New Jersey lawmakers are moving ahead with bills to shut down sweepstakes casinos operating in the state. This represents a significant change in how Garden State has handled this fast-growing gaming sector. The proposed laws could completely reshape online gaming for residents.

Assemblyman Clinton Calabrese introduced Assembly Bill 5447, which would ban platforms that use virtual currency and give out cash prizes and create fresh penalties for unlawful gambling businesses. The bill sat without action for nearly eight weeks before it was unanimously approved by the Assembly’s Tourism, Gaming, and Arts Committee. The Division of Consumer Affairs and Gaming Enforcement would oversee compliance.

The sweepstakes casino business has grown tremendously across America. The market made around $3.1 billion in 2022. Experts think it will jump 31% annually and hit $6.9 billion by 2025. These sites let people play casino games with fake money instead of real cash. This lets them operate in states where traditional online gambling remains illegal.

Players who cannot access regular online casinos in their areas often look for other options. Some check out cryptocasino platforms that work with cryptocurrency transactions. These provide a different path for online gaming fans who want varied experiences outside the regulated market.

Stephan Finkel is the director of legislative affairs for the Attorney General’s office. He says New Jersey’s constitution requires voters to approve gambling activities. Since sweepstakes casino gaming never got voter approval through a referendum, he thinks it should be unconstitutional. Finkel also pointed out that these platforms are built to look different from what they are, which makes them unauthorized gambling operations.

The proposed laws specifically target the business model that sweepstakes casinos depend on. These platforms usually run two games simultaneously. One involves paid virtual coins with no cash payout, and the other uses sweepstakes coins that players can turn in for real prizes. The New Jersey bill would stop this dual-currency system by banning the purchase of coins or tokens that only allow sweepstakes entry.

The bills would also prevent sweepstakes winners from being picked based on sports events or contests. This would target platforms that mix sweepstakes mechanics with sports betting elements. This rule aims to close what lawmakers see as regulatory gaps that let operators circumvent existing gambling laws.

Industry representatives have had different reactions to these legislative developments. The Social and Promotional Games Association supported earlier regulatory efforts. They said clear regulations would help create transparent and responsible social gaming experiences. However, switching from regulation to prohibition has created uncertainty for operators serving New Jersey customers.

Governor Murphy formed New Jersey’s Responsible Gambling Task Force. The group recommended supporting legislative efforts to ban unregulated gambling, including sweepstakes casinos. The task force examined both regulated and unregulated gaming in the state. Their findings could strengthen the ban legislation.

The regulatory crackdown goes beyond New Jersey. New York has also moved to ban social casino sweepstakes models. The State Senate passed legislation prohibiting online sweepstakes games using dual-currency systems. This year, multiple states, including Connecticut, Louisiana, and Montana, have introduced similar prohibition bills.

Eric Scheffler from the Sports Betting Alliance said sweepstakes gaming represents a legal trick that lets operators copy online casino experiences while avoiding licensing, regulation, and taxation structures that state policymakers set up. He noted that without regulation, these platforms do not have to follow the advertising restrictions and responsible gambling measures that traditional operators must.

The timing of New Jersey’s legislative action matters because the state leads in regulated online gambling. New Jersey was one of the first states to legalize online casino gaming and brought substantial tax revenue from its regulated iGaming market. The proposed sweepstakes ban could protect this established regulatory framework from unregulated competition.

A separate bill, Senate Bill 4109, takes a different approach. It proposes to regulate sweepstakes casinos as internet gaming operators, requiring licensure and taxation within the existing framework. This alternative shows the ongoing debate about banning or regulating these platforms.

New Jersey’s decision on these bills will probably affect what other states do about sweepstakes casinos. Some states have already killed similar bills this year, but others are still working on them. How this turns out will shape the sweepstakes industry’s future.

If Bill 5447 passes, sweepstakes companies might leave New Jersey like they did in other states with bans. New Jersey wants tight control over gambling in the state, no matter how companies try to package it.

PARSIPPANY — Nuvvon, a leader in next-generation energy storage, is excited to report a breakthrough in solid-state battery scalability.

This fall, Nuvvon will release its first samples of 1Ah and 5Ah solid-state rechargeable lithium-ion pouch cells.

“This is a real breakthrough moment for Nuvvon,” notes Jonathan Lex, Chief Operating Officer of Nuvvon Inc. “While we’ve always maintained that our technology is inherently scalable and compatible with existing lithium-ion manufacturing infrastructure, we focused first on advancing our materials science. They have validated our approach by successfully producing larger format cells, paving the way for faster commercialization.”
The scaling from 72mAh to 1Ah and 5Ah pouch cells demonstrates that Nuvvon’s technology is moving beyond laboratory-scale prototypes.

