LEGISLATIVE FISCAL ESTIMATE

[First Reprint]

SENATE, No. 4668

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

221st LEGISLATURE

 

DATED: NOVEMBER 24, 2025

 

 

SUMMARY

 

Synopsis:

Allows courier services to sell instant lottery game tickets electronically; establishes self-exclusion list for State Lottery games.

Type of Impact:

Potential State revenue and expenditure increases.

Agencies Affected:

Division of State Lottery in the Department of the Treasury; Department of Human Services.

 

 

Office of Legislative Services Estimate

Fiscal Impact

Annual 

 

Potential State Revenue Increase

Indeterminate

 

Potential State Expenditure Increase

Indeterminate

 

 

·         The Office of Legislative Services (OLS) finds that this bill may result in potential annual State revenue increases of an indeterminate amount if the authorization for lottery ticket courier services to sell instant lottery game tickets drives additional sales and revenues to the Division of State Lottery.

 

·         The Department of Human Services may also experience indeterminate State revenue increases in the event of the forfeiture of prizes or winnings by people on the self-exclusion list and from the imposition of any fines levied against lottery couriers in the event of a willful violation of the State Lottery Commission’s regulations concerning the self-exclusion list. Any revenue collected from these sources is to be deposited into the General Fund and used by the department for compulsive gambling treatment and prevention programs, which would increase State expenditures.

 

 

BILL DESCRIPTION

 

     This bill authorizes lottery ticket courier services to sell instant lottery game tickets electronically to people located in this State.  An instant lottery game ticket is a physical ticket approved by the Division of State Lottery where play symbols are revealed by removing a latex or protective coating, and prizes are awarded according to the symbols revealed on a particular ticket.  The bill requires the Division of State Lottery to adopt temporary rules and regulations necessary to implement these provisions and amend, adopt, or readopt such rules and regulations not later than one year following the bill’s effective date.

 

The bill also directs the State Lottery Commission to establish a self-exclusion list, which will allow problem gamblers to exclude themselves from participation in State Lottery games in a manner similar to the self-exclusion lists which currently exist for casinos and racetracks.

Under the bill, the commission is required to: (1) establish procedures for placements on, and removals from, the list of self-excluded persons; (2) establish procedures for the transmittal to lottery courier services of identifying information concerning persons on the self-exclusion list; and (3) require lottery courier services to establish procedures designed to remove persons on the self-exclusion list from targeted mailings or other forms of advertising or promotions and deny such persons access to credit and other benefits, as determined by the commission.

The bill provides that any prize or winnings which have been obtained by, or are owed to, a person on the self-exclusion list as a result of the person’s participation in a State Lottery game will be subject to forfeiture by order of the commission, following notice to the person on the self-exclusion list and opportunity to be heard.  Forfeited prizes and winnings will be earmarked for appropriation to the Department of Human Services to provide funds for compulsive gambling treatment and prevention programs.  The State Lottery Commission may also levy a fine against a courier service of up to $5,000 per incident for a willful violation of the commission’s self-exclusion regulations.  Any fines will be earmarked for appropriation to the Department of Human Services in the same manner as forfeited prizes or winnings.

 

 

FISCAL ANALYSIS

 

EXECUTIVE BRANCH

 

        None received.

 

OFFICE OF LEGISLATIVE SERVICES

 

      The OLS finds that this bill may result in potential annual State revenue increases of an indeterminate amount should the authorization for lottery ticket courier services to sell instant lottery game tickets electronically drive additional sales and revenues to the Division of State Lottery.

      The Department of Human Services may also experience indeterminate annual State revenue increases in the event of the forfeiture of prizes or winnings by people on the self-exclusion list and from the imposition of any fines levied against lottery couriers in the event of a willful violation of the State Lottery Commission’s regulations concerning the self-exclusion list.  Any revenue collected from these sources is to be deposited into the General Fund and used by the department for compulsive gambling treatment and prevention programs, which would increase State expenditures.

      In addition, the Division of State Lottery may experience an increase in workload or staff in connection with the bill’s requirement to adopt rules and regulations to implement the bill’s provisions.


 

Section:

State Government

Analyst:

Anna Harris

Associate Fiscal Analyst

Approved:

Thomas Koenig

Legislative Budget and Finance Officer

 

 

This legislative fiscal estimate has been produced by the Office of Legislative Services due to the failure of the Executive Branch to respond to our request for a fiscal note.

 

This fiscal estimate has been prepared pursuant to P.L.1980, c.67 (C.52:13B-6 et seq.).