New Jersey’s combat sports regulator has made it clear that it will not tolerate athletes or any other participants betting on combat sports.
The New Jersey State Athletic Control Board (SACB) has announced an updated sports betting policy for all licensees, officials and employees.
Effective immediately, the policy stresses that officials, members and employees are prohibited from betting on any kind of combat sports event in any jurisdiction across the world. Fighters, trainers, referees, judges, timekeepers, medical staff, board members and board employees are all included in this bracket. The SACB adds that promoters, participants and their agents are also encouraged to adopt integrity policies in line with these standards.
In New Jersey, specifically, the ban on betting on in-state combat sports extends further to encompass to promoters, agents and managers.
Legal betting on non-combative sports is allowed, but board employees must register with the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement (DGE) before placing such bets in the Garden State. All forms of illegal betting are strictly prohibited, as is match-fixing and acting on or spreading insider information. Board personnel are also prohibited from working for sportsbooks or betting affiliates.
“With this action, we are safeguarding the integrity of combative sports events,” said SACB Commissioner Larry Hazzard Sr. “By implementing these standards, we are sending a clear message that unethical behavior will not be tolerated in New Jersey’s combative sports industry.”
The SACB notes that violations may result in disciplinary actions, including fines, license suspensions or revocation.
Tyson/Paul fight raises integrity concerns
The New Jersey update comes on the heels of the global phenomenon that was Jake Paul’s defeat of Mike Tyson in an adjusted-rules boxing match streamed live on Netflix around the world.
Amid questions over the fight’s integrity and Paul’s own admission that he did not go for a knockout punch against 58-year-old Tyson, Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions issued a statement on Monday in which it refuted claims that it called “incorrect and baseless… illogical and inane.”
Acknowledging that rigging a professional boxing match is a U.S. federal crime, the statement noted that Paul vs. Tyson was a professional match sanctioned by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulations (TDLR).
