Sports betting is legal and regulated in New Jersey.

NJ betting sites and mobile sportsbooks bring the action to bettors across the state while those who prefer to do their betting in person can visit retail sportsbooks at casinos and racetracks.

Read on for a list of the best NJ betting apps and sportsbooks plus a detailed look at each form of gaming that is legal and regulated in the Garden State.

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Other forms of legal online betting in New Jersey include casino and poker sites, daily fantasy sports sites, horse racing betting, and lottery games. In-person betting is similarly widespread with Atlantic City casinos, retail sportsbooks, racetracks, off-track betting parlors (OTBs) and the state lottery all open for business.

New Jersey was one of the first states to legalize and implement online gambling, and it is largely thanks to the combined efforts of the state’s voters and a number of hardworking lawmakers that sports betting is no longer prohibited at the federal level. If it wasn’t for New Jersey, the gambling landscape in the United States would look much different today.

New Jersey Sports Betting

Legal sports betting in New Jersey consists of retail sportsbooks at casinos and racetracks plus mobile betting platforms operated by major gaming brands. State law enforces a minimum age of 21 to bet on sports online or in person.

The New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement (NJDGE) is charged with implementing the law, issuing licenses, overseeing licensees, and adopting additional rules as needed.

Key things to know about NJ sports betting:

  • Minimum age of 21 to bet on sports in New Jersey
  • Customers must be physically located in New Jersey when placing wagers but do not need to be residents
  • Customers may register for online betting accounts from anywhere but may only place bets from within NJ state lines
  • State law requires online gaming operators to partner with land-based casinos and racetracks that hold sports betting licenses
  • Each land-based casino and racetrack may operate up to three individual mobile betting platforms, also known as “skins”
  • Licensed sportsbooks may offer wagers on professional sports, college sports, and esports
  • Sportsbooks may not accept wagers on college games held in New Jersey or on games involving New Jersey college teams

Mobile Sports Betting in New Jersey

Online and mobile sports betting is widely available in New Jersey with nearly twenty operators licensed to take wagers from customers across the state. Sports fans may register, deposit and place wagers online from anywhere in state lines.

Bettors can verify the licensing status of any NJ mobile sportsbook on the NJDGE website here.

DraftKings opened for business in 2012 strictly as a daily fantasy sports site and quickly grew to become one of the two major fantasy sites in the US (with the other being FanDuel).

After the Supreme Court ended the federal sports betting prohibition, DraftKings pivoted to sports betting and launch on August 1st, 2018 as the first mobile sports betting app in New Jersey. Leveraging its existing database of fantasy players, DraftKings quickly became one of the state’s leading online sportsbooks.

Visit DraftKings: sportsbook.draftkings.com

SugarHouse Online Casino opened in 2016 and then added a full-service sportsbook in 2018 after receiving a license from the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement. SugarHouse has one of the nicer interfaces in New Jersey with a desktop platform and mobile app that offer players a full range of pre-game bets, in-play bets, and much more.

The SugarHouse sports betting platform covers a range of international sports including all the major leagues from football, baseball, basketball, soccer, golf, hockey, and tennis in addition to smaller sports such as cricket, darts, MMA, boxing, and golf. For the most complete sports betting experience, SugarHouse Sportsbook is worth a look.

Visit SugarHouse Online: www.playsugarhouse.com

Daily fantasy site FanDuel.com first entered the sports betting business through a deal reached with Meadowlands Racetrack to operate a retail sportsbook at the track. In September 2018, FanDuel Sportsbook went online with the launch of its mobile betting platform.

FanDuel is owned by Flutter Entertainment, which itself is an experienced sports betting operator that has been active in regulated markets around the world for years. Extensive online betting experience combined with the name recognition quickly propelled FanDuel to the top of the NJ market.

The IOS and Android mobile app boasts simple navigation and supports in-play betting. This is one of the most comprehensive in-play betting apps launched to date with many short-term wagers available throughout every game. Customers may also visit Fanduel.com to bet online from any desktop.

