New Jersey-2024-S3541-Introduced

An Act prohibiting amusement games licensees from offering or advertising gambling activities related to amusement games and amending P.L.1959, c.109.

Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

1. Section 11 of P.L.1959, c.109 (C.5:8-110) is amended to read as follows:

11. a. No person or corporation

(1) lawfully conducting, or participating in the conduct of,

(2) possessing, selling or in any manner disposing of, any shares, tickets or rights to participate in, or

(3) permitting the conduct upon any premises owned by him or it, of any amusement game conducted or to be conducted in compliance with any license lawfully issued and in force pursuant to this act, and in compliance with the rules and regulations of the Control Commissioner, shall be liable to prosecution or conviction for violation of any provision of [chapters 112 and 121 of Title 2A, or of section 2A:170-18] chapter 37 of Title 2C of the New Jersey Statutes [, but this] .

b. The immunity provided by subsection a. of this section shall not extend to any person or corporation knowingly conducting or participating in the conduct of any amusement game under any license obtained by any false pretense or statement made in any application for such license or otherwise, or possessing, selling or disposing of shares, tickets or rights to participate in, or permitting the conduct upon any premises owned by [him] them or it of, any amusement game conducted under any license known to [him] them or it to have been obtained by any such false or fraudulent pretense or statement, or conducting or permitting the conduct of gambling activities upon any premises owned by them, or accepting or allowing wagers to be placed on any games conducted under any license issued to them pursuant to this act, P.L.1959, c.109 (C.5:8-100 et seq.), or promoting any such gambling activities.

(cf: P.L.1959, c.109, s.11)

2. Section 12 of P.L.1959, c.109 (C.5:8-111) is amended to read as follows:

12. Any person, association or corporation who or which shall make any false statement in any application for such license or shall fail to keep such books and records as shall fully and truly record all transactions connected with the holding, operating or conducting of amusement games under any such license, or shall falsify or make any false entry in any books or records so far as they relate to any transaction connected with the holding, operating and conducting of any amusement game under any such license, or shall violate any of the provisions of this act or of any term of such license, or shall conduct or permit the conduct of gambling activities upon any premises owned by them, or shall accept or allow wagers to be placed on any games conducted under any license issued to them pursuant to this act shall be a disorderly person and if convicted as such shall, in addition to suffering any other penalties which may be imposed, forfeit any license issued to it under this act.

(cf: P.L.1959, c.109, s.12)

3. Section 14 of P.L.1959, c.109 (C.5:8-113) is amended to read as follows:

14. a. Nothing contained in this act shall be deemed to authorize the playing for money, or other valuable thing at roulette wheels, at cards, dice or other game, with 1 or more dice, or with any other instrument, engine or device in the nature of dice, having 1 or more figures or numbers, or at billiards, pool, tennis, bowls, or shuffleboard, or A.B.C. or E.O. tables, or at faro bank, or other bank of a like nature by whatever name known, or with any slot machine or device in the nature of a slot machine. Nothing contained in this act shall be deemed to authorize bookmaking, off-track betting, pool selling, or the keeping of a gambling resort, or the racing for money or other valuable thing, by running, pacing or trotting of horses, mares or geldings, or the making or acceptance of any wager for money or other valuable thing conditioned in any way upon any occurrence at or upon the outcome of any athletic or sporting game or contest in which the person or player does not actively participate. For the purpose of this section "slot machines" or "devices in the nature of slot machines" are defined to be machines which operate mechanically, with the result principally controlled by the mechanical operation of the machines.

b. The holder of an amusement games license issued pursuant to this act shall not conduct or permit the conduct of gambling activities, as defined in P.L.1977, c.110 (C.5:12-1 et. seq.), upon any premises owned by them, or accept or allow wagers to be placed on any games conducted under any license issued to them pursuant to this act, or advertise or promote any such activities.

(cf: P.L.1959, c.109, s.14)

4. This act shall take effect immediately.

STATEMENT

This bill prohibits the holder of an amusement games license from accepting wagers on their premises, or on any amusement
game authorized to be played under their amusement games license.

The bill also prohibits the holder of an amusement games license from allowing any other party to facilitate such gambling activities on the license holder's property or on games conducted by the license holder, and from advertising any such gambling activities.

An amusement games license holder who engages in any conduct prohibited under the terms of the bill would be committing a disorderly persons offense, and could be subject to forfeiture of their amusement games license, as well as the applicable penalties for illegal gambling.