NJ Sports Betting: Which Online Sportsbooks Are The Best?

Good news sports fans – NJ sports betting is up and running after the state was cleared to bet on sports! 

Ever since the legalization of sports betting in New Jersey, casinos have been expanding their sportsbooks, while all-new sportsbooks have been popping up left, right and center. That’s a lot of sportsbooks. 

The good news for you is that – as an experienced sports bettor myself – I’ve already taken the time to check them all out to deliver you an in-depth guide that will help you make a better decision regarding which sites to sign up to. DraftKings is my personal favorite that does absolutely nothing wrong, but it’s important that you weigh up the pros and cons. 

In this article, I’m going to take a look at the top 5 NJ sports betting sites and their bonuses. I’ll also explain how sports betting in New Jersey works, how to bet on sports, and I’ll answer the most popular questions about NJ sports betting. 

Online Sports Betting In New Jersey

RANK SPORTBOOK FEATURES PLAY

1

DraftKings

  • $25 no deposit bonus when you create your account
  • World-class betting stats
  • Great design that looks ace on any device
  • Obscure props available
  • The quick and easy sign-up process

2

BetMGM

  • Exclusive Special
  • $50 Free On Sign Up
  • $1,000 Risk Free Bet

3

Caesars Sportsbook

  • Free $10 when you first sign up
  • Fast payout speed
  • Reputable
  • Excellent customer support
  • Eight deposit methods

4

SugarHouse Sportsbook

  • Match bonus of up to $250 when you make your first deposit
  • Ten deposit options
  • Jackpot parlay
  • Very customer-centric
  • Casino available

5

Fanduel

  • Special for bets on CFB Semifinals
  • Bet $5, Win $150 In Cash or
  • Up to $1,000 Risk Free Bet

How Online Sports Betting Works In New Jersey

NJ Sports Betting Launch 

NJ sports betting was banned way back in 1992. It was finally legalized again in June 2018 after the first positive talks took place back in 2012. The following month (July 2018), there were 8 mobile apps available in the Garden State, as well as a pair of racetracks and several Atlantic City casinos. 

By 2019, there were nine online casinos in New Jersey. Combined, they made over $3,000,000,000 in gambling revenue and continue to be regulated by the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement and the New Jersey Casino Control Commission. 

How To Bet On Sports?

Betting on sports is as easy as 1,2,3 once you know how. 

The first thing you need to do is take a look at our list of sites at the top of this article and decide which one appeals to you. Then, create an account, make your first deposit, and grab the welcome bonus. 

You’re then free to take a look at the sporting events and markets to see what catches your eye. If there’s a bet you like the look of, see what the odds are like. If there’s value to be had, it’s time to place your bet.

This is really simple. Just pick a stake (how much money you want to wager) and place the wager. 

Don’t forget, you can also place an in-play bet, too, which is when you stake money on a sporting event that is currently happening. Some sites also let you cash out early as well. 

Which New Jersey Casinos Have Sportsbooks?

   BetStars

BetStars was created as an offshoot of PokerStars, which is an online casino available to New Jersey bettors. 

BetStars uses a slightly different interface to PokerStars but, because it’s run by the same Stars Group company, you’re guaranteed a very high-class experience. 

There are plenty of banking options to choose from, including eCheck and PayNearMe, while all the major sports are included in the sportsbook (soccer, NFL, NHL, MLB, and NBA). You’ll also find a few more “niche” offerings here too, including cycling and tennis. 

In-play is available, as is cashout, while the StarGroup lets you use a shared wallet across its casino and sportsbook. This is a huge benefit because it saves you from having to keep transferring money across. 

   Caesars

Caesars is not to be confused with Caesars Palace. Caesars is an entirely independent online casino available to New Jersey bettors that were one of the most recent to add a sportsbook. It now offers casino, poker, and sports betting opportunities, and all three are clearly labeled at the top of the homepage. With just one click of a button, you can flip between them. 

It’s really cool that Caesars decided to add a sportsbook to both the desktop version of their site and their app. The lobby is easy to navigate and includes a whole host of sports, although most of the markets are reserved for the most popular ones – NBA, NFL, and MLB. 

Props, teasers, futures, point spreads, and money lines are all available, but one thing that will disappoint some of you is that there are no cash-out or in-play features as of yet. 

   SugarHouse

The actual real-life SugarHouse casino is actually based in Philly, but the digital version calls the Garden State its home. It was one of the first online casinos in NJ to add a sportsbook to its app (which already featured almost 500 table games), and this is now one sweet, all-rounder of gambling experience.

With as many as 10 banking options available (although only four of them are withdrawal options), SugarHouse is the real deal. A jackpot parlay is among the numerous betting options, the lobby (which always looks busy) is very user friendly, and while there are lots of ads, cashout and in-play betting are available.

New Jersey Online Sports Betting Partnerships 

An NJ sports betting site isn’t legal until it partners up with licensed operators in NJ.