Visit FanDuel Sportsbook: sportsbook.fanduel.com

PointsBet is the most unique NJ betting site to launch to date with its own take on sports wagering. While PointsBet offers all the standard types of wagers bettors would expect to find anywhere else, it also offers a new type of spread betting which pays you more for being more right.

For just one example, consider an NFL game with the point total set at 55 points. If you were to take the over at $10 per point and the final total ends up at 59 points, you would walk away with $40 in winnings ($10 per point x 4 points over the total).

Visit PointsBet: www.pointsbet.com

Bet365 came a bit later to the NJ market in August 2019 in partnership with Hard Rock Atlantic City. The company may be new to the US, but Bet365 has a long history on the international stage and operates one of the most successful online betting operations in the world.

In the US, Bet365 brings with it a willingness to take wagers on a wide range of sports and leagues than just about anyone else in the game. Bet365 gets quite granular on the types of wagers it will take. This is the only mobile sportsbook in operation known to go as far as offering in-play betting on Triple-A baseball games, for example.

Furthermore, Bet365 maintains a favorable reputation among customers as a reliable, fast-paying, and personable sportsbook.

Visit Bet365 Sportsbook: www.bet365.com

The popular sports news, media, scoring, and stats app best known as theScore has entered the online betting game. First stop: New Jersey in partnership with Monmouth Park.

theScore has a very good chance to ramp up activity quickly as it holds the keys to a massive user database consisting entirely of tech-savvy sports fans. Experience in managing a high-quality app and interacting with sports fans gives theScore a strong base as it focuses now on real money sports betting.

Visit theScore Sportsbook: www.thescore.bet

Hard Rock Casino in Atlantic City entered the NJ sports betting market in early 2019 with the launch of its online sportsbook. With all the flare of the Hard Rock brand, this sportsbook offers pre-game and in-play betting on all the major sports in North America and beyond.

Hard Rock Sportsbook offers a fully-compatible experience with support for desktop, iOS, and Android users alike. Bettors can visit the website from any desktop or mobile device to download the app or to place wagers with no download necessary.

Visit Hard Rock Sportsbook: www.hardrockcasino.com

BetMGM launched its online sportsbook in August of 2018 to become New Jersey’s first all-in-one gambling site offering sports betting, casino games, and online poker. A single account with BetMGM provides customers with instant access to the full range of legal online gambling options in New Jersey.

BetMGM Sportsbook is partnered with the Borgata in Atlantic City. Customers can visit the website at BetMGM.com or download the mobile sportsbook app to bet on the go.

Visit BetMGM Sportsbook: sports.nj.betmgm.com

William Hill is partnered with Ocean Resort and Monmouth Park for retail betting in NJ and operates online betting via mobile app and online at WilliamHill.com. William Hill launched in September 2018 among New Jersey’s first wave of online sportsbooks.

William Hill Sportsbook offers a range of betting options including in-play betting plus wagers for all major sports. A clean and easy-to-navigate interface makes it easy to find specific games. In addition to taking wagers on who will win any particular game, William Hill Online supports point totals, props, and futures.

Visit William Hill Sportsbook: www.williamhill.com

Caesars NJ Sportsbook offers mobile betting apps for iOS and Android devices plus online betting at CaesarsCasino.com. In addition to sports betting, Caesars Online also offers a large online casino and online poker.

Customers can bet on all major US sports with Caesars plus a limited selection of international events. Market depth is a bit lacking compared to other NJ sportsbooks, but Caesars does cover all the major types of wagers including spreads, moneylines, totals, and a variety of props for each game.

Visit Caesars Sportsbook: www.caesarscasino.com

Golden Nugget Online Casino has been open since 2013 and launched its sportsbook in early 2019. Building off its early success as New Jersey’s most popular casino site, Golden Nugget Sportsbook can now promote its sports betting product to a large existing userbase.

Sports betting at Golden Nugget is powered by software from SBTech, which itself is a major player on the business-to-business side of the industry. With the assistance of SBTech technology, Golden Nugget was able to launch with coverage of dozens of sports and thousands of individual wagers from day one.

