Introduced to the Garden State on June 4 2018, online sports betting in NJ has rapidly become one of the most popular ways for online bettors to put their feet up, relax and win a few dollars by placing wagers on their favorite sporting teams, all possible from the comfort of their own homes, or whilst they are out and about, on-the-go, yet still look to keep track of their mobile bets.
However, as sports betting was deemed illegal from 1992 to 2018 (across all but 4 States of the Union) due to the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA), much of the knowledge of how sports betting worked had been lost.

Moreover, the advancements made in internet technology and online sports betting sites have made sports betting unrecognizable to what it once was pre-PASPA.
Many people are asking ‘how does sports betting work on the top online sports betting sites?’.
Here at Play-newjersey.com we give you all the latest information on sports betting, including;

  • The legal status of New Jersey Online Sports Betting.
  • Legal age requirements
  • Online sports betting sites reviews.
  • Sports betting odds information.
  • Sports betting lines explained.
  • Info on all the available sports types for betting.
  • Other types of online betting available.

When did NJ Online Sports Betting Become Legal?

  • Gambling on sports (online and land-based) – Fully legal-and-licensed for New Jersey’s sports bettors since 14 June 2018, New Jersey’s top sports betting sites became available one month to the day after the U.S. Supreme Court found on the side of the States on May 14 2018, handing back control of sports betting to the U.S. States for self-determination.
  • For more detailed information on New Jersey’s Sports Betting Laws, please refer to the ‘NJ Online Sports Betting Laws’ section below.

What are the Age Requirements to Bet on Sports in NJ?

The legal age for online sports betting or online casinos in the State of New Jersey is 21 years-of-age for online sportsbooks, and 18 years-of-age for those interested in Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS) and online horse racing betting.

How Does Online Sports Betting Work?

Sports betting online in New Jersey is a straightforward process and you can get started by easily following these steps;

  • Be physically located in New Jersey in order to register with a sportsbook and place online sports bets.
  • Residency in the Garden State is not required – however, you must be physically located in New Jersey when you place your online sports wagers. New Jersey’s online sportsbooks are protected by cutting-edge geolocation technology.
  • Choose your preferred New Jersey online sportsbook from our selection of independently reviewed recommended online sportsbooks.
  • Register with your chosen sportsbook and deposit money into your account (many sportsbooks offer sign-up or ‘welcome’ bonuses) – we provide up-to-date welcome bonus information in our sportsbook reviews.
  • Log-in to your account and surf the different sports and betting markets.
  • You’ll notice different bet types that you can make on each sport. While big money can be made on different betting types, be certain to understand the requirements of each as outlined below

Different betting types of sports betting available online in NJ

  • Pointspread – Online sportsbooks set a betting line of points that a team is either expected to lose or win by.
  • Over/Under – The Over/Under is a wager on over or under the anticipated combined score of both teams in a single game, and online bookies set the odds accordingly.
  • Moneyline – A simple bet to win or lose without pointspread included in the wager.
  • First Half or Second Half – Spread and Total – Over/Under or Pointspread bets can be placed on first half or second half results only, not the full game, if you wish
  • Futures – Wager on which team will win the next Stanley Cup, NBA World Championship, Super Bowl or World Series etc (either in-season or out-of-season) – these are considered ‘futures bets’.
  • Parlays – Bet correctly on a number of multiple teams to win a parlay bet, and the odds compound, multiplying exponentially, as each ‘leg’ of the bet is successful. Each selected team are required to win (going 0-4 is the same as going 4-1) in order for your parlay bet to pay out.

NJ’s Online Sportsbooks

There are currently 13 legal online sportsbooks in New Jersey, however, more online operators are expected to go live in the Garden State over the coming months.
Don’t be fooled the off-shore imitators claiming to be based in New Jersey!
We recommend to New Jersey residents and visitors to stick to recommend online sportsbooks that are given an unbiased review and tested for legality in New Jersey.
Online sports bettors in the State of New Jersey are advised to wager ONLY on LEGAL online sportsbooks. Online players in the Garden State should abstain from playing on off-shore sports betting sites, which are illegal under New Jersey law. Using foreign off-shore sites can possibly result in fines and even potential jail time.
Stick with a recommended and reviewed legal New Jersey sportsbook, to avoid any unwanted confrontation with law enforcement.

