New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA), in partnership with the New Jersey Department of Labor (DOL) and the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement, has issued a Request for Information (RFI) this week. It seeks input on workforce development opportunities for current and future sports wagering industry employees in New Jersey.
The RFI is the latest in a series of steps being taken by the Garden State to make it a hub for sports wagering innovation, services, and technology.
Sports wagering platform providers, casinos, suppliers within the sports-betting supply chain, post-secondary educational institutions, relevant industry or trade groups, and municipal or county governments are invited to respond to the RFI via https://www.njeda.com/pdfs/rfps/RFI-OET-095/OET_SportsBetting_WorkforceDevRFI_V14.aspx. Responses must be submitted by 11:59 pm on January 31, 2020.
Submissions should include information on the types of skills or knowledge unique to the sports-betting industry, such as trading, that may not be currently prevalent in New Jersey’s (or the United States’) labor markets. Respondents should also provide potential ideas for creating workforce development training programs or initiatives that train New Jersey workers in those relevant skills.
“Sports wagering is a high-wage, high-growth sector that has already benefited New Jersey’s economy,” NJEDA Chief Executive Officer Tim Sullivan said. “Creating good paying jobs and cultivating a talent pipeline to support this burgeoning industry is critical to Governor Murphy’s vision to creating a stronger and fairer New Jersey economy.”
Sullivan noted that New Jersey has all the ingredients necessary to make it a world-class destination for companies throughout the sports wagering ecosystem – a strategic location at the heart of the Northeast Corridor, best-in-class digital infrastructure, a highly-talented workforce, and an innovative and progressive regulatory regime.
“We’re seeing enormous interest from companies up and down the sports wagering supply chain wanting to learn more about how they can get involved with this growing industry in the Garden State,” New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement Director David Rebuck said. “The feedback NJEDA will receive as a result of the RFI will help New Jersey strengthen this industry as we enter a new decade and beyond.”
