New Jersey Senate Panel Backs Civil Fines For Underage Gambling
A New Jersey Senate committee has advanced a bill that would replace criminal charges for underage gambling with civil fines, with the money raised going to compulsive gambling programmes.
The change would affect how the state treats under-21s at New Jersey casinos and the people who let them in.
The Senate Judiciary Committee reported S597 favourably on October 15, 2026, according to its committee statement.
What S597 Changes
Under current law, a person under 21 who gambles at a casino or simulcasting facility commits a disorderly persons offence.
So does anyone who lets a person in their legal care or custody gamble, and so does a casino licensee or employee who allows an underage person to gamble.
The bill text changes the penalty for each of those actions to a civil fine of up to $500 for a first offence, up to $1,000 for a second and up to $2,000 for a third or any later offence.
The existing statute imposes a fine of at least $500 and no more than $1,000 in addition to the criminal charge.
Where The Money Would Go
The committee statement says fines would be appropriated by the Legislature to the Department of Human Services for prevention, education, and treatment programmes for compulsive gambling, such as those run by the Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey.
That earmark is central to how supporters describe the bill.
It ties penalties for breaking the age rules directly to responsible gambling funding.
Sponsors And Their Case
Senators James Beach and Vincent Polistina are the primary sponsors, with Senators Corrado, Turner and McKeon as co-sponsors.
In a release from the Senate Republican office, Polistina said a criminal offence is an unnecessarily harsh consequence for a young person who makes a mistake, given how much betting content young people now see on broadcasts and social media.
He stressed that penalties remain in place, that fines increase for repeat violations, and that land-based and online casinos remain responsible for complying with the law.
The bill keeps the existing defence for casino staff who relied in good faith on a written statement of age and a reasonable belief that the person was old enough.
What Happens Next?
S597 was pre-filed for the 2026 to 2027 session and, as reported, includes changes from technical review.
It still needs to clear the remaining Senate stages, the Assembly and the governor before any change takes effect.
For now, the legal age to gamble in New Jersey casinos stays at 21, and the current criminal penalties remain in force.
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