Sports betting continues to take hold nationally across America, with many states opting to legalise the vocation.
New Jersey has long been at the epicentre of gambling in America, particularly on the East Coast and were quick to the draw in legalising sports gambling (both in-store and online) back in 2018.
With Atlantic City at the forefront of New Jersey’s sports betting operations, they have an in-state mecca that attracts punters from all over the world to gamble.
Eight of the 10 licensed sports betting in-store institutions are located in Atlantic City, with Newark and Monmouth Park Racetrack playing host to the other two. Both the Meadowlands and Monmouth Park are operating racetracks in New Jersey, adding to the appeal of the state as a sports betting hub.
Unlike many other states, New Jersey legalised both online and in-person gambling from the outset and the industry has grown substantially in the past three years.
Online betting is now part of the sports betting fabric in New Jersey, and they have very much set the blueprint for other states as they look to provide their sports bettors with the most comprehensive service available.
Whilst Nevada continues to be the headline state in America when it comes to gambling, New Jersey has always more than held its own.
Atlantic City has a burgeoning reputation as a gambling location and millions of people descend on New Jersey each year to have a flutter.
The premise of gambling has been present in New Jersey for decades, but the advent of sports betting is a new development in the story of the state and its affiliation with the betting industry.
New Jersey opted to legalise sports betting in 2018, as awareness of the benefits it could yield from tax payers money became apparent to state governors. In-person sports betting was previously possible in casino sportsbooks, but this transition saw more people than ever before instantly get access to sports betting provision.
The state has had a storied history in its attempts to legalise sports gambling, with the US Supreme Court stepping in to intervene back in 2013 but the referendum was passed in June 2018 and Governor Chris Murphy signed Assembly Bill 4111 to formally legalise sports betting in New Jersey.
One of the key components that has propelled New Jersey into one of the most prominent sports betting states in America is the relative lack of restrictions on punters.
New Jersey are very relaxed compared to some states in their licensing and operate under the following rulings:
New Jersey has long been awash with in-store gambling operations and consequently, the state government brought in the Online Sports Betting ruling which specifies that in order to offer online sports betting services in New Jersey, companies must obtain an Internet Sports Betting License.
As a result, all major national bookmakers must partner with a local New Jersey casino in order to launch branded sportsbooks and online betting apps in the state. This law gives protection to both the local casino operation and the country-wide conglomerates as it allows both parties to have a sense of security and it presents a level playing field under New Jersey state law.
With no hard and fast set of national gambling rulings, keeping abreast of the sports betting rules within each American state can become tricky for punters to establish who can and can’t bet on sport, in a given state.
As one of the first states to take the plunge into the sports betting industry back in 2018, New Jersey are still at the forefront of sports gambling regulations and many other states have followed their lead.
Punters must be at least 21 years of age to legally place a sports bet in New Jersey and all of the major in-store and online sports betting companies require verification and identification before a new customer can start betting with their company.
New Jersey’s betting rules are nowhere near as stringent as some other states, but the state boundary line rule is one in which they always enforce. Located on the East Coast and with New York neighbouring, New Jersey betting regulators have to do all they can to ensure that punters in the state are abiding by local rulings.
Punters do not however need to be a resident of New Jersey in order to bet there, the regulations work on the physical location of the gambler at the time a bet was placed.
The nationwide appeal of New Jersey as a gambling hub has resonated with all of the major sports betting companies in America and competition for custom in the state is at an all-time high.
All of the below sites are national operations but must affiliate with local, New Jersey based sportsbooks in order to be able to offer services from the Garden state:
New Jersey has been inundated with affiliations between major companies and local casinos and the strength of the betting offering within the state is arguably unrivalled across America. This is a godsend for players who can maximise betting promotions and offers from some of the biggest bookmakers in the world, as they look to make the presence felt in the congested New Jersey sports betting market.
Well famed for its East Coast location, New Jersey is a sporting hotbed and with New York a short train/car ride away, few areas in America or even the world can compete with the plethora of sports provision in New Jersey.
College sport is well-represented within New Jersey, with Ivy League and Big Ten teams and with a broad spectrum of sports covered too, there is something for everyone’s sporting taste in New Jersey.
The quirk of New Jersey’s geographical location is that both the New York Jets and New York Giants play their home NFL games in the MetLife Stadium – which is situated in New Jersey and not New York State. So, whilst they are not affiliated to New Jersey by name, the state line betting rule applies, and they are teams that operate out of New Jersey should punters wish to bet on them.
In addition, the New Jersey Devils are 3 time NHL Stanley Cup winners and continue to hold their own nationally whilst the New York Red Bulls soccer team operate under the same guise as the NFL teams and play their home games in New Jersey.
Betting staples such as tennis, golf and horse racing can all be accessed through online and in-person sports betting operations in New Jersey, as the state looks to cater for the gambling needs of every sports betting enthusiast.
More niche offerings such as motor sports and UFC/MMA are also popping up amongst New Jersey’s sportsbooks, with Esports currently the only sport punters cannot bet on in the Garden State – although a ruling on that is due to be made in 2021.
The different sports bets offered by each state is at the jurisdiction of the individual ruling body and New Jersey have long been pioneers of diversifying sports betting for punters.
Sportsbook floors are often awash with punters chasing the latest niche in the market in New Jersey, but straight win bets continue to be the most popular gambling medium in the state.
The relatively lax laws and hectic sporting calendar in New Jersey generally leaves punters in the state spoilt for choice when they are trying to pick what to bet on.
In College sports, most bets are accepted – with the exception of direct wagers on teams situated in the state of New Jersey, making backing the hometown favourites an impossibility. The diverse nature of the sports betting offering in New Jersey is exemplified by markets offered within TV and Film spheres and although Political betting is strictly outlawed, there is something for everyone within the betting markets in New Jersey.
In-play betting has revolutionised the marketplace in New Jersey whilst Moneyline and spread bets are also very popular across American sports in the Garden State.
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