Key performance characteristics of Nuvvon’s SPE technology include:
• 2000+ cycle life (1C/1C); NMC811 cathode
• Wide operating temperature range of -20°C to +60°C (-4°F to 140°F)
• Completely solid composition – no liquid electrolyte in any part of cell
• Passed all common safety tests (e.g. nail, thermal runaway)
• Operational at atmospheric pressure (No stack pressure)
• Made in the USA

Full performance data is available upon request.
“Progress has accelerated beyond expectations since the expanded team moved into our new, larger facility,” explains Dr. Simon Madgwick, Nuvvon CEO. “We know our product is unique – a substantial compressionless cell – and now it is available at commercial grade and made entirely on the existing Li-ion process. It has been a lot of hard work, and with some ongoing testing to finish, we will be ready to take orders for pilot samples.”

Nuvvon will begin with a baseline product that potential partners can request to order to test and evaluate. Simultaneously, Nuvvon will develop fast charge/discharge and extremely high/low temperature variants tailored to customer-specific applications. 10- 20Ah cells will be available upon request.

To evaluate Nuvvon’s cells or to explore collaboration opportunities, contact Jonathan Lex at [email protected].

MORRIS COUNTY — In a heartwarming effort to find loving homes for more pets, Mt. Pleasant Animal Shelter is waiving adoption fees for all adult animals beginning Friday, June 20 through Sunday, June 22. During this special weekend event, adopters can take home any eligible adult cat or dog at absolutely no cost.

“Adult pets often wait longer than kittens and puppies despite being wonderful companions,” explained Lorri Coppola, Executive Director of Mt. Pleasant Animal Shelter. “Our goal with this promotion is to remove financial barriers and match these loving, animals with caring families.”

Each adoption includes:

• Spay/neuter surgery
• Age‑appropriate vaccinations
• Microchipping

While the adoption fee is waived, the shelter will still conduct standard adoption screening to ensure each animal is matched with the right home.

“We have so many incredible adult pets—snuggle seekers, adventure buddies, and quiet couch companions—all ready to bring joy to your home,” added Coppola.

Adoption Hours:

• Weekdays: 12 PM – 4 PM
• Weekend days: 12 PM – 5 PM

Visit Mt. Pleasant Animal Shelter at 194 Route 10West, East Hanover, NJ, or browse adoptable pets at www.njshelter.org. Walk‑in visitors are warmly welcomed.

PARSIPPANY — When cancer steals, it almost always steals mercilessly. It can be a thief of physical liberty, a thief of mental acuity at any age, and, although often going unrecognized, it can be a callous thief of the patient’s caregiver—whose health may be compromised in the pursuit of caring for the ones they love.

In a heart-rending yet emotionally dynamic debut, AJ Wyman delivers a novel he never expected to write. For a book that started as a “therapeutic exercise” to deal with the repercussions of his infant daughter’s cancer diagnosis, Wyman has transmuted a collection of once-scattered musings into an evocative, full-length piece, delving into poignant themes of grief, mental turmoil, and turbulent recovery.

It all started a little over a decade ago when a couple, AJ and Lindsey Wyman, discovered that no parent ever wants to hear: Emma Marie, their daughter of barely over seven months, had been diagnosed with an aggressive undifferentiated sarcoma. The tumor, which had been spreading malignantly throughout her tiny body, was relentless—stopping her heart only thirty seconds into her first chemotherapy session and causing the young infant to go into a series of successive seizures and experience a brain-altering stroke before she had even turned one.

AJ and Lindsey, understandably, had no idea how their daughter would fare with her cancer treatment in the coming months. The life they had fought so hard to give Emma was now placed in immediate jeopardy, and the heat of that crossfire was too intense for AJ Wyman to bear.

“I didn’t initially cope well with everything,” Wyman tells the Focus. “My wife, Lindsey, she’s a bit more methodical. She talks things out. But during the experience, I was guarded, closed off, clammed up, and angry. So when I eventually had downtime, I wasn’t being healthy with it.”

As detailed in The Grace to Carry On, Wyman’s debut novel, forthcoming on September 1st, his bad habits slowly progressed into a seemingly inescapable substance addiction. For Wyman, after months of struggling with near-fatal drug abuse, being caught in the act was the only way out. “The novel’s a cautionary tale, really,” Wyman reveals. “You still have to care for yourself even when caring for others.”

Now, a decade removed from the experience and clean, Wyman has been able to reflect on his feelings more profoundly. While Emma has been cancer-free since February of 2016, it has taken AJ Wyman a little longer to process and unpack the agitation that had built up inside of him during that fateful summer. His memoir, thus, is the culmination of his newfound angle on his cancer-parent experience—Wyman’s way of releasing pent-up feelings and advising others on how not to repeat his mistakes.

