New Jersey's case to legalize and regulate sports betting has finally come to a close. On May 14, 2018, the United States Supreme Court ruled in New Jersey's favor and determined that the restrictions applied through PASPA were indeed unconstitutional.
On June 14th, 2018 New Jersey Governor Phil Murphey made the first legal domestic sports bet in state history. His bet would end up being a losing bet but it symbolized a monumental change in New Jersey gambling history. Domestic sportsbooks are currently taking bets in New Jersey in addition to online sports betting being allowed for both state-licensed and offshore sportsbooks.
Legal Online Sportsbooks That Accept All US Players Including NJ Residents In 2024
New Jersey enacted online sports betting legislation in July 2018 to allow Atlantic City casinos and state-regulated sportsbooks to offer online sports betting options to NJ residents. However, the legal offshore sportsbooks have a head start and can offer sports fans in the Garden State the best odds and lines in the industry.
The following online sports betting sites are what we deem to be the best in the industry. Each sportsbook listed has compliance certifications that were awarded by respected independent third party industry auditors, and their security profiles mirror that of a world-class financial institution. They each offer a huge variety of sports, wagering options, and competitive betting lines for New Jersey sports and other sports held in the US or around the world.
| Site Name | Current Bonus | U.S. | Visit Site |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best US Online Sportsbooks | |||
| Betonline Sportsbook | 50% Max $1,000 |  | Visit Site |
| Sportsbetting.ag | 50% Max $1,000 | | Visit Site |
The Legalities Of Sports Betting In New Jersey
Soon after online casino and poker gambling were legalized in NJ, Christie signed NJ State Bill 3113, that allowed legal domestic sports betting. However, all the major professional sports leagues in the United States took offense. Major League Baseball, the National Basketball Association, the National Hockey League and the National Football League joined the National Collegiate Association of Athletics (NCAA) in suing New Jersey.
The leagues argued that offering sports wagering on their games was in direct violation of the 1992 Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act, a law that prohibited the offering of sports wagering in the United States except for in a limited selection of states. U.S. District Judge Michael Shipp agreed, and legal US-based Atlantic City sports betting was pulled off the table.
Governor Chris Christie then appealed, and after a lengthy review by the Supreme Court, NJ won the case. SCOTUS declared PASPA as unconstitutional in their ruling on May 14, 2018. After the Supreme Court decision, NJ lawmakers sprung into action to rollout domestic sports betting, and in June of 2018, the first legal sports bet was made at Monmouth Park. There are no federal or NJ state gambling laws that prohibit offshore betting at licensed and regulated sportsbooks.
What Are My Legal Online Sports Betting Options Now?
In this glorious post-PASPA era, NJ bettors now have the option of betting at state-licensed online sportsbooks or legally regulated offshore sports betting site. This gives residents of the Garden State even more options when shopping for the most favorable betting lines and most competitive odds. The sportsbooks listed in this guide all posses legitimate credentials for legally operating within the industry.
New Jersey's Sportsbook Regulations For Operating Online
In 2018, New Jersey passed legislation to modify their original efforts to allow legal online sports betting to NJ residents through their casino portal and many have begun offering sports betting as a result. Regulations put in place require Atlantic City Casinos to implement the following actions before they can start to offer online sports betting.
- Must have a physical sportsbook
- Must obtain a license from NJ Division of Gaming Enforcement
When Did State Based Online Sports Betting Start in New Jersey?
New Jersey launched their first online sportsbook in a partnership with DraftKings on Monday, August 6th, 2018, and since then, other sportsbooks have attained licenses to offer online sports betting within the state, allowing users to bet online using desktop and mobile devices.
New Jersey Sportsbooks Comparison: Offshore vs. Domestic
People in New Jersey can now take advantage of online offshore, online domestic and land-based domestic sportsbooks, and it’s important to see which one works best for you. Here is a comparison of all three types of sportsbooks you can bet at and what each one does and does not offer.
Does it have?
Betting License
Online Betting
Mobile Betting
Mobile/Online Location
In-person Betting
Betting Limits
Payout Limits
Pro Sports
College Sports
International Sports
Odds Juice/Vig Avg
Online Registration
In-person Regis Reqired
Sign-Up Bonus
Bonus Amount
Online Dep/With
In-person Dep/With
Credit Card Dep/With
Crypto Dep/With
Cashier’s Check Dep/With
Online Offshore
Yes (Outside U.S.)
Yes
Yes
Anywhere in U.S.
