New Jersey had sought to legalize online sports betting for years, and the state formally challenged the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992 (PASPA) in hope of legalizing the industry. PASPA was finally struck down in May 2018 by the Supreme Court, allowing New Jersey and other states to pass their own laws on sports betting.
New Jersey was one of the first states to subsequently sign sports betting into law, happening in June of that year. The first online sportsbooks had gone live by August 2018, and today anyone over the age of 21 can legally place wagers online at one of the state’s 19 regulated sportsbooks.
Here’s a closer look at the sports betting options available in New Jersey and how to get started betting on your favorite sports.
After launching in 2018, New Jersey sports betting is now one of the leading and most robust industries in the US. Currently, there are 19 online operators live in the state which are all safe and regulated by the NJDGE. However, here are the 5 rated top overall in terms of their bonus offers, ease of use, wagering types, and odds:
New Jersey’s sports betting market is one of the biggest sports betting markets in the US, helped by its huge range of sports to bet on. In New Jersey, you can bet on all professional US sports leagues including the MLB, NBA, NFL, and NHL. Besides, there is a range of less popular sports including golf, tennis, soccer, auto racing, boxing, MMA, and UFC fighting.
Also, some online sportsbooks accept eSports wagers. In New Jersey, eSports are not explicitly legal or illegal. For an online sports betting site to offer eSports wagers, it must submit a request to the DGE, and so not all online betting sites offer this. However, the ones that do include BetMGM Sportsbook, Caesars Sportsbook, and William Hill. Besides, eSports is likely to become legal in 2021 with Bill 1637, which clarifies what prohibited sports events are.
The only real limitations to the sports you can bet on in the state are in terms of college leagues. Under the current state laws, betting on any college sports is prohibited if they are played in New Jersey or involve New Jersey teams. However, there has also been a push to amend this law to substantially increase the number of betting options available to residents. This would allow you to bet on events such as the NCAA basketball championship tournament which is set to be held at Newark’s Prudential Center in 2025.
To keep things interesting for bettors, NJ sportsbooks offer a range of different betting types. These include:
With an extremely competitive market and lots of competition, NJ sportsbooks offer a range of exciting bonuses to attract players, especially welcome bonuses for new players. Here are the different types of promotions commonly found.
Deposit match bonuses are common at NJ online casinos, but many New Jersey online sports betting websites also offer this type of promotion, especially for their welcome bonus.
In a deposit match bonus, the sportsbook will match your deposit and reward it to you as site credit. This could be all or part of your deposit amount back. For example, a 100% deposit match bonus will match your full deposit, whereas a 50% deposit match bonus will give you half of it back as bonus funds. Alongside the percentage, there is also always a cap on the maximum amount of bonus funds you can receive.
Some sportsbooks will also offer this type of bonus in the form of a reload bonus for when players need to deposit more money into their accounts. However, it is rare to see this at 100%.
Another popular sportsbook signup offer is to award players with a risk-free bet. After depositing money and placing your first wager on the site, the operator will cover you if your bet loses by giving you the value of your wager back as site credit, essentially providing you with a safety net. If your bet wins, you won’t receive any bonus funds, but you will be able to keep the winnings from your bet as usual.
You could also come across free bets, which is where the sportsbook gives you free money to wager on their site. The value of these bonuses is typically between $5 to $30, and the types of bets you can spend the funds on will be specified, such as having to wager a certain amount or only on bets with given odds or higher. These bonuses are usually only valid for a certain length of time before expiring.
Aside from these three common promotions, smaller bonuses are often made available to reward existing players. Odds boosts are a common one, which is where the operator will increase the odds on selected games, leading to bigger payouts if the bet comes in. Some sites also offer parlay insurance. This helps to minimize your losses when placing parlay bets, refunding you the value of your wager if only one outcome from your selection loses.
Many sites also offer loyalty programs. Each time you place a wager using the online sportsbook, you will earn points that can be exchanged for prizes or unlock bonuses.
In fantasy sports, players draft a team from a selection of real-world athletes, and the performance of these athletes in real-world sporting events determines how well your fantasy team performs. You then go up against others’ fantasy sports teams in contests, and your position on the leader board at the end of the tournament determines whether you receive any winnings.
New Jersey legalized fantasy sports in 2017 and now several daily fantasy sports providers are live in the state. These operators include market leaders DraftKings and FanDuel which also each have an integrated online sportsbook, as well as lesser-known DFS operators such as Monkey Knife Fight (MKF) and PrizePicks.
The sports you can draft teams for cover a range. Football is the most popular market which has been around the longest, but today you can also play daily fantasy basketball, hockey, soccer, and even sports that don’t traditionally have a team, such as tennis and golf.
There is a rich history when it comes to horse race betting in New Jersey, and online racebooks are legal in the state for anyone over the age of 18.
TVG, an online racebook that is recognized as a market leader, is the best option for anyone looking to wager on horses in New Jersey. The site offers over 150 live tracks and coverage from across the globe, with the ability to stream races online for free. Alongside TVG, other NJ racebooks include AmWager, BetAmerica, Xpressbet, and TwinSpires. All sites will include wagering options for major US races such as the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes, as well as other races from around the world.
After choosing your site, you can easily create an account by visiting the website and entering your details. Deposit and withdrawal methods mirror those that you would find at an online casino or sportsbook, and most sites are also accessible from mobile for betting on the go. You can then place wagers for real money easily online, and all wagering is overseen by the New Jersey Racing Commission, ensuring the integrity and fairness of online horse race betting.
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