When Golden Nugget Sportsbook first launched, it was prohibited by state law from accepting wagers on any NBA games due to its owner, Tilman Fertitta, also owning the NBA’s Houston Rockets. That changed in September 2019 after lawmakers approved an amendment relaxing the restriction. Now, Golden Nugget is allowed to accept wagers on all NBA games that do not involve the Houston Rockets.

Visit Golden Nugget Sportsbook: www.goldennuggetcasino.com

Unibet made its US debut in 2019 first with the launch of an online casino and later with mobile sports betting for New Jersey customers. In New Jersey, Unibet operates off the online gambling and sports betting licenses held by Hard Rock Casino AC.

The Unibet name was relatively unknown in the US before its NJ launch, leaving the brand with the considerable challenge of carving out space in the competitive NJ betting market as a relatively late entrant.

However, Unibet has no small amount of marketing firepower behind it. The Unibet brand is owned by international gaming giant Kindred Group, which is publicly listed on Nasdaq Stockholm and has served nearly 30 million customers from around the world.

Visit Unibet Sportsbook: nj.unibet.com

FOX Bet came to New Jersey in August 2019 as a collaborative effort between FOX Sports and Flutter Entertainment. With branding and marketing heavily influenced by FOX Sports, FOX Bet looks and functions like a large budget project.

Customers will find frequent promotions touted by FOX Sports personalities, a deep selection of sports leagues and wagers to choose from, and in-play betting.

Visit FOX Bet: www.foxbet.com

Resorts Casino has offered online gaming in New Jersey since 2015 and online betting since early 2019. The Resorts Casino sportsbook platform is powered by SBTech, which is a highly regarded services provider capable of offering thousands of bets each day and a large in-play betting menu.

Resorts Sportsbook offers a decent welcome bonus and the occasional promotion for existing players, including weekly free bets.

Visit Resorts Sportsbook: www.resortscasino.com

BetAmerica is an old hand in online betting owned and operated by Churchill Downs, Inc. BetAmerica began life in 2008 as a licensed horse racing betting site and added online sports betting for NJ customers in 2019.

Customers can download the BetAmerica app for iOS and Android devices or head to BetAmerica.com to bet online from any desktop. Detailed statistics for every matchup assist in handicapping while in-play betting keeps things interesting with an assortment of game result wagers plus “fast markets” that offer props on specific in-game events such as the outcome of the next play.

Visit BetAmerica Sportsbook: www.betamerica.com

BorgataOnline.com offers online sports betting, casino games, and poker all under one roof. The online casino launched in 2013 as one of New Jersey’s earlier online gaming providers while online sports betting began in May 2019.

Borgata Sportsbook covers a wide range of US and international sports plus a busy in-play betting schedule. The depth of in-play betting markets has improved considerably since Borgata Sportsbook launched, making it competitive among NJ sportsbooks. Customers can also take advantage of frequent odds boost promotions to get more on their winning wagers.

Visit Borgata Sportsbook: www.borgataonline.com

888 Sportsbook debuted in New Jersey in September 2018 backed by decades’ worth of experience in online betting. Before coming to the US market, 888 had been serving international customers in regulated markets since 1997.

As a highly experienced operator, 888 is a capable online sportsbook that offers thousands of betting markets each day. The betting menu covers sports from around the world, in-play betting, and frequent promotions.

Visit 888 Sportsbook: us.888sport.com

Wynn Sports came to New Jersey in August 2020 following a successful five-day soft launch the previous month.

In New Jersey, Wynn Sports operates in partnership with Scientific Games and offers a typical mobile sports betting experience to date. Standard pregame wagers, in-play betting, and live stats all combine to make this a capable operator in a competitive market.

Wynn Sports has not yet launched a website or Android app, but iOS users can get started by launching the App Store and searching for “Wynn Sports.”

NJ Retail Sportsbook Locations

New Jersey is home to 10 retail sportsbooks at racetracks and casinos.

Eight of Atlantic City’s nine casinos host sportsbooks, with Caesars Casino and Bally’s sharing a central sportsbook. Two of New Jersey’s three racetracks also host sportsbooks.

