NJ Sports Betting In 2021 - Why New Jersey Online Sports Betting Is Booming

As the United States continues to soften its stance on sports betting, people who are now suddenly free to place wagers on sporting contests really have one state to thank for this change in attitude … New Jersey. In 2011 the governor of New Jersey at the time – Chris Christie – announced plans to legalize NJ sports betting.

The four major pro sports leagues in the US plus the NCAA banded together to enforce the 1992 Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act which forbade betting on sports in the US outside of Nevada. Christie and his successor Phil Murphy waged a legal war against PASPA and finally, in 2018, the Supreme Court removed the PASPA from law, paving the way for legalized, state-regulated sports betting New Jersey style.

The Top 5 Sports Betting NJ Sites: A Closer Look

1. PointsBet $2,000 Risk-Free Bet

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2. BetMGM $1,000 Multi Bonus

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3. Borgata $100 Free Bets

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4. Unibet $270 Multi Bonus

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5. SugarHouse $250 Matched Bonus

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Although online sports betting had already been around in the US for some time before 2018, the sites allowing it were seated firmly on the border between what is legal and what is not. In over twenty states in the US sports betting is now firmly legal, as long as it is done via state-legalized sports books. Unlike other countries though, online sports books in New Jersey and throughout the rest of the US must be tied to a real-world, bricks-and-mortar establishment.Keep reading to find out all you need to know about legal sports betting New Jersey.
New Jersey sports bettors are currently in dreamland. Sports betting in NJ was once like prohibition – you could only place bets at ‘not completely legal’ sites and there were other issues you had to face, such as getting your money into your NJ online sports betting account. In just a couple of years a decent number of completely legal online sports books have sprung up, giving New Jersey residents who want to bet on sports a smorgasbord of betting options.That begs the question – at which sports book or sports books should bets be placed? Which is the best, why is it the best and why are some sites better than others?Here is a quick run-down of all the factors we consider when we evaluate which online sports books for New Jersey are MVPs and which need to be considered DFA.

• Bonuses. Sports books will often give a bonus to new customers. The better ones will offer bonuses to their established clients too. We evaluate bonuses for fairness, and work through any terms and conditions that may render a bonus as being much less palatable as it might seem at first glance.
• Markets. We all know the big leagues – MLB, NBA, NHL and NFL plus the NCAA – but the best sports books in New Jersey offer betting opportunities on much more than that. How about the UFC, MMA, MLS and EPL? How about other sports and other leagues? We consider the best sports books in New Jersey to be those with an excellent range of available markets.
• Bets. Everyone has a betting style. For some people moneyline bets are all they consider, but for others they may only ever think about betting on the spread. The best online New Jersey sports betting sites are those which cover as many betting options as possible. We’re also including concepts that are relatively new to sports bettors in New Jersey and throughout the US – live or in-play betting and cashing-out.
• Payments. People in the US are familiar with the problems of transferring money from a bank account to a sports gambling NJ site or online casino. Banks normally choose not to allow such transactions, but now that sports betting New Jersey and in other states is legal that stance is softening. There are other options too such as credit cards, PayPal, PayNearMe, VIP Preferred and the good old fashioned wire transfer. As many options as possible is what we here at Safe Betting Sites like to see.
• Support. Not everything goes as smoothly as a Tom Brady pass into the End Zone for a six-pointer. Things can get a little upside down and when they do, punters need a helping hand. We champion NJ sports gambling sites where help is always ready and where someone is also willing to listen to your issues and provide the solution.

Is there really that much difference when you compare – say – the best ten or so online sports books that are legal for people to use in New Jersey? The answer may surprise you … most definitely yes!

Even the leading ten New Jersey sports books differ greatly in what they can offer, all based on the five main criteria that we have listed above. We want to steer you towards the best ones, and away from the ones where you’ll simply end up wasting your time and possibly your money too.