Here are the partnerships currently in operation:

  • DraftKings Sportsbook and Resorts Casino
  • PointsBet and MeadowLands
  • William Hill and Monmouth Park
  • FanDuel Sportsbook and MeadowLands
  • SugarHouse Sportsbook and Monmouth Park
  • FOX Bet and Resorts Casino 
  • 888 Sport and Caesars Casino 
  • Borgata Sports and Borgata Casino
  • Caesars Sports and Caesars Casino
  • PlayMGM and Borgata Casino 
  • BetAmerica and Golden Nugget Casino 
  • Golden Nugget Sports and Golden Nugget Casino
  • Hard Rock and Hard Rock Casino 
  • Resorts Sportsbook and Resorts Casino

What Can You Bet On Right Now In New Jersey? 

Betting sites offer a variety of sports for you to bet on. But the exact sports that are available depend entirely on which site you sign up to. All the top online sportsbooks offer markets for the most popular sports, but some sportsbooks have more niche offerings than others.

Here are the sports you can stake money on right now in New Jersey:

  • Baseball 
  • Basketball
  • Boxing 
  • College basketball  
  • College football
  • Football 
  • Hockey
  • Ice hockey
  • Soccer
  • Golf
  • Auto Racing
  • Boxing/MMA
  • Tennis
  • Horse racing 
  • Cycling 
  • Darts
  • Wrestling
  • Handball
  • Volleyball
  • Cricket

Some sites also let you bet on reality TV shows and other entertainment, as well as politics. One or two sites offer markets for pinball, too, though this is much rarer. 

What Bets Are Available At New Jersey Sportsbooks? 

There are many different types of bets you can place at New Jersey sportsbook’s. All the top sites let you place a money line bet, which is the most popular type of bet. All you have to do is pick a sporting event and choose a team or player to win. That’s all there is to it! 

The straight bet is the second most popular bet. It’s similar to the money line bet in that you bet on either the favorite or the underdog to win. However, the crucial difference is that the game carries a point spread. 

For example, let’s say the Bears are playing the Packers, and that the Bears are 3- point favorites over the Packers. You need to bet the Bears via the odds, and they must win by 3 points or more for you to clinch the bet. 

Total line bets are also available at New Jersey online sportsbooks. For this one, the sports betting site will take a look at a game and set a number for the total points accumulated by both teams jointly. 

For example, let’s imagine the Raptors are playing the Warriors in the NBA. The sportsbook sets the total number of points at the end of the game to be 195. You as the bettor must then decide whether you think the total number of points accrued by both teams will be over or under that number. 

Parlay bets are available at all NJ sportsbooks as well. This is a really fun bet where you bunch together 2 or more picks into the same wager. For example, you might bet on the Raptors, the Bucks and the Lakers all to win tonight. Each time you add a pick, the odds are adjusted. The more picks you have, the bigger your payout will be. If just one pick loses, the whole wager is a loss. 

Taking Advantages of Bonuses and Rewards

All NJ betting sites offer bonuses and rewards. But what do these look like?

  • No deposit bonus
  • – DraftKing is an example of a betting site that offers a no deposit welcome bonus. When you first create your account, they top your account up with $25. This is a risk-free wager that usually comes with a few terms and conditions (for example, you can only use it on certain sports). 

  • Matched first deposit bonus
  • – When you make an initial deposit at a sportsbook, some sites will guarantee to match your deposit with a bonus. For example, if you deposit $50 straight off the bat, they’ll give you another $50. There’s usually a limit to the size of the matched deposit, but some sites offer as much to match first deposits as big as $1,000. 

  • Promotions
  • – NJ sports betting sites offer numerous, ongoing promotions that are designed to increase the fun factor! However, each site runs its own promos, so if you’re a big fan of free spins, free bets, enhanced lines, and vine overtime insurance, it’s worth checking out the promotions that a specific site offers before signing up

  • VIP programs
  • – The more often you play at a sportsbook, the more you’ll get treated like a VIP. In other words, the sportsbooks like to reward loyal players by offering them points. It works like this: Each time you place a bet, you’ll accrue X amount of points. The bigger your stake, the more points you’ll get. Eventually, you can redeem the points for a free bet

New Jersey Sports Betting Laws

From 2018 onwards, when sports betting was legalized in New Jersey, casinos and racetracks are allowed to offer sports betting to anyone who’s aged 21 or over. 

However, this doesn’t mean that you can place a bet on any site you want. As a New Jersey resident, you can only wager at sports betting sites that are legal in NJ. These include the ones we mentioned in our top 5 earlier in this article. 

New Jersey Sports Betting FAQ

Yes, it’s been legal since June 2018.

You can go to a brick and mortar casino or racetrack and place bets, or you can sign up to an online casino and/or sportsbook. The only condition is that the online casino or sportsbook must be legal in New Jersey.

It is if you’re betting with a fully-licensed casino or sportsbook, such as SugarHouse.

You don’t have to live in NJ to place a wager at a sportsbook that’s legal in New Jersey, but you do have to be there at the time.

Yes. Most of the top sites have mobile clients. Because mobile sports betting is becoming more popular than ever, you can expect the mobile experience to get better as the months pass.

Conclusion

NJ sports betting is 100% legal – and 100% a lot of fun. The next step is to choose a site you like the look of (I recommend DraftKings for its welcome bonus) before creating an account. Then, read through our “how to bet on sports” section again – and start placing your bets!

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