No
Yes
None
Yes
Yes
Yes
3-5%
Yes
No
Yes
$500-$1000+
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
Online Domestic
Yes (NJ)
Yes
Yes
Only In NJ
Some
Yes
Yes
Yes
No NJ Colleges
Some
6-10%
Yes
Some
Yes
$10-$500
Yes
Some
Yes
No
Yes
Land-based Domestic
Yes (NJ)
Some (onsite)
Some (onsite)
Only in NJ (onsite)
Yes
Yes
Yes
Most (No NBA GN)
No NJ Colleges
Some
6-10%
No
Yes
No
None
Some
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
New Jersey Restrictions on State Regulated Sports Betting
Even though New Jersey now allows licensed sports betting inside the state, there are three major restrictions that people in the state should be informed of before betting at an Atlantic City or NJ-based sportsbook and is why many residents still prefer to bet at the legal offshore sportsbooks instead.
No College Betting Lines on Matchups with NJ Teams
The biggest drawback to the state-licensed sportsbooks in New Jersey is that no betting lines can be offered on any college matchups featuring a New Jersey college or university team.
This applies to all college sports and not just the big ones like football and basketball. Want to bet on Rutgers in any Big Ten game? Can’t do that. How about Princeton vs. Harvard in the Ivy League? Not allowed. However, betting lines for all NJ-based college teams are available at any of the offshore sportsbooks we recommend.
More Vigorish (or Juice) Baked into the Odds
Because of the high tax levied on NJ-based sportsbooks, all state-licensed options in the state pass this tax onto you by adding more vigorish (or juice) in the odds for all betting lines.
This can range anywhere from 6% to a whopping 10% and has drawn the most criticism from professional bettors because experienced handicappers are used to juice being between 3% and 5% at offshore sportsbooks. Sometimes the juice is even as low as 2.4% at offshore betting sites, meaning you only need to win 52.4% of your bets to make a profit over time compared to the unreasonable 60% (at 10% juice) needed at some NJ sportsbooks.
Smaller or No Sign-up Bonuses
Bonuses aren’t typically used by professional bettors except when opening a new account at a betting site they haven’t used yet to take advantage of the odds found there. However, for new players, getting a sizeable bonus is vital to increasing your bankroll because it allows you to bet more of a percentage of your bankroll and gain more profit over time.
Land-based options in New Jersey don’t even offer bonuses and the state-licensed betting sites offer bonuses that range from $10 to $500, according to our research. However, at offshore betting sites, the lowest we’ve seen is $500 and many of them offer sign-up bonuses well over $1,000 – meaning you’ll always get more bonus bang for your buck when choosing to bet at licensed offshore sportsbooks. They also offer reload bonuses and seasonal promotions.
NJ State-Licensed Online & Mobile Sportsbooks
The following are the state-licensed sportsbooks that currently offer online sports betting to people in New Jersey on desktop and mobile devices.
DraftKings: Launched on Aug. 6, 2018 and is affiliated with the Resorts Atlantic City land-based sportsbook. The DraftKings sports betting technology partner is Kambi, and the platform has an app for both iOS and Android.
PlayMGM Sports: Launched on Aug. 22, 2018 and is affiliated with the Borgata Atlantic City land-based sportsbook. The PayMGM Sports sports betting technology partner is IGT, and the platform has an app for both iOS and Android.
SugarHouse: Launched on Aug. 23, 2018 and is affiliated with the Monmouth Park land-based sportsbook. The SugarHouse sports betting technology partner is Kambi, and the platform has an app for both iOS and Android.
FanDuel: Launched on Sept. 1, 2018 and is affiliated with the Meadowlands land-based sportsbook. The FanDuel sports betting technology partner is Betfair/IGT, and the platform has an app for both iOS and Android.
William Hill: Launched on Sept. 1, 2018 and is affiliated with the Monmouth land-based sportsbook. William Hill does not currently have a sports betting technology partner, and the platform has an app for both iOS and Android.
Caesars: Launched on Sept. 6, 2018 and is affiliated with the Caesars Atlantic City land-based sportsbook. The Caesars sports betting technology partner is Scientific Games, and the platform has an app for both iOS and Android.
888 Sport: Launched on Sept. 10, 2018 and is affiliated with the Caesars land-based sportsbook. The 888 Sport sports betting technology partner is Kambi, and the platform has an app for both iOS and Android.
Betstars: Launched on Sept. 13, 2018 and is affiliated with the Resorts Atlantic City land-based sportsbook. Betstars does not currently have a sports betting technology partner, and the platform has an app for both iOS and Android.
