New Jersey Sports Betting: Best Legal Sportsbooks

New Jersey: the state that changed US sports betting

New Jersey sports betting sites exist because New Jersey went to court. The state spent years challenging the federal ban on single-game wagering, and in May 2018 the US Supreme Court agreed with it in Murphy v. NCAA, striking down the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act. Within weeks, in June 2018, the first legal bets were taken at Monmouth Park racetrack and Atlantic City's Borgata, and online sportsbooks followed later that summer.

The market is regulated by the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement, which licenses operators, tests their platforms and handles consumer complaints. Bettors must be 21 or older and physically located in New Jersey when they place a wager.

Why New Jersey is a benchmark market

Because it has been running longer than almost any other regulated online market outside Nevada, New Jersey often sets the pattern that other states copy. The Division of Gaming Enforcement publishes monthly revenue figures for every licensee, approves new bet types before they go live and investigates complaints from customers. If you have a dispute with a licensed sportsbook that the operator will not resolve, you can file a complaint with the Division. That level of oversight is the main reason we only rank licensed operators: it gives you a route to a fair outcome that offshore sites cannot offer.

Licensed sportsbooks we review in New Jersey

All three US sportsbooks in our rankings, BetMGM, bet365 and BetRivers, are licensed to operate online in New Jersey. Each one partners with an Atlantic City casino or a racetrack licence holder, which is how the state ties online wagering to its land-based gaming industry. Because they all compete for the same customers, New Jersey bettors are well placed to compare odds, bet limits and withdrawal times before choosing where to play.

Every licensed app uses geolocation to confirm you are inside the state's borders. That catches out many people who live in Pennsylvania or New York and commute across the river: your account works wherever New Jersey has licensed it, not where you live.

• Regulator: New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement
• Minimum age: 21
• Licensed brands we rank: BetMGM, bet365, BetRivers
• Restriction: no wagering on New Jersey college teams, or on college games played in the state

College betting rules and taxes

New Jersey permits wagering on college sports in general, but you cannot bet on teams such as Rutgers, Seton Hall or Princeton, and you cannot bet on any college game that takes place inside New Jersey. The rule is set in state law, so it applies equally to every licensed sportsbook.

Gambling winnings count as taxable income at both the federal and state level in New Jersey. Larger wins may trigger tax forms from the sportsbook, so it is sensible to keep your own record of wins and losses throughout the year.

Teams, events and getting help

Giants and Jets games at MetLife Stadium, the Devils at the Prudential Center and the large Philadelphia and New York fan bases on either side of the state make New Jersey one of the busiest betting markets in the country. If betting stops feeling like a hobby, the 1-800-GAMBLER helpline started in New Jersey and remains a free, confidential first step, and the Division of Gaming Enforcement runs a self-exclusion list covering every licensed operator.