Bill > A5821

Introduced Session

This bill establishes the "Gaming Cybersecurity Intelligence and Response Council Act." The bill establishes in the Division of Gaming Enforcement the Gaming Cybersecurity Intelligence and Response Council. The purpose of the council will be to facilitate strategic coordination among regulators, operators, and cybersecurity experts to enhance cybersecurity in the State's gaming industry. Under the bill, the council will be comprised of seven members, as follows: (1) the director of the Division of Gaming Enforcement, or a designee; (2) the director of the New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness, or a designee; (3) three members, appointed by the Governor, who will be employed by, or represent, licensed casino and sportsbook operators in this State; and (4) two members, appointed by the Governor, who will be employed by, or represent, public institutions of higher education with cybersecurity centers in this State. The bill permits the council to invite representatives from appropriate federal agencies and national cybersecurity organizations, including the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, the Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation to serve as non-voting observers or technical advisors to support coordination and cybersecurity threat awareness. The bill requires the council to, at regular intervals, but not less than twice per year, develop confidential briefings and training exercises for casino licensees, sports wagering licensees, and their employees, and disseminate cybersecurity threat alerts, incident response protocols, and risk mitigation guidance. These briefings, exercises, and alerts are to be considered sensitive security information and will not be publicly disclosed. Access to such materials is to be limited to authorized personnel and licensees as determined by the division in consultation with the New Jersey Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Cell within the Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness. Participation in briefings and training exercises may be required for those determined by the division to present a heightened cybersecurity risk. The bill authorizes the council to participate in the Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center and any other national or state-wide cybersecurity forums as may be appropriate. The council may also establish subcommittees as necessary to address specific cybersecurity topics, including but not limited to, incident response coordination, threat intelligence sharing, training development, and regulatory recommendations. The bill requires the council to develop and submit an annual report summarizing its activities and providing strategic, high level recommendations for enhancing cybersecurity in the gaming industry. The report will be submitted to the Governor and the Legislature and will include, at a minimum: (1) a non-sensitive summary of cybersecurity trends and risks affecting the gaming sector in the preceding calendar year, presented in aggregate and in de-identified format; (2) an overview of council activities, including briefings, training sessions, advisories, and external coordination; (3) an anonymized summary of operator engagement and participation in council programs or voluntary certification initiatives; (4) policy, operational, or regulatory recommendations to improve cybersecurity resilience in New Jersey's gaming industry; and (5) a summary of collaboration with national or federal cybersecurity organizations, excluding classified or operational content. The bill requires that the report be redacted or presented in summary form to ensure that no information is disclosed that could compromise cybersecurity defenses, weaken threat mitigation or incident response efforts, expose system vulnerabilities, or interfere with ongoing investigations. No specific breach data, technical indicators, or operator specific vulnerabilities is to be included in the public report.

AI Summary

Committee Categories

Clinton Calabrese (D)*, 

Introduced, Referred to Assembly Tourism, Gaming and the Arts Committee (on 06/16/2025)

Official Document