New Jersey State-Licensed Land-Based Sportsbooks
The following are the state-licensed land-based sportsbooks that are currently located at casinos and racetracks in New Jersey.
Monmouth Park – Monmouth Park Sports Book by William Hill (Oceanport)
Monmouth Park launched its sportsbook on June 14, 2018 and is partnered with William Hill. The sportsbook was the first to offer sports betting in the state of New Jersey and Gov. Phil Murphy placed the first sports bet ever inside state lines.
Borgata – Borgata Race & Sports Bar (Atlantic City)
Borgata launched its sportsbook on June 14, 2018 and is partnered with IGT. The sportsbook is currently operated out of its horse racing area, but the company has plans to build an entirely new sportsbook facility in the future.
Meadowlands – FanDuel Sportsbook (East Rutherford)
Meadowlands launched its sportsbook on June 14, 2018 and is partnered with FanDuel, Betfair, and IGT. The sportsbook is the closest to New York City and in the same city as the New York Giants and New York Jets of the NFL.
Ocean Resort – William Hill Sportsbook @ Ocean Resort (Atlantic City)
Ocean Resort launched its sportsbook on June 28, 2018 and is partnered with William Hill. The sportsbook is in the middle of the casino, covering a 7,500ft area with betting windows, seating, TVs, and a bar.
Caesars at Bally’s – Wild Wild West Sportsbook (Atlantic City)
Bally’s launched its sportsbook on July 30, 2018 and is partnered with Caesars and Scientific Games. The sportsbook is right next to Caesars Palace in Atlantic City, which will be the one property that won’t have a New Jersey sportsbook for now.
Caesars at Harrah’s – Harrah’s Sportsbook (Atlantic City)
Harrah’s launched its sportsbook on Aug. 1, 2018 and is partnered with Caesars and Scientific Games. The sportsbook is located in the Marina district and was opened by Caesars Palace to compete with Borgata, which is located near Harrah’s, because it currently does not have its own sportsbook within state lines.
Resorts – DraftKings Sportsbook at Resorts (Atlantic City)
Resorts launched its sportsbook on Aug. 15, 2018 and is partnered with DraftKings, Kambi, and SBTech. The sportsbook opened a brand-new location, which features five betting windows, 12 kiosks, a VIP area, stadium seating, and a bar.
Golden Nugget – The Sportsbook (Atlantic City)
Golden Nugget launched its sportsbook on Aug. 15, 2018 and is partnered with SBTech. The sportsbook is temporarily operated out of its old poker room while they add to the facility to accommodate sports betting. Action on NBA games is prohibited by law because owner Tilman Fertitta having ownership of the Houston Rockets.
Tropicana – William Hill Sports Book at Tropicana Atlantic City (Atlantic City)
Tropicana launched its sportsbook on Oct. 25, 2018 and is partnered with William Hill. The sportsbook is temporarily located in the casino with kiosks placed through the resort. Tropicana is currently in the process of building a new 5,000-square-foot facility.
How Will The Federal Wire Act Affect Online Sports Betting In New Jersey?
Now that domestic sports betting is legal, states can start passing legislation allowing online sportsbook gambling as well, which is exactly what New Jersey has done. The Federal Wire Act prohibits online sports wagering across state lines. It will prevent New Jersey and other legal sports betting states from accepting bets from anyone outside of their state.
Based on NJ's success disputing PASPA, it is possible that the Federal Wire Act will be contested next. States want to increase revenue and the only thing standing in their way of offering online sports betting across America is the Federal Wire Act.
How Will The UIGEA Affect Online Sports Betting In New Jersey?
The Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) provides strict regulatory requirements regarding how online gambling transactions can be processed. This law has actually made it challenging for state-based online gambling enterprises to accept funding online from customers. In their resourcefulness, states are finding alternatives for account funding that are in compliance with this law. The UIGEA should not be much of a problem for sports bettors in the Garden State.
Additional Gambling Guides Included In This Series:
Atlantic City Online Casinos - Find out which legal Atlantic City casinos offer the safest and most trustworthy online casino gaming experience.
Atlantic City Online Poker - Discover how legalizing online gambling has affected Atlantic City online poker options, and where to find safe and secure legal online poker sites accepting NJ players.
Atlantic City Poker Tournaments - Find out more about both the land-based Atlantic City poker tournaments. The range of options has dramatically widened for NJ players!
Guide To Popular Games Played At Atlantic City Online Gambling Sites:
- Atlantic City Online Slots
- Atlantic City Online Blackjack
- Atlantic City Online Roulette
- Atlantic City Online Baccarat