“Writing this novel took a huge weight off my shoulders,” Wyman tells the Parsippany Focus. “I got a lot out there that I had never gotten out before, and it felt like a big sigh of relief.”

The roughly 85,000-word project, which is entirely written from Wyman’s perspective, is just as much a recounting of his daughter’s cancer experience as it is a vulnerable tale of a father’s foggy, disoriented lens. Wyman doesn’t shy away from the taboo—in fact, he embraces it, or rather, lets you feel it as unfiltered as he did. It’s raw, honest, and “intentionally open.”

“The goal is to get [the novel] in the hands of someone who could use it—like a social worker, oncologist, caregiver, or even a cancer patient,” Wyman elaborates. “I want to show the importance of communication, open dialogues, and not letting things get bottled up. In other words: ‘This is what happened to us. Don’t let it happen to you.’”

Although the experience has left its indelible marks—such as routine check-up visits for Emma to monitor her cancer remission status and addiction rehabilitation on AJ’s part—Wyman feels “lucky to be around and relatively unscathed.” Now, Emma’s Angels, a makeshift community Facebook group that formed around Emma following her life-threatening chemotherapy treatment, serves as a vessel to inform supporters about other families’ journeys with cancer.

“Lindsey and I are both very open to talking to those going through similar journeys, whether it be addiction, cancer, or any other hardships,” Wyman adds. Understanding the weight a cancer diagnosis has for everyone in the family, the couple is “always happy to help individuals in need.”

For more information regarding The Grace to Carry On, click the attached link to the publisher’s (Open Books) page. Once the book is launched on September 1st, it will be available online on Amazon and Barnes & Noble’s websites. You can pre-order The Grace to Carry On by scanning the QR code on the cover.

Parsippany-Troy Hills, a thriving township in New Jersey, has witnessed a striking shift in its entertainment culture over the decades. From the days of community-centric movie theaters and live shows to a present driven by digital streaming and online engagement, the landscape has experienced remarkable transformation. This article delves into each element of that evolution—laying out the statistics, names, and real-world implications of how Parsippany’s residents have navigated from analog charm to digital dynamism.

The Golden Era of Parsippany’s Local Theaters

For much of the 20th century, Parsippany’s social life orbited around its neighborhood theaters. One of the most beloved was the Parsippany Playhouse, a venue that seated over 150 and frequently hosted plays, recitals, and community productions. By the late 1980s, the town had three operational movie theaters within a ten-mile radius, with a collective seating capacity of 1,100. These venues were not just entertainment hubs—they were cultural centers, where families, students, and older residents gathered week after week.

Transition to Multiplexes and Regional Cinemas

As the 1990s approached, multiplexes in surrounding areas like Rockaway and East Hanover began to draw Parsippany residents. AMC Rockaway 16 opened in 1999, bringing in digital projection and surround sound, outclassing local theaters in both scale and tech. It featured 3,400 total seats and quickly became the go-to option for film premieres. By 2005, only one small-screen theater remained operational within Parsippany itself, prompting many to lament the disappearance of locally-owned cinema.

The Streaming Boom’s Impact on Viewing Habits

Netflix entered the scene in Parsippany households around 2009, and within five years, over 72% of homes with broadband had at least one streaming subscription. Hulu, Prime Video, and Disney+ followed, making in-home viewing the primary form of cinematic entertainment. A 2022 township survey found that 84% of adults under 40 in Parsippany now prefer watching new movie releases at home rather than in a theater, citing convenience and cost. This shift marks a definitive departure from the collective experience of moviegoing.

The Rise of Mobile Entertainment and App Integration

The 2010s ushered in an era where content consumption became 24/7. Parsippany residents averaged 3.7 hours of mobile screen time per day in 2023, up from just 1.9 hours a decade prior. Platforms like YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram became entertainment staples. More than 60% of teens in Parsippany report using mobile apps as their primary source for watching videos, overtaking TV by 2019. This explosion in mobile-based content reshaped not just what people watched, but how and when they consumed it.

Online Gaming and Virtual Socialization

Online gaming is another realm that has reshaped Parsippany’s entertainment landscape. Between 2018 and 2024, the number of households with at least one online gamer rose by 47%. Platforms like Xbox Live and PlayStation Network have turned gaming into a social activity. Games like Fortnite, Call of Duty, and Minecraft are now common topics among Parsippany youth, replacing conversations about sports or movies. A local 2023 high school poll showed 76% of students play multiplayer games weekly, illustrating just how embedded gaming has become.

