NJ SPORTS BETTING: ONLINE BETTING GUIDE AND SPORTSBOOK REVIEWS

Legal sports betting sites in New Jersey

After legal sports betting launched in New Jersey, it quickly became one of the strongest markets in the U.S. With a long list of nine land-based sportsbooks and an even longer list of legal online sports betting sites, New Jersey seems to be leading the pack in regulated sports betting. Since the Garden State’s sports betting launch on June 14, 2018, casinos and racetracks began opening retail sportsbooks and taking legal sports bets. Monmouth Park’s William Hill Race and Sports Bar hosted New Jersey’s very first legal sports bet ever! Borgata Casino Atlantic City followed close behind, accepting bets an hour later. 

Legal online sports betting came soon after. DraftKings was the first to offer legal online sports betting in New Jersey, launching their sports betting app on August 6. Many others followed their lead, rolling into the NJ online sports betting market, one right behind the other. The current list of legal NJ online sports betting sites on the market are as follows:

• DraftKings
• FoxBet
• FanDuel
• William Hill
• PointsBet
• Caesars
• SugarHouse
• BetMGM
• 888 Sport
• Hard Rock
• Resorts 
• BetAmerica
• Golden Nugget
• Borgata Sports
• theScore
• bet365

Upcoming online sportsbooks with projected launch dates in 2019 are:

• Ocean Resort
• Bally’s
• Harrah’s
• Unibet
• CG Technology

NJ online sports betting sites have an array of sports markets and betting types available, so it is always important to make sure that you shop around to find the best online sportsbook for you and your individual betting preferences. 

At BetNJ, our experts are always scouting the market and reviewing all of New Jersey’s online sports betting sites. We have comprehensive reviews of New Jersey’s legal online sports betting sites which explain:

• How each site and app works
• What software is used
• Sports markets offered
• Betting variety available
• Welcome offers and promotions
• Mobile app reviews
• Evaluation of deposit and withdrawal methods 

How to gamble - understanding sports betting odds

At first glance, sports betting can seem extremely complicated. There are a lot of numbers involved and the concepts can seem quite overwhelming. That’s why BetNJ is here. Once you have read our expert reviews and narrowed down your options to a reliable NJ sports betting site that could work for you, we will help you understand how to gamble on sports, the basics of sports betting, and the many gambling concepts involved. 

As a sports bettor, it is very important to understand how to read odds. There are several ways to go about this. In order to explain betting odds, however, its best to start with moneyline odds. In moneylines, there will be a number for each team - one with a positive sign in front and one with a negative sign in front. This shows you how much you would theoretically win back from betting $100 on each side. 

For example, if the odds on a particular player show +150, you would win $150 for every $100 wagered. If there is a -150, you would need to bet $250 in order to win $100.

This does not mean that you must bet in $100 increments. This is just the way that moneylines are set up, in order to evaluate who are the favorites and underdogs, while explaining what the payouts look like on each side. 

In NJ sports betting, you generally win less money on teams who are heavily favored. This is because the favored teams usually have a better chance of winning; and because the underdog has a smaller chance of winning, the payouts are larger for those teams. 

Totals or Over Under bets are explained as the combined score of two teams. Totals do not rely on the winner of the game, only the final score at the end. Totals rely on the final total score of both teams combined. When odds show the total next to a moneyline or point spread, this is the over-under for that particular game. As a bettor, you decide if the total score will go over or under this amount. 

Point Spreads refer to a margin of victory between two competing teams. There will be a positive or a negative sign next to a team’s spread insinuating the favored team and the underdog. The number next to the favored team suggests they need to win by that number. 

For example, let’s say the Patriots are playing the Bills. The Patriots are -5.5 which means the Bills are +5.5. If you bet on the Patriots, they must win by at least 6 points. If you bet on the Bills, they can either win the game or lose by five points or less and you would still win your bet. 

There are multiple ways in which odds are presented such as American odds, fractional odds and decimal odds. In brief, American odds will have a plus or minus sign in front of the odds suggesting the amount of money you would have to bet to win $100 or how much you would win if you bet $100. Fractional odds appear as fractions and are meant to calculate your payout. In these circumstances, the denominator is your stake and the numerator is the payout. Finally, decimal odds are basically switching these fractions to decimals. In order to calculate your payout, simply multiply the stake by the decimal odds. 

These are just the basics of understanding sports betting odds. Our experts have created many guides to help you understand everything from the most basic betting odds all the way to the most advanced gambling concepts. Become an expert and increase your chances of cashing out from your favorite NJ online sportsbooks. Our BetNJ sports betting guides are complete with in-depth explanations and descriptions of betting odds, important sports betting terminology, and techniques to maximize your payouts. 

