In July, the state Senate gave final legislative final legislative approval to the measure, sponsored in part by state Sen. Jim Whelan, D-Atlantic, who died earlier this week.
The legislation is in response to the massive popularity of fantasy sports, which attracted some 57.4 million players in the U.S. and Canada, according to a study by Ipsos Public Affairs completed for the Fantasy Sports Trade Association in 2016. Some 1.5 million are thought to play fantasy sports in New Jersey alone.
But if you're worried about Trenton reaching into your fantasy league at the office, fear not. The new law (S1927/A3532) applies only to professional operators of daily or weekly games. It would not affect the smaller-scale, season-long fantasy sports competitions popular among your friends or colleagues.
The nonpartisan state Office of Legislative Services estimates the legislation would produce at least $6.6 million in revenue for the state each year.
