- A New Jersey lawmaker wants gambling text messages banned
- Andrew Zwicker’s bill is aimed at a fine of no less than $500 for any entity found breaking the rule
- Atlantic City casinos, sportsbooks, and online gambling platforms market via SMS
Casinos, sportsbooks, and other gambling operators market their businesses in a variety of ways, including through text messages to known customers. A state lawmaker in New Jersey wants to ban the SMS advertising practice.
New Jersey Sen. Andrew Zwicker’s (D-Somerset) Senate No. 3401 seeks to prohibit all licensed gambling entities in the Garden State from utilizing push notifications and text messages for promotional purposes.
The statute would bar Atlantic City casinos, retail and online sportsbooks, iGaming platforms, and their affiliates from utilizing SMS technology to reach consumers. The legislation would prohibit those entities from sending any sort of text communication to solicit deposits or persuade one to gamble.
‘Push notification’ means an automatic electronic message displayed on an internet gaming account holder’s device, when the user interface for the mobile casino licensee or its internet gaming affiliate’s platform is not actively open or visible on the device, that prompts the internet gaming account holder to check or engage with such platform,” the legislation details.
Zwicker’s S3401 has been directed to the Senate State Government, Wagering, Tourism & Historic Preservation Committee for initial review.
Curbing Addiction
The legislation authored by Zwicker is designed to curb problem gambling. The state senator says studies have shown that text messages encouraging one to gamble have been correlated with increased gambling addiction. People in New Jersey are presumably gambling more.
In 2025, iGaming operators hit a new revenue high, with online slots and table game players losing more than $2.91 billion. The iGaming gross gaming revenue represented a 22% increase from 2024. Online gamblers lost $2.88 billion on slots and tables, and paid $30.26 billion in poker rake.
New Jersey sportsbooks also took a record amount from sports bettors last year. Sportsbook revenue totaled $1.17 billion, a 7.5% gain on the prior year.
Meanwhile, in-person casino revenue in Atlantic City was up less than 3% to $2.89 billion.
New Jersey is the second-richest iGaming state in terms of gross revenue behind only Michigan, where online gambling revenue in 2025 totaled $2.9 billion. Pennsylvania was third, with iGaming GGR of $2.77 billion.
Text Penalties
Zwicker’s bill proposes that a gaming entity found to have violated the text prohibition be subjected to a fine “not less than $500 per offense.” Assuming a violating sportsbook sends out an errant marketing text to thousands of customers, the fine could be consequential.
As of February 2026, New Jersey is home to 26 iGaming platforms that are licensed by the state Division of Gaming Enforcement. There are 14 licensed online sportsbooks, and nine retail sportsbooks operate inside the nine Atlantic City casinos. The Meadowlands and Monmouth Park racetracks additionally have sportsbook facilities.
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