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New Jersey Betting Laws

New Jersey was at the very heart of the movement to legalize sports betting in the United States right from the start.

It had been pushing for several years to have individual states given the power to pass their own legislation. And in 2018, those efforts saw the dream finally become reality.

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On the East Coast of the United States, right next to Manhattan and with a population of 9.241million (2020 estimated data), Jersey was always tabbed to be a major player in sports betting. 

Atlantic City’s casinos have long provided the East Coast’s answer to Las Vegas in Nevada, and there is also plenty of elite sport in the state.

The NFL’s New York Giants and Jets actually play their home games at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ, while the New Jersey Devils are a leading NHL franchise.

Atlantic City itself became a real boxing capital in the 1980s, particularly when former President Donald Trump (owner of the Trump Plaza Casino) bankrolled a number of high-profile fights locally. These included the huge heavyweight unification between Mike Tyson and Michael Spinks in 1988.

Yes, sports betting is legal in New Jersey, and the state is now effectively the sports betting capital of the United States. NJ was the Trojan horse which saw the opposition to sports betting in the US finally crumble in May 2018.

New Jersey had argued to the Supreme Court that Congress went too far with the 1992 Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (P.A.S.P.A). This stopped states allowing gambling (with the notable exception of Nevada) on the result of a single game.

After lobbying from a number of states, all supportive of the New Jersey stance, the Supreme Court voted by 6-3 to strike down the act. And just like that, a brave new world of sports betting opened up.

Less than a month after the Supreme Court decision, in June 2018, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy signed Assembly Bill 4111. This legalized sports betting at casinos and racetracks.

Crucially, the bill also allowed casinos and racetracks to apply for approval to provide online and mobile sports betting. Online betting in Jersey was open for business by August 2018.

In being a swift adopter of the move to online and mobile sports betting, New Jersey stole a march on other states in the ‘gold rush’ to huge new revenue streams.

The success of that strategy was again highlighted in September 2020, when the state reported a new record monthly handle of $748.6million. This was up 68% from September 2019 and easily surpassed Nevada’s take of $575million.

By the end of 2020, more than $37billion had been wagered legally on sports since that Supreme Court ruling. More than $11billion of it in New Jersey alone – no greater proof that full buy-in pays off.

Also notable is the fact that more than 80% of sports bets placed in New Jersey are placed online.

Land-based casinos in the state are each allowed up to three ‘skins’ – these are online/mobile sportsbook operators they can partner with.

Do you need to be resident in New Jersey to bet online?

You don’t have to be a resident of New Jersey to bet in the state. But you do need to be physically in the state when you place the bet.

Online and mobile sportsbooks use technology to detect your location.

So if you live in New Jersey but are out of state, you can’t bet with New Jersey sportsbooks.

If you are not a resident of New Jersey but are in the state, you can bet with their sportsbooks.

Anybody wanting to place a sports bet in New Jersey – either online or in person – must be at least 21 years of age.

What type of sports bets can I place in New Jersey?

Moneyline: Yes

Point Spread: Yes

Parlay: Yes

Teasers: Yes

Futures: Yes

Over/Under: Yes

Round Robin: Yes

What sports can I bet on in New Jersey?

You can bet on all major sports in New Jersey, including:

NB: There is one big caveat here when it comes to college sports. If you’re in New Jersey, you cannot bet on games involving schools based in the state.

How do I place a sports bet online in New Jersey?

  • The first step is to register for an online sports betting account. You must do so with a sportsbook which is licensed in the state of New Jersey. Our sportsbook guides give you a rundown on the best places to bet and also provide up-to-date details on the best sign-up offers for new customers.

  • Once the first step is complete and you have registered your online sports betting account, you will need next to deposit some funds in your account. This will mean you have the funds available to start placing bets. Simply choose the method you prefer to deposit funds and decide how much you want to deposit. All sportsbooks will have a variety of methods to deposit.

  • Now you have registered a sports betting account, and you have deposited funds. You are now ready to start placing bets. Choose from the website menu which sport you want to bet on, and then the event or game. You will then see what type of bets are available, and the odds for each pick.

  • Now choose the type of bet or market you want to place your bet on, and click on your pick. You will now see a bet slip, so enter the amount of money you want to bet, and hit “place bet”. 

Best New Jersey online sportsbooks & offers

Bet365: Up to $100 in bet credits for new customers.

Betmgm: Risk-free first bet up to $500 for new customers.

Borgata: $100 bonus when you bet $20 for new customers.

Pointsbet: 4 risk-free bets worth up to $1000 for new customers.

Twinspires: $200 sign-up bonus for new customers.

Betamerica: Get $50 bonus when you bet $50 for new customers.

Unibet: $30 in no deposit free bets and $600 in risk-free bets for new customers.

William Hill: $500 free bet when you deposit $250 as a new customer.

SugarHouse: 100% deposit match up to $250 as a new customer.

Caesars: $300 matched free bet for new customers.

NB: Check out our betting signup bonuses page for all the latest promotional offers for new customers.

Land-based sportsbooks in New Jersey?

  • Hard Rock Atlantic City
  • Bally’s Wild Wild West Sportsbook Atlantic City
  • Borgata Sportsbook Atlantic City
  • DraftKings Sportsbook Atlantic City
  • Golden Nugget Atlantic City
  • Harrah’s Atlantic City
  • Ocean Resort Casino Atlantic City
  • Tropicana Sportsbook Atlantic City
  • Monmouth Park Sportsbook
  • Meadowlands Sportsbook
  • Freehold Raceway

Offshore sportsbooks are not legal in the state of New Jersey and you should not place bets with them.

They might seem pretty tempting but it’s worth remembering two key things in moments of weakness:

  • You don’t need to bet with illegal offshore firms. Legal betting is in your front room.
  • If you do bet with offshore firms, you have zero protection if something goes wrong.