New Jersey Legal Sports Betting

Give New Jersey their due. This state — and this state only — is responsible for the legalized sports betting market thriving across the entire United States right now. It was Jersey who challenged the federal ban on sports betting. Then in 2018, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of New Jersey and struck down the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA). With that move, every state now had the right to legalize or not within their borders.

New Jersey wasted zero time in legalizing themselves, doing so that same year. Since then? They’ve become the number-one betting market in the entire United States — an impressive feat if there’s ever one. And this guide, you’ll get the most in-depth look at betting in the red-hot New Jersey market, from sports to casinos to everything in between.

Is Sports Betting Legal In New Jersey?

Obviously, it’s legal in New Jersey. But more importantly, because of New Jersey, there’s 36 other states that have legalized betting in some capacity since they challenged the federal ban of it. We’re telling you, this state is solely responsible for the gold rush that’s ensured in the past five to six years.

Inside the state of New Jersey, there’s a host of sports betting options. First, there are the retail sportsbooks inside casinos that players can go to. Most of these are located in Atlantic City, but options exist elsewhere too. Then there are the online sports betting apps. Thirteen different sportsbook operators have licensed apps that work anywhere in the state. In the next section, we’ll give you our suggestions for which to use:

International Online Sportsbooks Available In New Jersey

New Jersey has positioned itself as a frontrunner in legal sports betting, offering a diverse range of options for sports enthusiasts. However, bettors should be mindful of certain restrictions that exist within state-regulated sportsbooks. While you can place bets on most professional sports, New Jersey sportsbooks do not allow wagers on political events or entertainment props. Additionally, there are specific limitations on betting involving in-state college teams, such as Rutgers University and Princeton University. These restrictions can curtail your betting options, especially if you’re interested in local college games or more niche events.

This is where international sportsbooks become an attractive option. Offshore platforms provide the flexibility to bet on political outcomes, engage with a full spectrum of college sports without restrictions, and access various specialty markets that aren’t offered by New Jersey’s regulated sportsbooks. If you're keen on wagering on local college teams or significant political events, international sportsbooks can expand your betting horizons.

Concerns about security and reliability in offshore betting are valid, but the international sportsbooks we recommend have been thoroughly vetted for safety and integrity. Our team has utilized these platforms for years, ensuring they provide prompt payouts, fair treatment, and exceptional customer service. By choosing these trusted offshore operators, you can confidently enhance your betting experience while maintaining peace of mind regarding the safety of your funds and personal information.

Legal Online Sportsbooks Available In New Jersey

New Jersey Online Sportsbook Comparison

We won’t be calling any New Jersey sportsbook “the best.” No way. That’s because you could argue many sportsbooks are the best in certain ways — promotions, betting options, app experiences, and so on. So that’s why we’ll be suggesting different bookies for different reasons. Here are our best picks inside the state:

Best sportsbook for bonuses: Fanatics Sportsbook wins out here. Deals are constantly changing, but a consistent one this platform has offered New Jersey bettors is up to $1000 in bonus bets. The deal works like this: Fanatics will match your first bet of the day at 100 percent up to $100. So you bet at least $100, you get $100 in bonus bets. The thing is Fanstics will do this for 10 straight days. When maxed out, that’s how you end up with a whopping $1000 in free money.

Best sportsbook for betting options: Not an easy choice here but FanDuel gets the nod here. This is on the back of their boosted odds program. On a semi-regular basis, the app “boosts” odds. So say a wager was originally at -110 odds, with a boost, it could end up +125. Those savings are passed on to the bettor, who reap a higher payout. FanDuel does this enough times to separate themselves in a marketplace that has nearly identical betting options and odds.

Best sportsbook for live betting: We’re going with DraftKings. This app has always been ahead of the curve tech-wise, but it becomes really noticeable when live betting. AI is used to update odds in near real-time. The app has zero lag while live betting. And get this, DraftKings just bought out Simplebet, a micro-betting market provider. You have to know this is a tech grab to somehow better their in-play experience.

Best sportsbook for rewards: BetMGM Rewards are really something. Not only does this program give players the opportunity to redeem cashback to their account, but it also doles out awards for its physical casino. In Jersey, one of the best casinos around is the Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa. BetMGM owns it so reward points can be leveraged here for room stays, massages, dining, and a host of other activities. That real-world flexibility makes BetMGM hard to beat in this category.

Best sportsbook for user experience: FanDuel is the pick here. There’s just a fluidness to using the app. Bets are easy to find, pages load fast, money goes in and out with ease, and placing bets is cake. Everything just works perfectly fine on the FanDuel app. It’s why it’s the top-used betting platform in not just Jersey, but the rest of the U.S. too.

New Jersey Quick Facts

What You Can’t Bet On In New Jersey?

New Jersey might be at the forefront of sports betting, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t have some limits. There are certain kinds of wagers that are not allowed whatsoever, including these ones:

Politics: Politics feels like sports in many ways. Two passionate sides wanting to desperately beat the other. But it’s still not a real sport — at least to New Jersey regulators. Any non-sport bet isn’t allowed so not wagering on political outcomes.