That leaves Freehold Raceway as the last qualifying venue yet to open a sportsbook. Freehold Raceway plans to open a retail sportsbook but launch plans have been delayed more than once since 2018.

William Hill Sports Book at Monmouth Park holds the distinction of being the site of New Jersey’s first-ever legal sports wager, placed on Thursday, June 14th, 2018.

The sportsbook is open seven days a week and features over 100 HD TVs plus a 75-foot video wall.

FanDuel Sportsbook at Meadowlands spans three distinct areas consisting of the main Victory Sports Bar, the Lounge, and the tented Victory Pavilion. Each provides staffed teller windows or self-serve betting kiosks plus food and drink service.

The 8,000 square foot sportsbook at Borgata Atlantic City features seating for 100, individual viewing monitors, staffed betting windows, and self-serve kiosks to bet on horse races. Customers can also watch feature games live on the 40-foot LED video wall.

The William Hill Sportsbook at Ocean Resort clocks in at 7,500 square feet, complete with a center bar and panoramic video wall.

The Sportsbook at Golden Nugget Casino features 50+ HD TVs, five video walls, and self-serve betting kiosks. The sportsbook is open seven days a week and is located near the Main Atrium.

Golden Nugget Casino was originally prohibited from accepting wagers on NBA games due to its owner’s stake in the Houston Rockets, but lawmakers adjusted state law to ease that restriction. Now, Golden Nugget may accept wagers on all NBA games not involving the Rockets.

Hard Rock Sportsbook houses a full-service bar with integrated video poker machines, six betting windows, and more than 40 HD TVs. The 3,800-square-foot sportsbook has seating for 50 and is located at the north end of the casino.

The sportsbook at Harrah’s is a bit smaller than others in Atlantic City at 3,800 square feet but offers HD TVs, comfortable seating, and food service by AC Burger Company. Guests may also reserve one of two Fan Caves for parties of up to 10.

DraftKings operates the sportsbook at Resorts AC and features ultra-HD LED video walls, five staffed betting windows, and 18 self-serve betting kiosks. The sportsbook is open until 11 PM seven days a week while all betting kiosks are available 24/7.

The spacious William Hill Sportsbook at Tropicana has seating for 180 guests, a 250 square foot odds board, and large LED viewing screens. Customers can find the sportsbook on the North Tower casino floor near Chickie’s and Pete’s.

Caesars Casino and Bally’s share the sportsbook at Wild Wild West, which is operated by William Hill. The massive, 15,228-square-foot sportsbook has seating for 160 guests plus five private Fan Caves for parties of up to 24.

How New Jersey Legalized Online Sports Betting

New Jersey’s effort to legalize sports betting began in 2011 and kicked off a long-running legal battle that eventually culminated in the Supreme Court of the United States ending the federal sports betting prohibition.

In November 2011, New Jersey residents approved a measure to amend the state constitution and give the legislature authority to legalize sports betting.

Shortly after voters approved the measure, Governor Chris Christie signed the Sports Wagering Act 2012 into law to authorize sports betting at casinos, racetracks, and online in New Jersey.

In response, the four major professional sports leagues (NFL, NBA, MLB, and NHL) and the NCAA sued to enjoin New Jersey from implementing the Sports Wagering Act 2012 on grounds that it violated a federal law called the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992 (PASPA).

New Jersey suffered its first major loss in court in 2013 when the Third Circuit Appeals Court ruled in favor of the sports leagues, agreeing that the Sports Wagering Act 2012 violated PASPA. This early setback did nothing to dampen the state’s appetite for legal sports betting.

New Jersey introduced a new measure in 2014 that sought to sidestep the courts by taking advantage of a loophole in PASPA, which simply prohibited states from explicitly authorizing and regulating sports betting.

The bill introduced in 2014 simply sought to end New Jersey’s prohibition on sports betting rather than approve or regulate the activity. In summary, the bill commanded New Jersey authorities not to enforce the ban on sports betting – but only for racetracks and casinos.