Here, to get you started, is a closer look at what we consider to be the top 5 NJ online sports betting sites, and details of any bonuses that they offer.
 

Is Sports Betting Legal In NJ?

Sports betting in NJ is perfectly legal, but only at legal sports betting venues and online at state-licensed sites. As mentioned above, New Jersey were very much the pioneers of getting sports betting legalized in their state, and many other states have since followed suit. Prior to 2018 (when NJ sports betting became legal) the only state in the US where sports betting was permitted was Nevada (and primarily, Las Vegas). By 2019 New Jersey had already passed Nevada as the number one state in the US for sports betting in terms of revenue. That record was set in May when NJ’s $15.5 million in revenue easily outpaced NV’s $11.6 million.

Unlike most other global jurisdictions, companies cannot offer NJ sports betting online only. Sports betting must be offered at a real-world venue, which is usually a casino or a racetrack. Companies that have established a real-world venue are then allowed to offer online sports betting NJ opportunities.

People who want to bet on sports online in New Jersey must use a NJ-registered sports book to do so. Many sites have existed for some time that have offshore (i.e. non-US) licenses. While it is not illegal for these sites to offer their services to US-based customers, it is illegal for people resident in the US to use them. Punters in New Jersey should make sure they keep themselves free from potential legal consequences by only betting at sites at which they are legally entitled to.
 

Bonuses Available At New Jersey Online Sports Books

There are several types of bonuses available at legal New Jersey Online sports books, hopefully for both new and existing customers. Below is a short list of the most common types:

• Free Bet: A bet that you can place at a sports book without it costing you a cent. Usually, if the free bet wins you only get back your winnings, and not your free bet stake.
• Risk-Free Bet: If the first bet (or bets) you place at an online sports book loses, then you are given your stake money back, either as real money or bonus money.
• Deposit Bonus: Usually for only the first deposit you make at a sports book online. if you deposit $100 at a sports book with a 100% deposit bonus, then you will receive $100 in bonus money.
• No Deposit Bonus: Bonus money you receive when you sign up for a sports book for which you do not have to make a deposit to get.
• Reload Bonus: Same as deposit bonus but on subsequent deposits beyond your first deposit at your chosen sports book.
• Enhanced Odds: A deal where you can bet on event but with better odds than you would normally get. Usually, money won in excess of the normal odds is paid as bonus money.
• Parlay Bonus: A bonus that can only be used on parlay (i.e. combined) bets.
• Perks and Offers: Prizes such as tech and sports tickets given out as offers in the traditional sense.

NJ Online Betting Apps

Every single one of the leading sports books in New Jersey have online betting apps that you can download and install on any mobile device that runs iOS or Android software.

If you are downloading a New Jersey sport betting app for an iPhone or iPad, then you will need to download the app from the Apple App Store. If you are downloading to an Android-based device, then do not head to Google Play as you will not find it there. Google does not allow NJ sports online betting apps to be hosted at Google Play. Instead, you will need to head to the sports books’ site on your device and download the app there. It will be downloaded as an apk file which you will need to unpack and install.These online sports betting NJ apps are just as powerful as the desktop ones and indeed offer much more in the way of convenience. All the functions available on the desktop will be available via the app, including the site’s cashier and help functions.

Which Banking Methods Are Available In New Jersey?

There are several methods by which you can get money into and out of your sports betting account in New Jersey.

Instant eChecks or ACH

Via services such as VIP Preferred, online sports books in NJ can set up links between a site user’s account and their bank account. The player then ‘writes’ an electronic version of a check, which can be cashed at a sports book.

The money from an eCheck will appear in the player’s sports book account instantly. The check many not clear from the banking account for two to four days, though, and eChecks are not commonly used for withdrawals.

PayPal and other eWallets

If you have a personal account (i.e. not a business account) at PayPal then you can use your PayPal account at a NJ online sports book for both deposits and withdrawals. Payments are usually instant, although the email address associated with your PayPal account must be the same as the email address used at the sports book you are using PayPal at. Other eWallets such as Skrill and Neteller are available too, but are less common.