Award shows: Another non-sporting event are award shows. You know, awards like the Grammys or the Oscars. New Jersey allows no bets to be placed on who’s winning any of these awards or others in entertainment.

WWE: The same goes for WWE. The wrestlers might be athletes, but the scripted fashion of who wins WWE matches means it’s “not real” enough to be bet on.

New Jersey doesn’t allow bets on non-sports betting markets, but the same goes for every U.S. state. They are aligned here. The only place that allows these bets is at offshore sportsbooks. Head there if you want a less restricted gambling experience (offshore sites work perfectly fine in Jersey too).

Who Can Legally Bet In New Jersey?

For the few things that New Jersey doesn’t allow bettors to do, there are many more things they can do. Here’s everything on the table when betting in-state:

Legal age: zero surprise here, 21 years old is the minimum sports betting age in Jersey. This is the standard across the country so get used to it.

Mobile betting: Oh yeah, mobile betting is 100-percent allowed in Jersey. This is despite Atlantic City having the second-best group of physical casinos after Vegas. Still, the state is fine with bettors doing all their sports bets on an app and not at the physical locations.

Retail sportsbooks: As just mentioned, Atlantic City has some elite casino resorts — most of which house sportsbooks. Bettors can make bets here, but also watch the games in the sportsbook. If anything, the sportsbook is a great hangout spot during a big game or fight.

Remote registration: With online betting apps, you can complete the entire registration process right from your device. There’s no need to visit a physical sportsbook unlike in some states that still require in-person sign-ups to get set up.

Taxable winnings: You can’t escape the IRS when it comes to gambling winnings. Uncle Sam treats them as taxable income, and you'll need to report them when tax season rolls around. Whomp whomp whomp, we know, but this goes for all states!

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New Jersey Sportsbooks & Casinos

You can visit a casino or racetrack within the state that is host to a sportsbook, and place a wager on any professional or college-level sport. There are 23 casinos in the state that are in 12 cities — 10 of which are in Atlantic City. The in-person sportsbook facilities offer a sports bar atmosphere, food, and drinks, and is also a great place to watch the game you’re betting on.

The following casinos have sportsbook licenses and currently offer sports betting at their venues:

• Borgata Race and Sports Bar (Atlantic City)
• DraftKings Sportsbook @ Resorts Casino (Atlantic City)
• William Hill Sportsbook @ Ocean Resort Casino (Atlantic City)
• Monmouth Park Sportsbook by William Hill @ Monmouth Park Racetrack (Oceanport)
• FanDuel Sportsbook @ Meadowlands Racetrack (East Rutherford)
• Harrah’s Casino Hotel & Sportsbook (Atlantic City)
• Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Sportsbook (Atlantic City)
• The Golden Nugget Sportsbook (Atlantic City)
• Caesar’s Entertainment
• Wild Wild West Sportsbook @ Bally’s (Atlantic City)
• William Hill Sportsbook at Tropicana Casino (Atlantic City)
• Freehold Raceway Sportsbook (Freehold)

New Jersey Sports Betting Timeline

Let's take a look at how the historic journey to legal sports betting was paved in New Jersey:

PASPA back in 2018

There are nine casinos in the state, and now, they’re all allowed to have a sportsbook within their walls due to the overturn of PASPA in May 2018. The state wasted no time to legalize sports betting, and the first legal sports bets in the state of New Jersey were placed in June – one month after PASPA was overturned.

Legalization and college sports betting

New Jersey has been spearheading the legalization of sports betting for years, and they were the leaders who made it all possible for states to legalize sports betting on their own terms. Now, the state is bringing in billions of dollars in revenue from legalized sports betting, and they’re the focal point for any sports betting story. They are arguably more popular in the sports betting market than Las Vegas.

The law permits any state casinos or racetracks to offer gambling on professional and college sports, but they cannot accept wagers on college games played in the state of New Jersey, or on games played out of state by New Jersey-based teams.

The success of the law change in 2021

Now in its third year the law change, New Jersey gambling in 2021, is up 326.4% YoY as of April. The US State suffered during the pandemic, as many of the casinos closed. But, with the support of online gambling and now with the reopening of casinos in the US, things have looked very good so far this year.

A Brief Timeline of the Legality of New Jersey Sports Betting

2024

• February 15, 2024 — According to the NJ Division of Gaming Enforcement, the state’s Super Bowl betting handle was around $141.6 million, about $2 million shy of the record set in 2021.
• February 7, 2024 — According to PlayNJ, suspended NJ sportsbook PlayUp is still paying out users and has been granted three extensions by the Division of Gaming Enforcement to continue restructuring its business.
• January 23, 2024 — NJ sports betting handle hit $1.28 billion in December, down 20.9% from November but up 21.9% year-over-year.
• January 15, 2024 — MGM donated $360,000 to New Jersey’s International Center for Responsible Gaming to help fund two projects that will address problem gambling.

2023

• December 28, 2023 — A New York man won $225,000 on the Tipico casino app while in New Jersey. The man placed a $90 wager on the Land O’ Loot LuckyTap slots game.

