve customers. The laws would prohibit these entities from sending any form of textual content communication to solicit deposits or persuade one to gamble.
‘Push notification’ means an automated email correspondence displayed on an web gaming account holder’s system, when the consumer interface for the cellular on line casino licensee or its web gaming affiliate’s platform just isn’t actively open or seen on the system, that prompts the web gaming account holder to test or interact with such platform,” the laws particulars.
Zwicker’s S3401 has been directed to the Senate State Authorities, Wagering, Tourism & Historic Preservation Committee for preliminary evaluate.
Curbing Dependancy
The laws authored by Zwicker is designed to curb downside playing. The state senator says research have proven that textual content messages encouraging one to gamble have been correlated with elevated playing habit. Individuals in New Jersey are presumably playing extra.
In 2025, iGaming operators hit a brand new income excessive, with on-line slots and desk sport gamers dropping greater than $2.91 billion. The iGaming gross gaming income represented a 22% improve from 2024. On-line gamblers misplaced $2.88 billion on slots and tables, and paid $30.26 billion in poker rake.
New Jersey sportsbooks additionally took a document quantity from sports activities bettors final yr. Sportsbook income totaled $1.17 billion, a 7.5% achieve on the prior yr.
In the meantime, in-person on line casino income in Atlantic Metropolis was up lower than 3% to $2.89 billion.
New Jersey is the second-richest iGaming state when it comes to gross income behind solely Michigan, the place on-line playing income in 2025 totaled $2.9 billion. Pennsylvania was third, with iGaming GGR of $2.77 billion.
Textual content Penalties
Zwicker’s invoice proposes {that a} gaming entity discovered to have violated the textual content prohibition be subjected to a advantageous “not lower than $500 per offense.” Assuming a violating sportsbook sends out an errant advertising and marketing textual content to hundreds of consumers, the advantageous may very well be consequential.
As of February 2026, New Jersey is house to 26 iGaming platforms which can be licensed by the state Division of Gaming Enforcement. There are 14 licensed on-line sportsbooks, and 9 retail sportsbooks function contained in the 9 Atlantic Metropolis casinos. The Meadowlands and Monmouth Park racetracks moreover have sportsbook services.
