New Jersey urged to become first state to ban online microbetting

New Jersey already faces a problem gambling rate of 5.7%, roughly three times the national figure, according to a new report from the Campaign for Fairer Gambling. The advocacy group estimates that this directly affects some 570,000 state residents, with an additional 3.4 million indirectly impacted through social and family ties.

Microbetting—placing live proposition wagers on the next play of a sporting event, such as whether a baseball pitch will be a ball or strike—has become a particular focus of concern. The report defines this product as slot-like in its rapid-fire nature and argues it poses an urgent public health threat.

At a policy briefing in Trenton, the Campaign for Fairer Gambling pressed New Jersey to become the first US state to outlaw online microbetting. The organisation's report found that 78% of microbettors qualify as problem gamblers. Those who make such bets also display higher rates of mental health vulnerabilities, including impulse control difficulties, anxiety, depression and substance abuse, compared to bettors who stick to full-game outcomes.

Brianne Doura-Schawohl, the campaign's director, noted that legal sports betting has existed in most states for under a decade, yet 43% of Americans already view sports wagering as harmful. "Highly addictive, slot-like betting products like microbetting are a major reason why people are concerned," she said. She also highlighted that The Lancet medical journal has flagged this betting type as high-risk, reinforcing the reported findings.