Credit and Debit Cards

Visa and MasterCard credit and debit cards are becoming more common at online sports books in NJ. You may find some sports books take Discover and American Express too. Deposits are instant, but withdrawals can take between three and five days, and some fees may be involved.

In person

As all sports books in NJ are tied to real-world establishments, you can always visit that establishment to pay money into or take money out of your account. Your online account and real-world account are the same (you are not allowed to have an account for each type). Of course, cash movements made in person are instantaneous!

PayNearMe

You can pass cash into your online sports book account via PayNearMe at participating retailers such as 7-Eleven or CVS. A code is exchanged for the cash which can then be used at NJ sports books. Deposits are instant as soon as the code is entered. PayNearMe cannot be used for withdrawals.

BillPay

Several banks, including Bank of America, Chase and HSBC participate in the BillPay scheme which allows people to pay bills directly from the bank account. If your NJ sports book accepts BillPay, then all you need to do is enter your banking details and password in order to make an instant deposit. BillPay cannot be used for withdrawals.

Wire TransferIf all else fails then there is a wire transfer. This is ideal for transfering large amounts of money that might otherwise attract suspicion. However, wire transfers are slow, high fees are charged and withdrawing via a wire transfer is not possible.

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Available Betting Markets In NJ

There are four main types of bet typically available at sports books in NJ.

Moneyline

The simplest bet of all – you bet on one team to win. The odds are always given as the favourite (negative) and the underdog (positive). The odds is the amount of money you need to bet to win $100 if negative, or what a bet of $100 would win you if positive.

Say the Chargers are playing the Eagles. The Chargers are -110, and the Eagles +110. You would need to put $110 on the Chargers to win $100, and $100 on the Eagles would win you $110. You do not have to put $100 on of course! If you put $10 on the Eagles you would win $11 plus your $10 stake back.

Points Spread Betting

This is a kind of handicap betting in which the underdog is given an artificial bonus points score in order to level the playing field. You must then decide whether the favourite will still win, or if the underdog will now prevail. You can get ties with points spread betting, which results in a push.

The Yankees are playing the Rays. The Yankees are favourites and the point spread is 3. This means that the Yankees must beat the Rays by three runs in order to ‘win’. The odds are -110 for the Yankees, and +110 for the Rays. If you bet $20 on the Rays and the Yankees only win 5-3, then your bet would win you $22 plus the return of your $20 stake.

Parlay Bets

A parlay bet is simply a string of straight bets that run in any sequence. The winnings from the first bet act as the stake for the second, and so on. You could have a $5 parlay bet on the Lakers (at -110), Cavaliers (at +120) and Heat (at -105) all winning. The $5 bet on the Lakers would win you $5.50 meaning your bet on the Cavaliers would have a $10.50 stake, and so on.

All single bets within a parlay bet must win else the entire bet will be a losing one. A ’round robin’ is a combination of parlay bets in which one (or more) possible steps of each parlay bet is excluded. This means that should the overall parlay bet lose by only a single factor, one of the included round robin bets would still win.

Futures Betting

A futures bet is one placed on an event, competition or tournament that is taking place ‘in the future’, such as the Superbowl, the World Series, the Stanley Cup or the US Open tennis championship. Any event that has an overall winner will qualify as a futures bet.

Say you placed $10 on Serena Williams to win the next US Open at odds of +650. If she won, you would win $65 plus your $10 stake back.

Sports Betting In NJ Bonuses Terms And Conditions

All sports book bonuses come with terms and conditions that you need to negotiate in order to get the most out of any bonus offer. These can be quite complex, so to illustrate what is meant by such terms as ‘wager requirements’ and ‘minimum odds’ we are going to walk you through a couple of bonus offers.

Shannon Peer Head of US Sports PR +1 393 828 2991