How To Bet On Sports In New Jersey?

New Jersey fought for sports betting cause they knew their bettors had a huge appetite for it. This includes all of it too, not just certain sports. With that said, most Jersey bettors flock to these markets:

How To Bet On Football In New Jersey?

To no one’s surprise, football is the most bet-on sport in New Jersey. By a longshot too. This is commonplace across the country, but especially in a state like Jersey because it’s near and around so many major cities with teams. Super Bowl betting will be the biggest event of all though. This is when you’ll see the best promotions by Jersey sportsbooks so keep those eyes peeled.

How To Bet On Basketball In New Jersey?

New Jersey formerly had an NBA team, before they hopped next door to Brooklyn. Still, basketball has a place inside the state’s betting scene. In particular, March Madness is a must-bet event. Outside of the Super Bowl, it draws the most betting interest of any sporting event during the calendar year.

How To Bet On Baseball In New Jersey?

No sport offers the betting opportunities that baseball does. That’s why if there’s one sport to master betting-wise, it would be smart to make it baseball. The MLB season presents almost daily betting chances for six months out of the year. Opportunistic Jersey bettors should start here.

How To Bet On Fighting In New Jersey?

When the stars align and top fighters meet inside the ring — whether it’s UFC, PFL, or boxing — it becomes a big-time betting event. Heck, a few of those have even been hosted in New Jersey before. Combat sports have cards almost every weekend, but it’s those massive fights that know how to rile up bettors.

Betting On New Jersey Sports Teams

The state is down to one pro sports team — the Devils (NHL). This is after the New Jersey Nets bolted to Brooklyn. For this reason, the Devils have become a source of pride of sorts for the state. It’s all they really got so betting interest is always there.

But make no mistake about it, most of the state still has allegiance to nearby teams, namely New York City ones. In fact, several of them play their home games in Jersey. This would be the NFL’s Giants and Jets, plus the MLS’ New York Red Bull too.

Either way, New Jersey sportsbooks offer betting odds on any and every team. There's no picking favorites here. New Jersey bettors will have no issue finding their team to put money on.

New Jersey Betting Revenue Statistics

We said it before, but we’ll say it again: New Jersey is the top sports betting market in the country. Since the middle of 2018 when PAPSA was reversed, the state’s betting handle of $52 billion is tops nationwide.

But if we’re being honest, Jersey will soon become number two. That’s because its neighbor, New York, is red-hot on its trail. New York has only been legal since 2022, but is on pace to easily surpass Jersey for the number one spot later in 2024. Part of Jersey’s earlier success was because New York bettors would cross state lines just to bet, but that advantage is gone now.

Other Types Of Betting In New Jersey

New Jersey is the betting capital of the country — not just sports, but literally everything else. Pretty much all major forms of betting are allowed and embraced by the state.

The biggest, of course, is casino. Here’s another huge betting market that’s available both in-person and online to bettors. The latter option is unique because many states have been slow to legalize iGaming. Jersey though? They had this legal by 2013!

Horse-race betting is also a thing. This can be done at local racetracks or even off-track betting.

There’s also a state-run lottery for Jersey bettors. It features the standard stuff — scratch-off tickets or national raffles like the Powerball. Not even Nevada has a lottery so we’re being honest when we say Jersey is the gambling capital. No other state is this unrestrictive with its betting laws.

Sports Betting Rules In Each State

Like we’ve done here, we’ve also written in-depth betting guides to other states — all 49 actually. Here they are for your convenience:

Responsible Gaming In New Jersey

As loose as New Jersey is with betting, that doesn’t mean it takes responsible gaming un-seriously. The opposite actually. The state offers a wide array of tools and resources to ensure that betting stays within healthy limits.

Yes, every bettor has limits — both in terms of time and money. Understanding those limits is step number one of responsible betting.

It’s when these limits are broken that problems can arise — stress, addiction, tarnished relationships, depression, and so on. If there’s even a hint of these things happening, New Jersey offers support. Programs like the self-exclusion list allow you to take a step back if needed. These resources are designed to help you regain control and maintain a healthy relationship with gaming.

Here are local resources:

New Jersey problem gambling hotline

The hotline 1-800-GAMBLER offers confidential help and advice

Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey (https://800gambler.org/)
A nonprofit organization offering support, education, and advocacy for individuals affected by problem gambling.

New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement (https://www.nj.gov/oag/ge/selfexclusion.html)
Provides information on self-exclusion programs and responsible gambling initiatives.

Here are more nationwide services that can be of assistance to those struggling with problem gambling:

Gamble Aware (https://www.gambleaware.org/)

A non-profit organization providing resources and support for individuals struggling with gambling addiction.

International Center for Responsible Gaming (https://www.icrg.org/)

The International Center for Responsible Gaming (CRG) is a research institution dedicated to promoting safe gambling practices and addressing gambling-related issues.

24/7 Gambling Support Line (https://www.ncpgambling.org/help-treatment/about-the-national-problem-gambling-helpline/)

A round-the-clock helpline offering immediate assistance and guidance for those experiencing gambling-related problems.