New Jersey online gambling

Best NJ gambling sites

New Jersey has a well-developed online gambling market with more than 17 sportsbooks and many more online casinos.

All of them provide a solid experience, but there are subtle differences, and we rank the best NJ gambling sites below:

More NJ gambling sites to consider

In addition to the most highly rated NJ gambling sites, there are many others that check most of the boxes. You may want to scope out some of these other operators if you want to explore more options.

Unibet New Jersey

Unibet is a name that is not as familiar in the United States as most of the others on this list. However, it is a long-standing international gaming powerhouse, and they are delivering a high-quality product here in the U.S.

Their NJ online gambling platform includes sports betting and casino gaming sections, and it compares very well to the competition. Matchups in the sport that is going to be most popular on a given day are front and center on the sportsbook homepage, and you can easily navigate to the pages for other sports.

ESPN Bet New Jersey

ESPN Bet has launched in New Jersey as the new branding for PENN Entertainment’s gambling platform (replacing Barstool Sportsbook). The site went live in November 2023, just three short months after PENN announced the multi-billion dollar ESPN deal.

PENN already held a New Jersey license but did not establish a retail presence with Barstool. It’s unclear whether they will try to set up a brick-and-mortar location in the state, but the ESPN Bet gambling website and mobile app will likely be the go-to options for bettors.

PointsBet New Jersey

PointsBet has earned a spot toward the top of this list for a couple of different reasons. First, the welcome reward highlighted on the homepage gets your attention immediately.

Secondly, this NJ online betting site provides an alternative betting method that will appeal to many people. With Points Betting, your profit is based on the amount that you win by, and the opposite is also true. To be clear, you can place conventional wagers if you choose to do so, but this is an exciting possibility.

Tipico New Jersey

The Tipico NJ online gambling site layout is logically constructed, with sports matchups listed in chronological order across the top of the page. They also have a slider with trending same-game parlay combinations to give you some ideas.

This is a perfectly usable site that checks all the boxes, and in addition to the sports side, there is an online casino as well. Tipico is another operator that has been popular in Europe for years, and as a result, they place an emphasis on soccer along with the major American sports.

Borgata New Jersey

Borgata originally opened its doors in Atlantic City in 2003, and it is still going strong. It is owned by MGM Resorts, so they are on the BetMGM platform with different branding, and this applies to the online casino and the sportsbook.

In addition to the Borgata NJ online betting platforms, you can access the virtual poker room to compete against other players. This makes a lot of sense because the Borgata poker room at their brick-and-mortar facility is very popular.

betPARX New Jersey

BetPARX New Jersey is a very viable option for sports bettors and casino gaming enthusiasts alike. Their platform is clean, clear, and easy to navigate, with all of the current day’s games listed on the homepage.

The bonus for new users is always quite competitive relative to the industry norm. We like the Help Center that you can reach through a prominent link on the betPARX main page. There are answers to common questions, and live chat agents are readily available.

Hard Rock Bet New Jersey

Hard Rock Bet gained entry into the New Jersey online sports gambling scene through its brick-and-mortar presence in Atlantic City. Their sports/casino gaming platform is in line with the industry standard, and you can participate in the Rockin’ Rewards program to score a host of different perks.

Sign-up bonuses are key when you are ranking sportsbooks. Hard Rock Bet is deficient in this area at the time of this writing, but the bonus structures are always subject to change.

Golden Nugget New Jersey

Golden Nugget had an easy pathway toward entry into the New Jersey online gambling mix. Their physical casino launched in Atlantic City back in 2011, so they were eligible for online casino and sports betting licenses.

There is nothing remarkable about the Golden Nugget platform, but it gets the job done. The site is a little busy with its sidebar feed and large top-of-the-page slider trumpeting the current promotions. On the positive side, navigation is a breeze, and they have live dealer casino games.

Betway New Jersey

Betway is a newcomer to the New Jersey online casino and sports betting scene, making its debut in 2021. This is another operator that was well-established in Europe before they set up shop in the United States.

They have sportsbooks in a total of eight states at this point, and they have online casinos in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Because of the background across the drink, they highlight soccer along with the four major American sports.

SuperBook New Jersey

SuperBook NJ is another viable option in this crowded online sports betting market. Though the name may not be familiar to many, SuperBook has been a very big deal in Las Vegas since the 1980s, and they have adapted their high-quality product to the online realm.

Serious bettors in Vegas have always turned to SuperBook to find the most accurate odds in the industry. If you are looking for numbers you can rely on when you shop around for odds, SuperBook New Jersey should be on your radar.

