Sports betting in New Jersey is legal, and you can bet online and in-person.
These are the website we think you should bet with:
9.7
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21+ and present in select states. First online real money wager only. $10 first deposit required. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable bonus bets that expire 7 days after receipt. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. FanDuel is offering online sports wagering in Kansas under an agreement with Kansas Star Casino, LLC. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, KY, MI, NJ, OH, PA, IL, TN, VA, VT), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), visit www.mdgamblinghelp.org (MD), 1-800-522-4700 (WY), or visit www.1800gambler.net (WV).
Betting Ladies Favorite
9.6
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Must be 21+ and present in CO, IA, IL, IN, LA, MI, OH, NJ, NY, or VA. Void where prohibited. T&C Apply. If you or someone you know in CO, IL, LA, OH, or NJ has a gambling problem, Call or TEXT 1-800-GAMBLER. In IA, call 1-800-BETS-OFF. IN call 1-800-9-WITH-IT. In MI, call the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services Gambling Disorder Help-line at: 800-270-7117. In NY, Call (877-8-HOPENY) or text HOPENY (467369). In VA, call 1-888-532-3500.
9.3
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Terms & Condition Apply. Available in all states but NY, DC, MS, PR and NV.
9.0
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Here is a list of the retail sportsbooks in the state:
- Bally’s Atlantic City
- Caesars Atlantic City
- Freehold Raceway
- Golden Nugget Atlantic City
- Hard Rock Casino
- Harrah’s Atlantic City
- Monmouth Park
- Oceans Casino
- Resorts Casino
- The Borgata
- The Meadowlands
- Tropicana AC
Key Regulations and Rules
Since New Jersey was one of the first states to legalize sports betting after the federal ban was lifted, it sort of created the standard rules for the industry. Many other states have simply based their rules on what New Jersey passed, and they were some solid rules.
The legal sports betting age in the state of New Jersey is set at 21 years of age, and betting is not limited to residents of the state. You do have to physically be in the state of New Jersey in order to make a bet, and thousands of New York residents crossed the border each day to make wagers.
Sports bettors are going to find a huge list of sports and leagues to wager on, including both collegiate and professional sporting events. There is a pretty big restriction when it comes to college sports, and that does impact the overall numbers.
It is illegal to make wagers on in-state college teams in New Jersey or make a bet on any college games taking place in the state.
Popular Sports and Events to Bet On in New Jersey
One of the biggest reasons that New Jersey was able to put up some big sports betting numbers right away was due to the fact that there are so many professional teams in the area. Not only are there some teams that call the state of New Jersey home, but there are a ton in New York as well.
Football continues to be the sport that drives sports betting the most, and the New York Giants and Jets are two extremely popular teams in the state. Both teams have struggled to be competitive of late, but there are still plenty of wagers coming on those teams.
In the NBA, basketball fans in the state of New Jersey tend to follow the New York Knicks and the Brooklyn Nets. Those two teams have no trouble attracting some elite talent, and that has helped them become even more popular.
Betting on hockey still isn’t that popular anywhere in the United States, but there are a trio of NHL teams in this area that will attract some wagers. Those franchises include the New Jersey Devils, New York Islanders, and New York Rangers.
Baseball is another sport that doesn’t tend to attract a ton of betting, but the New York Mets and Yankees are two extremely popular teams. The baseball fans in New Jersey tend to be split when it comes to those teams, or fans could also look elsewhere for rooting interests.
College basketball and football are two other sports that attract plenty of wagers, but there is a small catch in New Jersey. Betting on in-state college teams is not allowed, and neither is wagering on a college event taking place in the state.
Tips for First-time Bettors in New Jersey
With so many great betting options available in the state of New Jersey, there can be a great temptation to find a way to break into the industry. If you are someone who is getting ready to try out sports betting for the first time, then there are some tips to remember to help you be successful.
The first thing to remember when betting on sports is that you are going to need a plan when it comes to the money that you want to invest. Figuring out your initial investment is the first step, and then you also need to decide what betting unit you are going to be using.
Finding a way to get some betting picks or predictions from an outside source is also something that can help you be successful in this industry. You might have a pretty good idea of what bets you want to target, but it’s never a bad idea to get another opinion as well.
Finally, you have to understand that there will be some bad days in this industry, and you aren’t always going to make winning picks. Simply ride it out with the bad days and continue with your original plan to give yourself a chance to have success.
Historical Background of Betting in New Jersey
For a couple of years, New Jersey was the largest sports betting market in the United States, and it really wasn’t that close. That is no longer the case, but New Jersey is still one of the states that really drives this industry.
It was the state of New Jersey that decided to challenge the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) in court as a way to offer sports betting. Most professional sports organizations were also in on that fight as they didn’t want each state to have the ability to offer sports betting.
After the United States Supreme Court ruled in favor of the state of New Jersey, that allowed every state the chance to make this a legal option. New Jersey was one of the first to get sports betting up and running, as background work was already being done.
Not only was New Jersey among the first to start accepting wagers, but it was clearly the biggest market for a few years. New Jersey was putting up huge handle and revenue numbers each month, and it was attracting people from all over the Northeast.
New Jersey also has other forms of online gambling as well, and those industries are popular too. Sports betting has remained popular in this state through the years, and other states have tried to find the same level of success.
New Jersey Betting Legalization Details
You can actually trace legal sports betting in New Jersey all the way back to 2012, as that is when an initial bill was passed. Even though New Jersey was able to legalize the industry that year, lawsuits prevented sportsbooks from being able to accept wagers.
Lawmakers in New Jersey did have to come together and create a new sports betting law in 2018 after the federal ban was lifted, but it didn’t require much work at all. Since the basics of the bill were already in place, the first bets in the state were placed in June 2018.
Some lawmakers in the state wanted to make a change to the laws regarding college sports betting back in 2021, but they wanted to let the voters decide. That question was placed on the ballot that year, and nearly 60% of the voters wanted to keep the current laws in place, and they remain that way today.