NJ Online Sports Betting Laws

2018 was the landmark year that changed sports betting laws in the Garden State as per the below timeline

  • May 14 2018 – U.S. Supreme Court ended the Federal prohibition on legal sports betting and handed each state the right to determine if they wish to proceed with sports betting or not.
  • June 4 2018 – As the state of New Jersey led the legal battle, it was ready to legislate quickly. New Jersey State Governor Phil Murphy signed Assembly Bill 4111 into State law.
  • June 14 2018 – Online Sports books and land-based sports books began legal operation in New Jersey.
  • New Jersey law now allows for online sports books to offer a huge array of betting types on a wide range of sports, including NASCAR, MMA, PGA Tour Golf, NFL, MLB, NBA, MLS and European Soccer, NCAA Basketball and Football and much more besides.
  • *Note – High School sports, college games played in New Jersey and even games played by New Jersey colleges out-of-state are all ineligible for sports betting in New Jersey sportsbooks.

What Makes an Online Sports Betting Site Legal to Operate in NJ?

New Jersey’s sports betting legalization bill, Assembly Bill 4111 passed into State law in June 2018, allowing each of New Jersey’s 9 land-based casinos to also offer online sports betting under the following regulations administered by New Jersey’s Division of Gaming Enforcement (DGE)

  • Casinos and racetracks are permitted to operate as many as three online individually-branded and licensed online sportsbooks apiece— however, they must have a physical ‘land-based’ sportsbook first. Currently 8 of 9 New Jersey casinos and racetracks have operate land-based sportsbooks. New Jersey is currently home to 13 legal online sportsbooks.
  • A maximum of 27 sportsbooks can eventually be licensed for in the state of New Jersey
  • Bettors must be physically located within the state lines of New Jersey in order to place legal sports wagers
  • Online sports betting is restricted to New Jersey residents-or-visitors over the age of 21.
  • Land-based casinos may partner with companies like FanDuel, William Hill, 888sports or DraftKings in order to offer professional expertise, site infrastructure and technological support to their online sport books.

How to Identify NJ Licensed Online Sports Betting Operators

The Garden State’s online sports books are regulated by the New Jersey’s Division of Gaming Enforcement (DGE), the same body which governs the state’s land-based casinos.
Before becoming licensed, online sportsbooks must pass a rigorous and inspection and investigative process, which includes thorough background checks of key employees. For your protection, all legal and licensed New Jersey sportsbooks and carry the logo of the DGE (similar to the below), complete with a live link.

What Sports can I Bet on in New Jersey?

Sports bettors in New Jersey can find betting markets on all the major North American sports including professional leagues; NFL, NBA, MLB and NHL, collegiate NCAA basketball and football plus less-mainstream sports like PGA Tour Golf, soccer, NASCAR, golf, tennis, MMA and much more.
New Jersey’s proximity to many professional sports franchises like the New York Yankees, the Philadelphia 76ers, the New Jersey Devils and the New York Jets and Giants (just to name a few) make it prime sports betting territory.

Football Betting

New Jersey is football territory and fans of the NFL, college football and even Canada’s CFL can all place legal online wagers on their favorite teams. However, given that New Jersey’s residents are prohibited from placing bets on their own college football teams, and college games that take place in their own state, big out-of-state college bowl games like:

  • The Rose Bowl
  • The Cotton Bowl

are among the most popular with New Jersey’s football betting fans, along with NFL’s Super Bowl of course.

Basketball Betting

NBA betting markets are hugely popular in New Jersey and big teams like the New York Knicks, the Philadelphia 76ers and the Brooklyn Nets, are widely followed and the most popular basketball betting option in New Jersey.
NCAA College Basketball options such as March Madness and the following Final 4 National NCAA Championship playoffs are also increasingly popular among New Jersey’s sports bettors when college teams not from the Garden State are involved. Given the prohibition of betting on NJ college teams and college games taking place in New Jersey, NBA is by far the most popular basketball betting type in New Jersey.

Baseball Betting

Online betting on Major League Baseball (MLB) is widely available for betting in New Jersey’s online sportsbooks.
Due to the proximity of the MLB’s most statistically successful team, the New York Yankees, World Series betting is always popular in the Garden State and with many powerful baseball colleges in neighboring states, D1 (Division 1) NCAA baseball is widely followed by New Jersey bettors.

Besides Sports Betting What Else Can I Bet on in NJ?

In addition to New Jersey Online Sports Betting, due to liberal and open-minded thinking in the legislation of online gambling, the following betting types are all available for New Jersey’s residents and visitors;

  • Online Casino Games
  • Online Poker
  • Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS)
  • Online Horse Racing Betting