• New Jersey Senate Bill S2160 would ban micro betting, the practice of wagering on small, immediate outcomes during live sporting events.
• No state or federal law currently prohibits micro bets in professional sports, though recent match-fixing scandals involving MLB and NBA athletes have prompted league-level restrictions and some legislative proposals.
• Opponents warn that an outright ban could backfire, driving bettors to neighboring states or to illegal offshore markets. It could result in lost revenue for New Jersey.

New Jersey could soon ban “micro betting,” the increasingly popular sports betting scheme where users wager on small, immediate and specific events during ongoing games.

On March 23, 2026, the New Jersey Senate State Government, Wagering, Tourism & Historic Preservation Committee voted to advance New Jersey Senate Bill No. 2160. If passed, the bill would “prohibit sports wagering licensees from offering or accepting any wager on a micro bet.” Originally introduced on October 27, 2025 under Senate Bill No. 4794, the legislation has sparked an interesting debate about the scope of sports betting products offered in the Garden State.

As proposed, S2160 (along with its companion bill in the New Jersey Assembly, A3258) would create new definitions for both micro betting and proposition bets in N.J.S.A. 5:12A-10. It also would include language expressly prohibiting micro betting and outlining penalties for any sports wagering licensee or person who offers or accepts a micro bet pursuant to N.J.S.A. 5:12A-11.

S2160 defines a micro bet as a “proposition bet which is wagered live, while a sport or athletic event is ongoing, and concerns the outcome of the next play or action occurring in the sport or athletic event.” It also defines a proposition bet (prop bet) as “a side wager on a part of a sport or athletic event that does not concern the final outcome of the sport or athletic event.” S2160 includes certain examples of common micro bets, such as wagers on whether the next pitch in a baseball game will be a ball or strike, or whether the next play in a football game will be a pass or run.

The bill alleges that micro betting raises various concerns, such as problem gambling due to the rapid pace in which micro bet wagers are placed, and that micro betting is more susceptible to match fixing (as compared to more traditional forms of wagering).

The Micro Bet Debate
Concerns with micro betting in recent months have largely developed from reports of manipulation by professional athletes in the National Basketball Association (NBA) and Major League Baseball (MLB). In response to the recent indictment of two MLB pitchers on charges of manipulating their own pitches for bettors, the league issued a statement on November 10, 2025 requiring all MLB Authorized Gaming Operators to “cap wagers on pitch-level markets at $200 and exclude those bets from parlays. These new measures — implemented across sportsbook operators representing more than 98% of the U.S. betting market — are intended to mitigate integrity risks, and maintain the transparency and data access benefits that the regulated sports betting market provides.”

Moreover, on November 13, 2025, the NFL also released a memo reiterating its policy to limit, and in some cases prohibit, certain prop bets on league games. The memo specifically emphasized four “prohibited wager” categories:

• Inherently Objectionable: Markets or bets that are inherently or designed to be derogatory or inflammatory, or otherwise based on subject matter against public policy (e.g., player injuries, fan safety, misconduct, etc.).

• Officiating-Related: Markets or bets based on officials or officiating (e.g., officiating assignments, penalties, replays, etc.).

• Determinable by One Person in One Play: Based on outcomes 100% determinable by one person in one play (e.g., kicker to miss FG attempt, QB’s first pass to be incomplete, etc.).

• Pre-Determined: Pre-determined outcomes directly related to on-field competition (e.g., Will QB start this week? Will team's first play from scrimmage be a run or pass, etc.).

In response to MLB’s memo, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine released a statement praising the league “for taking this action to address the problem of micro-prop bets.” Like New Jersey, Ohio is also contemplating its own rulemaking to prohibit micro betting. Similar measures are also being addressed at the federal level with the proposed SAFE Bet Act, introduced in March 2025, which aims to limit operators from using artificial intelligence to create products supporting micro bets.

Those opposed to S2160, on the other hand, argue that an outright ban on micro bets (or any other popular segment of the sports betting industry) could have the adverse effect of leading consumers to gamble in nearby jurisdictions like Pennsylvania or New York, forfeiting potential revenue to the state. Opponents also argue that such bans could drive consumers to illegal or unregulated offshore betting markets offering similar micro betting products.

The Micro Betting Outlook: What is Next?
Despite proposed legislation and professional league action to curtail micro betting, currently no state or federal laws explicitly ban micro bets in professional sports. On the other hand, restrictions on prop bets, which in many cases include micro bets, exist in several jurisdictions at the collegiate level.

For example, in February 2024, Ohio approved new rules prohibiting player-specific prop bets on intercollegiate NCAA competitions for individual player achievements and in-game statistics. Louisiana, Maryland and Vermont have followed the same approach for NCAA sports competitions by banning individual college athlete prop bets outright, while several other jurisdictions have imposed at least some restrictions on college athlete prop bets.

Regulation of micro betting in professional sports, however, has been largely unaffected by collegiate prop bet limitations (aside from those explicitly banned by the NFL and MLB).

Takeaways
Directives from the NFL and MLB, along with future betting-related scandals, could lead to further legislative changes concerning micro betting for professional sports. However, the prospect of bettors continuing to make such wagers in other states or through offshore or unregulated operators may temper legislative momentum. Combined with the efforts already taken by the leagues, these factors suggest that such legislative efforts might be few and far between. If passed, New Jersey could be one of the first states to have an absolute ban on micro betting.

While proponents of S2160 cite integrity concerns in professional sports and problem gambling, fervent opposition to the bill remains based on prospective economic impacts and legal gaming concerns. As S2160 continues to move through the New Jersey Senate, it will be interesting to see whether New Jersey becomes the first state to prohibit micro betting in professional sports, and if other states will follow New Jersey's lead.