TwinSpires New Jersey

TwinSpires is one of the biggest and most popular horse racing gambling sites in the United States. Their gambling website is split up into three sections: horse racing, online casino games, and a sportsbook, but at the time of writing, only their horse betting is available to New Jersey users.

Their horse betting site is top-notch and covers all of the major horse racing events across the country. With decades of experience in the horse racing realm, TwinSpires is typically the go-to outlet for all things horse betting.

Sporttrade New Jersey

Gambling through Sporttrade differs pretty radically from what we typically see with online gambling operators. Rather than just gambling on sporting events or horse races and waiting to see the outcome, Sporttrade mixes sports gambling and stock trading to create a legal sports gambling exchange.

Sporttrade offers frequent promotional offers, along with a rewarding loyalty program for long-time players. The concept of selling and buying shares in an online gambling format is still very new, making Sporttrade one of the most unique online gambling sites in the industry.

Prophet Exchange New Jersey

Prophet Exchange is one of the first betting exchange gambling sites to enter the United States and brings with it a unique opportunity for New Jersey players. As a peer-to-peer gambling site, bettors are able to set their own lines and compete head-to-head rather than against “the house.”

This means there is an opportunity for gamblers to turn higher profits because of lines that can be better than the odds at traditional sports gambling sites.

With Prophet Exchange, bettors can also have their stakes “partially matched” if an offer is too much to still allow for betting action even if their initial line was more than others on the operator’s site wanted to fully match.

Fanatics New Jersey (Coming soon)

Fanatics hasn’t yet launched its gambling website in New Jersey and can only be played with a mobile betting app. As of writing, the operator’s site only functions to provide legal copy and to redirect would-be Fanatics gamblers to the appropriate app store for their device.

Unfortunately, that means we don’t have much to say about the website. With that in mind, the early reports indicate that the Fanatics app is performing well in other states, and that trend should continue for New Jersey gamblers.

SI New Jersey (Coming soon)

SI is not yet legal in New Jersey and thus far has only launched its gambling website in Colorado, Virginia, and Michigan. However, if the site obtains an NJ sports gambling license, the humongous selection of betting lines should carry considerable appeal to hardcore and casual sports gamblers alike.

When SI begins the licensure process, we will update this page and website accordingly.

Is online gambling legal in New Jersey?

Yes, online gambling is fully legal in New Jersey. Online casino gambling was initially introduced in 2013, and NJ sports betting became legal in June 2018.

How to gamble online in New Jersey

Getting started at an online gambling site is actually very easy. Follow these simple steps, and you will be up and running in no time:

Legal types of online gambling in NJ

New Jersey has always been on the cutting edge when it comes to gambling expansion. At this point, adults in the state can enjoy a number of different types of gaming online, and we provide a rundown below:

Betting on horses online in New Jersey

NJ horse race betting has been popular in for generations. The Meadowlands harness racing track, Monmouth Park thoroughbred track, and the Freehold Raceway standardbred facility are the three live horse racing venues in New Jersey.

In addition to those tracks, there are six off-track betting facilities. And as we have touched upon above, the 4NJBets online horse race betting platform is available.

New Jersey Lottery

An overwhelming 81.5% of voters approved of the establishment of the New Jersey Lottery in 1969. This demonstrates the mindset of the majority of people in the state when it comes to gambling. The first tickets were actually sold in 1970, and the NJ Lottery is still going strong.

You cannot purchase tickets online directly through the NJ Lottery site. However, you can use a third-party lottery ticket courier app like Jackpocket to get your tickets online.

How to find out if a gambling site in NJ is legitimate

There were offshore online sportsbooks offering their services in the United States before the legalization of sports gaming. They are still around, and of course, they are the only option in states that do not have legal sportsbooks.

You can access these sites in some states that have legal sports betting as well. These sites do not submit to any regulatory body in the U.S. As a result, you cannot get the same protections that are extended to people that patronize legal online gambling sites.

People in New Jersey cannot access these sites because they have been prohibited via legislative mandate. Unless there is some type of glitch in the system, any sportsbook you can access will be licensed by the state.

Consumers are protected on that level, but keep these things in mind just to be safe:

Who regulates gambling in New Jersey?

In New Jersey, the Division of Gaming Enforcement (DGE) regulates all forms of gambling within the state, including online gambling. The DGE ensures that all gambling activities are conducted in a fair and honest manner and that all operators comply with established regulations. Operators must obtain a license from the DGE in order to offer gambling services in New Jersey.