Types of sports to bet on in NJ sports betting sites

New Jersey online sports betting sites have a bevy of sports markets to choose from - some much more than others. It is not difficult to find the popular sports markets in the U.S. as options on NJ online sportsbooks. You will find a variety of the following:

• Football
• Baseball
• Basketball
• Soccer
• Hockey
• Tennis
• Boxing
• Rugby Union
• Cricket
• Darts
• Golf
• MMA
• Motorsports
• Horse Racing
• Volleyball

Sometimes you will even find an online sportsbook offering popular European sports as well. For example, BetMGM NJ offers both Canadian football and English premier league soccer on top of the popular U.S. sports markets. PointsBet and SugarHouse Sportsbook NJ both offer a larger variety of sports markets as well, including popular Australian and European sports leagues. 

Most sportsbooks will offer an array of futures and prop bets for both pre-game and in-game betting. NJ online sportsbooks are starting to get more creative with their bet varieties, with PointsBet claiming to have the most sports betting options in the world! 

When it comes to the most popular events in the U.S. such as NFL and NBA games, you can count on all of New Jersey’s sportsbooks to rise to the occasion. During NFL betting season, it is safe to count on all NJ sports betting apps to provide NFL betting odds along with a wide range of bet types to satisfy all the football fans out there looking to cash in on NFL games. Throughout basketball season, NJ sports betting sites will feature all kinds of NBA betting odds including specific player odds as well as NBA championship odds. 

Whether you are experienced in sports betting, or are a novice bettor, looking to practice placing bets, New Jersey sports betting sites are definitely the right place to start. With every major sports market available and several unique sports to top off the list, you will have more than enough options in New Jersey to learn the ropes and stay entertained.  

Top NJ sports betting events

More bets are placed on the sporting events with the highest popularity, and these are the bets with the highest handles. NJ online sports betting garners more attention to major events like March Madness and the Super Bowl. 

The following events have the most hype on NJ sport betting sites:

• March Madness
• NFL season
• Super Bowl
• College football
• College bowl
• NCAA men’s basketball
• Masters tournament
• Haskell Invitation
• Oscar’s

NJ sports betting apps

NJ online sports betting has been gaining popularity ever since its launch in 2018. There are now more than thirteen popular online sports betting apps gracing the sports betting market in the Garden State. In order to battle the competition of the best sports betting sites, these NJ online sportsbooks are offering bigger and better signup bonuses and special promo codes for new players. What’s more, many of these online sportsbooks are now integrated with the brands’ online casinos, achieving a shared wallet feature that allows you to seamlessly switch back and forth between the two platforms. Because betting lines are changing so quickly and users must stay on top of the game when betting on sports, it's important for players to be able to bet on the go. Mobility is a must - therefore, sports betting apps are crucial for these NJ online sports betting sites. 

Several of these NJ sportsbook apps have integrated their platforms with an online casino such as FoxBet, SugarHouse, Caesars, and Golden Nugget. 

Most of these NJ sports betting apps are available for download on both Android and iOS devices. The apps are all available within the state of New Jersey and regulated through the Division of Gaming Enforcement. 

Once you have registered with an online sportsbook and downloaded it to your mobile device, the next step is making a deposit so the betting fun can begin! Most of the NJ online sportsbooks accept a wide range of deposit methods. Generally, the NJ online sports betting apps will accept the following:

• Credit card
• Debit card
• PayPal, Neteller
• Skrill
• PayNearMe
• Bank transfers
• Cash at a casino or racetrack cage

When your account is topped up with betting funds, it's time to place your bets. In order to place bets on a New Jersey gambling app, you must be located within the state. NJ online sports betting apps use geolocation technology to determine your location when using the apps. NJ sports betting apps each will feature a menu with a list of sports markets available at that time. Once you find the sports you wish to wager on, you will follow that sport to another menu listing the leagues available within that sport. There will also be sections showing the different betting types available such as futures, proposition bets, etc.

It’s important to spend time navigating the app so that you start feeling comfortable with the platform. However, as all of these sports betting apps in the Garden State are created from the top-of-the-line developers, they tend to be intuitive and quite simple to use. 

New Jersey sports betting bonuses and promotions

With the increasing competition in the NJ sports betting market, bonuses and promo codes are a must for sports betting sites to remain strong and competitive. It’s the best way for these sites to draw in new players. There are many different bonuses and promotions being offered to NJ sports bettors and each of them comes with different terms and conditions. This is why it’s important to do your research before deciding on an online sportsbook to deposit your money into. Our experts at BetNJ are happy to help with this!