The Integration of Digital Sports Betting

With the legalization of online sports betting in New Jersey in 2018, Parsippany saw an immediate uptick in participation. By 2024, more than 11% of adult residents placed bets online during major events like the Super Bowl and March Madness. As digital platforms gain popularity, many residents are exploring online entertainment options. For those interested in sports betting, utilizing a BetMGM bonus code can enhance the experience by offering promotional benefits to new users. Sports viewership increased by 38% locally during 2023, heavily influenced by interactive betting apps and personalized odds notifications.

Social Media’s Dominance in Daily Leisure

From Facebook groups to trending TikTok clips, social media is no longer a supplementary tool—it is central to Parsippany’s leisure. According to a township analytics report, over 89% of adults in Parsippany use at least two social platforms daily. Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts have become primary forms of entertainment for users under 35. Residents also credit platforms like Reddit and Discord for fostering hyperlocal communities centered around niche hobbies, television shows, and tech trends.

Virtual Events and Local Content Creators

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit 2020, Parsippany’s local arts community quickly adapted by hosting digital events. The Parsippany Arts Council saw over 5,000 virtual attendees across eight online showcases in 2021. Musicians, podcasters, and YouTubers emerged from the area with increasing digital clout. One example is Parsippany native Jason Liu, whose YouTube tech review channel surpassed 300,000 subscribers by late 2023. These local creators are shaping a new type of grassroots entertainment that blends accessibility with homegrown flair.

The Role of Subscription Services in Daily Routines

Over 67% of Parsippany households now pay for at least three entertainment subscriptions. Bundled packages like Hulu + Disney+ + ESPN+ have become the norm, offering content across genres from children’s programming to international sports. Spotify Premium and Apple Music are also prevalent, with township residents streaming an average of 14.5 hours of music weekly. This on-demand ecosystem has allowed residents to tailor their daily routines around personalized content without waiting for scheduled programming.

Economic and Cultural Implications

The evolution from local theaters to digital platforms has not come without consequences. The closure of community venues led to a 12% drop in part-time employment in the local arts sector between 2000 and 2020. At the same time, residents have gained access to global cinema, multilingual content, and real-time sports from international leagues. While this global integration expands cultural horizons, it also creates tension with preserving Parsippany’s local identity, especially for older residents accustomed to community-focused entertainment.

What the Future Holds for Parsippany Entertainment

Looking ahead, Parsippany appears poised for a hybrid entertainment future—one where community events merge with digital interactivity. Concepts like augmented reality art walks, drive-in movie reinventions, and mobile-based local scavenger hunts are being discussed by local officials and entrepreneurs. The township library is even exploring a VR program for seniors. This blend of innovation and accessibility could offer the next chapter in Parsippany’s dynamic entertainment evolution—one that respects the past while embracing the future.

This comprehensive look at Parsippany-Troy Hills’ entertainment evolution underscores a deeper narrative—one of adaptation, modernization, and communal reinvention. As digital platforms continue to grow, so too does the town’s appetite for progressive, tech-infused cultural experiences

PARSIPPANY — Sanjana Medapati, a dedicated senior at The Academy for Mathematics, Science & Engineering, is turning her admiration for our nation’s service members into a heartfelt community initiative. Inspired by her brother attending the U.S. Military Academy, Sanjana has developed a deep respect for the commitment and sacrifices made by those in uniform.

As part of her Girl Scout Gold Award project, Sanjana is leading an effort to honor local veterans by creating and displaying banners celebrating their service. The banners will proudly feature each veteran’s name, branch of service, and years of duty as a lasting tribute to the brave individuals who have defended our country.

“These banners are a way to recognize the incredible sacrifices veterans have made,” said Sanjana. “It’s important that we, as a community, never forget their contributions and continue to honor their legacy.”

Sanjana is currently seeking submissions from the community. If you have a veteran in your family or know someone from Parsippany who deserves recognition, you can complete the form by clicking here.

“By sharing their stories, we can ensure that their dedication is remembered by all who see these banners,” she added.

Sanjana extends her gratitude to everyone supporting this initiative and invites residents to join her in showing appreciation for our veterans. With the community’s help, this project aims to provide public, meaningful recognition to those who have served.

For more information or to submit a veteran for recognition, click here to complete the form.

PARSIPPANY — Voters in Parsippany-Troy Hills cast their ballots in the 2025 primary election to nominate candidates for two open seats on the Township Council. In a competitive race, Democratic candidates emerged with the highest vote totals, setting the stage for the general election in November.

Democratic Candidates – Top Vote-Getters:

• Matt Kavanagh – 3,290 votes
• Diya Patel – 3,255 votes

Republican Candidates:

• Frank Neglia – 2,989 votes
• Jigar Shah – 2,451 votes
• John Bielen – 2,441 votes
• Kaushik (Casey) Parikh – 2,233 votes

The top two candidates from each party will advance to the general election in November. Democrats Kavanagh and Patel will face Republicans Neglia and Shah.