New Jersey Bill Would Ban Sportsbook Bonuses and Promotions for Bettors Using Responsible Gaming Tools
New Jersey Assembly Bill 4003 passed a key committee vote unanimously and would prohibit sportsbooks from offering bonus bets, deposit matches, or promotional credits to any bettor who has activated responsible gaming protections.
A bill moving through the New Jersey legislature would bar online sportsbooks from sending promotional credits, bonus bets, or other incentives to customers who have activated responsible gaming tools with any operator or the state. Assembly Bill 4003 passed the Assembly Tourism, Gaming and the Arts Committee with a unanimous 5-0 vote and is now awaiting consideration on the full Assembly floor, according to a May 12, 2026 report.
The measure was introduced by Assemblymen Dan Hutchison (D-Atlantic), Cody Miller (D-Atlantic), and Michael Venezia (D-Essex). Under AB4003, sportsbooks would be prohibited from offering promotional credits, incentives, bonuses, complimentaries, or similar benefits to bettors who have enrolled in self-exclusion programs, deposit limits, time or wagering limits, or any other voluntary account restriction. Sportsbooks that violate the rule would face a minimum fine of $500 per offense. A companion bill, S3420, is still in a Senate committee.
The Policy Logic and Industry Implications
The bill addresses a tension at the heart of the responsible gambling framework: sportsbooks can simultaneously offer voluntary self-restriction tools to problem gamblers while continuing to target those same users with aggressive promotional offers designed to encourage more wagering. Proponents argue that allowing operators to market directly to users who have enrolled in protective tools effectively undermines the purpose of those tools. Sportsbooks in New Jersey can currently deduct promotional play from their taxable sports wagering revenue, though only on credits exceeding $12 million annually.
If passed, the measure would join a growing list of responsible gambling regulations moving through state legislatures in 2026. Ohio is finalizing a credit card ban for sports betting deposits, and Colorado lawmakers have advanced consumer protection language as part of a broader gambling reform bill. New Jersey has historically been among the most influential sports betting regulatory environments in the country, and reforms that gain traction in Trenton tend to draw attention from regulators in other states. Bettors who use New Jersey sports betting apps currently have access to self-exclusion and deposit limit tools through the state’s Division of Gaming Enforcement.