We have reviewed loads of sportsbook bonuses and promo codes on the New Jersey market in order to point you in the direction of finding the best offers and free bets for you. Take a look at our extensive reviews and guides in order to find special bonuses, promotions, and free bets suited for your specific gambling needs.  

There are multiple types of special offers available to New Jersey players - each of them offering different benefits. There are no deposit bonus offers, free bets, deposit bonuses, odds boosts, and refunds. Some are offered before depositing money to a sportsbook and some come later after placing bets.

Usually, sports betting sites will offer new players a no deposit bonus before depositing money into their account. This is a way of attracting new players to their sites and gaining trust. A no deposit bonus gives you free money to place sports bets and try out the site. All that is required is that you register and enter any respective promo code, and the bonus money appears in your player account! Nine times out of ten, these bonuses come with wagering requirements before your winnings can be withdrawn, so never ignore the terms and conditions. 

Deposit bonuses come next after real money has been deposited into a player account. A deposit bonus matches your first deposit up to a certain amount. Most NJ sports betting sites will match your deposit at 100% but some offer less. For example, 888sport offers a 100% match bonus on players’ first deposits up to $500! That means you could deposit $500 into your player account at 888sport and end up with a total of $1,000! Again, these come with wagering requirements before withdrawing your winnings, so be sure to read the terms and conditions before depositing.

A common promotion offered by NJ online sportsbooks is free bets! There are several different types of free bets including matched free bets, deposit match free bets, and no deposit free bets. Matched free bets are rewarded to you for placing a wager. Your free bet amount is determined by the amount of your wager. Deposit match free bets are granted for making a deposit onto the site. Again, your free bet amount is determined by the amount you deposit. Finally, no deposit free bets are granted just for registering a player account - no deposit necessary!

Land-based NJ sports betting locations

Now that sports betting is legal in the state of New Jersey, every casino and racetrack can offer sports betting to its New Jersey visitors. The first property in New Jersey to provide legal sports betting was Monmouth Park Racetrack in June of 2018. Now, all nine licensed Atlantic City Casinos, as well as the three NJ racetracks, Monmouth Park, the Meadowlands, and Freehold Raceway, can offer legal sports betting. 

The Atlantic City Casinos offering sports betting are:

• Borgata
• Bally’s Wild Wild West
• Caesars
• Golden Nugget
• Hard Rock AC
• Harrah’s
• Ocean Resort
• Resorts
• Tropicana

Sports betting by state

Finding the best online sportsbook to wager on your favorite teams and players is not something that fans can enjoy all across the U.S. however. Regulations on legal sports betting vary according to different jurisdictions. Since the U.S. Supreme Court declared PASPA unconstitutional, the states gained the freedom to legalize and regulate sports betting within their state lines. Now that states can set their own rules regarding sports betting, the rules across the country are rapidly changing.

You can legally register with an online sportsbook and place sports bets online in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Nevada, and West Virginia. Rhode Island has signed a bill into law and will launch online sports betting at the end of 2019. Mississippi allows online sports betting, however, currently there is only one tribal casino who has created a mobile app. In Illinois and Iowa, online sports betting has been legalized, however, sports betting apps will not launch until at least 2020. Indiana and Oregon are expected to legalize sports betting this year, while Tennessee has interestingly enough recently legalized online sports betting only. 

NJ sports betting - FAQ

Which NJ casinos have sportsbooks?

The brick-and-mortar sports betting locations in the state of New Jersey are as follows:

• Borgata
• Bally’s
• Caesars
• Freehold Raceway
• Golden Nugget 
• Hard Rock AC
• Harrah’s
• Monmouth Park
• The Meadowlands 
• Ocean Resort
• Resorts AC
• Tropicana

Is sports betting legal in NJ?

Sports betting became legalized in New Jersey in 2018. Casinos and racetracks quickly began offering sports betting at their facilities which online and mobile sportsbooks flooded the sports betting market in the Garden State.

Who can bet on sports in New Jersey?

The legal betting age in the state of New Jersey is 21, however, the age for legally betting on horse races is 18. When betting online, you must be physically located within the New Jersey border in order to place a bet on a mobile betting app. 

How did NJ sports betting become legal?

The Supreme Court declared that the Professional Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) was unconstitutional and struck it down. Governor Phil Murphy later signed the bill into law on June 11, 2018, which legalized sports betting at racetracks and casinos in New Jersey.  The first sports betting site was DraftKings which launched in August 2018. 

What sports can you bet on in New Jersey?

New Jersey bettors have a bevy of sports markets to choose from. Most online sports betting sites offer popular American sports markets such as football, basketball, baseball, soccer, boxing, tennis, golf, motorsports, and swimming. Many online sportsbooks even offer more alternative sports markets as well.