New Jersey is one of the few states where sports betting is totally legal. In fact, it became legal once the state brought the case for sports betting to the Supreme Court, who ruled in New Jersey’s favor, striking down a federal law that banned the practice.
Now, the floodgates have opened and the states can now freely choose whether or not to legalize sports betting.
Regardless, New Jersey was first through the gates and can easily be called the sports betting capital of America. If you’re thinking about joining the sensation, here’s everything you need to know about NJ sports betting.
Where is the Best Place for NJ Sports Betting?
After becoming legalized in June of 2018, sports betting in New Jersey isn’t nearly the sketchy business it once was. However, this doesn’t mean there aren’t still scam artists out there, trying to trick you into giving them your money.
Luckily, finding a reputable sportsbook isn’t difficult.
A quick internet search should garner you some helpful results. You’re going to want to pay close attention to user reviews and popularity, as that will help paint a picture as to the site’s credibility.
One of the most credible and popular NJ sports betting sites is 888sport.
888sport offers betting on football, baseball, basketball and even motorsports, among many others. They also offer some of the best sports bonuses for signing up and making an initial deposit, which will give you cash to get your feet wet with.
It should also be noted that 888sport offers live betting, which is the latest craze in NJ sports betting. As its names suggest, it allows you to bet on games in real time as the stakes change, depending on the state of the teams.
For instance, if the Patriots are behind and Tom Brady gets injured, betting on the Patriots to win is going to reap more rewards than before.
NJ Sports Betting: What’s Legal and What’s Not
Just because sports betting is now legal in New Jersey, it doesn’t mean that there aren’t any regulations. This can be confusing, as many will equate legalization with total freedom, but that’s not quite the case.
For starters, you have to be over 21. When you turn 18, you’re old enough to vote, but drinking and gambling are a few years off. Make the most of those voting years, and you might be able to shorten the gap.
While it might seem obvious, you can’t bet on a game you’re involved with. This means that the referee can’t put down his life savings on a game that he’s working, because then he’ll have a vested interest in calling the game a certain way.
Most sports are covered, but you can’t bet on every sport. High school sports are strictly off limits. College sports are legal to bet on, as long as they’re not played in New Jersey or involve New Jersey-based teams.
You’re also not allowed to bet on competitive video games, despite eSports becoming more popular and there being talks of adding it to the Olympics.
What are the Rules of NJ Sports Betting?
If you’ve never gambled on sports before, but New Jersey’s legalization of it has you interested, you’re going to need to know the rules.
The simplest and most straightforward kind of bet is the Moneyline bet. This bet is as simple as choosing the winner between two teams or players. Depending on who’s the favorite, your return is going to change.
Due to its simplicity, the Moneyline bet is the most popular form of sports betting. As such, some sportsbooks spice things up by attaching some of the best sports bonuses, such as credit and free plays.
Another popular form of betting is the Points Spread. For this one, the bookmaker alters the conditions for a winning bet, depending on the skill of the teams. If the team you bet on is the favorite, then they must win by a certain amount of points for you to win – merely winning isn’t enough.
To make it simpler, a Points Spread is essentially the bookmaker evening out the game by giving the favorite fewer points and the underdog more points. This way, if an undefeated team is going up against a team that hasn’t won a game, the betting can still be 50/50.
There’s also the Over-Under betting, for which bookmakers decide on the number of points they think will be scored in a game. On your end, all you have to do is bet on whether the score will go over or under the bookmaker’s score.
There’s No Sports Betting Like NJ Sports Betting
New Jersey has been a trailblazer in the effort to getting sports betting legalized in America. Thanks to their efforts, it will very likely spread throughout the other states.
But for now, New Jersey remains one of the few states where sports betting is legal, which makes it a veritable hotspot of gambling.
Nonetheless, not every sportsbook in New Jersey is worth using. Some are more credible and useful than others, with 888sport being a standout, as they have some of the best sports bonuses.
As with any government legislation, there is some notable fine print regarding sports betting’s legalization, such as age limits and the allowed sports.
Due to the recent changes in law, you may have found yourself suddenly interested in the pastime of gambling, but weren’t sure of where to start. With the gambling basics covered above, you can now start off on the right foot.
And as any gambler knows, starting off strong is a sure sign for victory.