Some of the laws that operators and players must keep in mind include age restrictions (21 years old), responsible gambling practices, and prohibitions on certain types of gambling activities. The DGE works to protect both operators and players by enforcing these guidelines.

The history of online gambling in New Jersey

The road to online gambling in New Jersey actually began in 1976 before the emergence of the internet. During that year, voters in the state approved brick-and-mortar casinos in Atlantic City.

This beach resort town was in steep decline at the time. Revitalizing the once proud destination appealed to many people, and this had much to do with the green light.

Resorts International launched on the Atlantic City Boardwalk on May 5, 1978, becoming the first legal casino in the United States outside of Nevada. It attracted hordes of visitors from around the region and other parts of the country, so the initiative succeeded.

Fast forwarding to February 2013, then-Governor Chris Christie signed a revised version of A2578/S1565 to legalize online poker and casino games. Under the terms of the legislation, existing casino license holders could offer online casino games and poker.

Voters also approved a 2011 referendum that would allow sports betting. However, a lawsuit was filed by the NCAA and the four major sports leagues to prevent the sportsbooks from opening.

They contended that New Jersey did not have the right to legalize the activity because of the federal prohibition via the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA).

The first court to hear the case rejected the state’s argument, and the state appealed. That effort was also denied, but in 2017, the Supreme Court agreed to hear the case because of the constitutional question at the core of the matter.

The New Jersey legal team contended that PASPA violated the tenth amendment that gives states the right to make their own laws under most circumstances. A Supreme Court majority concurred, and the act was deemed unconstitutional on May 14, 2018.

Exactly one month later on June 14, Governor Phil Murphy placed the first legal sports bet in New Jersey at the William Hill retail sportsbook (Caesars acquired William Hill in 2021) at Monmouth Park racetrack. DraftKings accepted the first legal online sports bet in New Jersey on August 1, 2018.

What taxes do I need to pay for my gambling winnings in NJ?

In New Jersey, online gambling winnings are subject to both federal and state gambling taxes. Individuals must report all gambling winnings, regardless of the amount, as income on their federal income tax returns. The percentage that you pay will be based on your tax bracket.

Additionally, New Jersey residents must pay state income tax on their gambling winnings. Once again, the rate will vary depending on your tax bracket.

For more information about this topic, make sure to read our complete guide to NJ gambling taxes.

How to report gambling taxes to the IRS

According to the IRS guidance on gambling winnings, the establishment that is paying you should issue Form W-2G any time you win more than $600.

If you win over $5000, they must withhold 28% of your winnings if you provide them with a Social Security number. When a Social Security number has not been provided, they are required to withhold 31% of the winnings.

Even if you never received a form, you are required to claim the income. Your winnings should be entered on line 21 of Form 1040. People that itemize can also claim losses to offset the winnings on line 27 of Schedule A.

On the state level, there is a place for “net gambling winnings” on the New Jersey Gross Income Tax return form. If you are reporting winnings, you must include documentation to support the claim.

Licensed gambling sites vs. offshore sites in NJ

We have stated the fact that New Jersey has very strict laws against offshore online gambling sites. They are proactively enforced, and the major operators that are licensed outside of the United States are well aware of the state's efforts.

You simply cannot reach the offshore sites when you are physically in New Jersey. However, this is not the case in some other states that have legal sports gambling sites.

At the end of the day, there is no comparison between licensed state-regulated sites and offshore books. Monetary transactions related to gambling online are illegal on the federal level. Even if you can access one of these sites, it can be challenging to make a deposit.

Plus, withdrawals are processed at a snail’s pace, and the methods are convoluted. When you add in the fact that there is no oversight to ensure player safety, there is no reason to consider offshore sportsbooks even if you can access them.

Responsible gambling in NJ

Online gambling in New Jersey can be a lot of fun, but responsible gaming is key. When you’re entering into the activity, you should have a game plan, you should resolve to stick to it no matter what.

Set aside a budget dedicated to sports betting or any other type of gambling you enjoy. Determine an increment that you will use for your standard sports bets or online casino sessions, and exercise discipline as you go forward.

If you find it difficult, sportsbooks have responsible gaming tools. For example, you could set a limit for yourself that applies to deposits within a particular timeframe.

There are also resources available for people that develop problem gambling habits. The state works with the Council on Compulsive Gambling in New Jersey, a group that was founded in 1983. They operate the 1-800-Gambler Helpline which will provide immediate assistance 24 hours a day.

For more resources and guidance, check out our dedicated article about responsible gambling in New Jersey.