In only a short period of time, legal sports betting in New Jersey has soared to great heights, and the numbers coming from the state now rival that of Nevada, which has had legal sports betting available to its residents for decades. The majority of the bets being made in the state are being made from laptops of mobile devices, making online sports betting far and away the most popular pastime. Whether you are a resident of New Jersey or only passing through, you can take advantage of the newly-regulated online sports betting industry. This page is dedicated to giving you all the information you need about online sports betting in New Jersey, so you can make the best choices of where to bet.
A Brief History of legalized online sports betting in New Jersey
Before we begin giving you ideas of where to bet and what to bet on, let’s take a trip down memory lane to how we got to having legal online sports betting in New Jersey. Back in the early 2010s, when gambling town Atlantic City was falling on economic hard times, the government of New Jersey was looking for ways to prop up the city. In 2011, legislation passed that would make online casino and poker games legal (we have pages dedicated to those games here). However, that wasn’t enough for Governor Chris Christie to be satisfied. He wanted his casinos to have the same rights as those in Nevada, which included sports betting
There was one problem – the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992 (PASPA), which made sports betting illegal in all states except Nevada. Christie and New Jersey decided they would challenge the law by passing legislation making sports betting legal. To no one’s surprise, a lawsuit was brought by the four major professional sports leagues and the NCAA blocking the legislation. A wild legal fight ensued, and after several years of appeals and arguments, the case made it all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. The highest court in the country finally sided with New Jersey, and in May 2018, PASPA was repealed. This opened the door for New Jersey (and other states) to regulate sports betting individually.
New Jersey was ready for this great victory, and within weeks there was legal sports betting taking place at sportsbooks in the state. However, the original regulations did not allow for online sports betting, resulting in lower than expected handle and revenue numbers. The government quickly solved this issue and online sports betting sites were permitted in the state by the time football season rolled around. Today, mobile and online betting account for over 80% of all the bets made in New Jersey. Revenues continue to grow each month and new sites are launching still.
As part of the law, 14 licenses were awarded to land-based gaming facilities in New Jersey including racetracks and casinos. Each of these licenses came with the option of 3 online “skins,” meaning that there can be a total of 42 online sports betting sites in New Jersey.
Where you can bet in the state
While there can be up to 42 legal online sportsbook sites operating in New Jersey, to date, there are 16 that have launched with another handful expected to launch in early 2020. Here is the list of the sites, with links to reviews of each of the sportsbooks:
Caesars
FOX Bet
theScore
Borgata Online
Some of these names may look familiar as they are already large-scale gaming operations. Companies like Draft Kings and Fanduel came from the Daily Fantasy Sports world, while others like Unibet and Bet365 are European brands breaking into the United States. Currently, Draft Kings and Fanduel lead the way in market share by a wide margin.
What to look for in an online sportsbook in New Jersey
Now that you know there are many legal online sports betting options in New Jersey, it is essential to understand how each of these sites differs so you can decide which one is the best site for you. Here are some of the factors that go into making that decision.
Brand and Partnership
Each of these online sportsbooks is connected to a land-based partner, and that may be something that matters to you when decided with whom to play. If you already have a relationship with one of the land-based casinos or racetracks, you may want to consider extending your play there into online sports betting. There may be some incentive to do so as loyalty programs are being modified to include online play at many sites.
Promotions
Typically, an online sportsbook will add incentives to encourage you to become a depositing player and stay loyal to the site. As you will see in our site reviews, many bonuses are being offered by each site to drive loyalty. You should look at each site’s promotions page to see what the Sign Up Bonus is (can include free bets or other offers), as well as to see what seasonal offers the site is giving its players. Each bonus or free bet you receive can have an impact on your overall profitability, so doing the research is definitely of value to all gamblers.
Available Bets
Another issue that can impact your overall sports betting experience is the type of bets that are available at the sportsbook. Some online sportsbooks offer more sports to bet on than others, and then when you start to drill down into the actual bets, many sites differ in the number of available markets. This is particularly true when looking at in-play betting options. Live betting (betting while the game is underway) is a quickly growing segment of the industry, but some sites do not offer all the fun variants of in-play bets. Again, a little research goes a long way in this area.
Complementary games
One final thing to look for when choosing an online sports betting site in New Jersey is what other games are available. Some of the online sportsbooks only offer betting on sports, while others are part of a multi-vertical platform that could include online casino, online poker, or Daily Fantasy sports. If you are someone who wants to play a few casino games while waiting for your sports bets to clear, then a more comprehensive online gaming site may be the right choice for you.
Payments to and from online sports betting sites in New Jersey
One of the most critical factors that affect customer satisfaction of online sports bettors is how easy it is to get money to and from a site. The new law in New Jersey makes it easier than ever for players to make deposits and withdrawals without having to jump through the hoops as they did in the days of illegal offshore sports betting.
There are many different options when it comes to making payments to online sportsbooks in New Jersey. Each site offers its own set of payment methods, but for the most part, they come from this list:
- Credit Cards
- Debit Cards
- Cash at a facility
- PayPal
- Wire Transfer
- E-Wallets
New Jersey Online Sports Betting FAQ
Are offshore betting sites illegal in New Jersey?
Technically, these sites are not illegal, but they aren’t exactly above board either. While the legislation was passed to make sports betting legal in New Jersey, there is no law making what these sites are offering illegal. This means that you can easily find an online sports betting site from outside the country taking bets from New Jersey residents. With so many legal options now available in New Jersey, we do not recommend that you use an offshore sportsbook for your sports betting, no matter how attractive an offer you may receive. Getting paid by these sites can take time and be a challenge.
Can I use cryptocurrencies at legal sites in New Jersey?
Cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum are hot topics these days. The unregulated digital currency is being used all over the world for transactions across many industries. While we believe it is only a matter of time before digital currencies are the norm, for now, they are considered highly volatile, which makes them an unsafe option for operators. You will be hard-pressed to find anyone accepting Bitcoin aside from the offshore sites in the market.
What is the best site for my play?
Well, we can’t make that decision for you as player preferences tend to be more personal. What we can tell you is that with the information you have received on this page and the site reviews we have performed, you are bound to find the perfect online sports betting site for your gambling needs.
Do I have to download an app to play for real money in New Jersey?
Mobile betting is very popular in New Jersey, and having an app downloaded to your phone or tablet makes the betting process even more convenient. You do not have to download an app to bet on sports online, as you will be able to access the mobile web version of each site. However, the functionality of an app makes the experience much better, and if you are someone who likes to make live bets, not having to navigate to a mobile web page is going to be an advantage for you.