However, a court found New jersey’s 2014 bill effectively served as “regulation” because it would only apply to sports betting at certain venues and still enforce participation age restrictions.

As the New York Times reported in 2014, the NCAA and professional sports leagues argued that New Jersey could legally end its prohibition outright, but for everyone and not just for racetracks and casinos.

New Jersey got another shot in court in 2015 when the Third Circuit Court of Appeals agreed to rehear New Jersey’s case as to why it should be allowed to rescind its ban on sports betting. At the time, state lawmakers expressed optimism that they would receive a favorable ruling.

Their hopes were dashed when the Third Circuit ruled against New Jersey in August 2016. A panel of 12 judges at the en banc hearing voted 10-2 in agreement that New Jersey’s 2014 effort to rescind its sports betting prohibition constituted a violation of federal law.

Two judges offered dissents to the August ruling. One judge took a literal interpretation of PASPA and agreed with New Jersey that merely permitting sports betting would be legal as the state would not technically be endorsing sports gambling. The other judge dissented on the assertion that PASPA itself is unconstitutional.

However, the two dissenters were easily overruled and New Jersey’s efforts to legalize sports betting was left with one last Hail Mary hope: to convince the Supreme Court to hear its case and rule PASPA unconstitutional. Lawyers representing New Jersey petitioned the Supreme Court to hear that case.

In January of 2017, the Supreme Court asked the next Solicitor General to review the case and make a recommendation as to whether or not the Supreme Court should take the case. That request was made during the Trump team’s transition into the Presidency and was delayed until a new Solicitor General was appointed. In March of 2017, President Trump nominated Noel J. Francisco to the position.

It was expected that if he was confirmed, his recommendation to the Supreme Court would most likely be the deciding factor in whether or not the New Jersey sports betting case makes it to the highest court in the land.

In the end, Jeffrey Wall took over as Solicitor General and his office filed a brief recommending that the Supreme Court not take up the New Jersey sports betting case. This decision was described in the media as a potential “death blow” to New Jersey’s effort due to the Supreme Court’s long track record of following such recommendations.

Many predicted that the Supreme Court would follow his recommendation, but much to the surprise of everyone following New Jersey sports betting efforts, SCOTUS announced it would hear the case.

With four Supreme Court justices voting to hear the case, the odds of a New Jersey victory began looking much better than at any point in the past. The Supreme Court only tends to hear the most impactful cases, indicating perhaps that at least four justices were interested in ruling on the constitutionality of PASPA as it relates to states’ rights, the Tenth Amendment, and federalism.

The Supreme Court finally issued its long-awaited ruling on May 14th, 2018. In no uncertain terms, the Supreme Court found PASPA unconstitutional and struck it down in its entirety. Thus, states were granted the right to legalize and regulate sports betting as they see fit.

The ruling does not preclude Congress from regulating or prohibiting sports betting at the federal level, but in the years since the decision, no serious efforts to regulate sports betting one way or another have materialized.

The law that was at the center of New Jersey’s Supreme Court case does not cover a lot of ground beyond simply legalizing sports betting. Before sports betting could commence in NJ, lawmakers had to draft and pass an additional bill containing regulations governing the industry.

A regulatory bill was sent to Governor Murphy in 2018 and it included regulations not only for retail sportsbooks but also for online betting sites. The bill was signed into law on June 11th, 2018 and the first retail sportsbooks opened shortly thereafter.

The bill included a mandatory waiting period of one month before mobile betting could commence, which made July 11th, 2018 the earliest possible start date. However, none of the state’s casino operators were ready to go by then. DraftKings, in partnership with Resorts Casino, was the first mobile bookmaker to the market in August 2018.

Horse Racing Betting in New Jersey

Horse racing betting is legal and regulated in New Jersey.

State law allows licensed racetracks and off-track betting parlors (OTBs) to take wagers from fans in-person. Online horse racing betting is also permitted via the state’s sole licensed advance deposit wagering provider, 4NJBets.com.

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The New Jersey Racing Commission oversees and regulated all horse racing and wagering conducted in-state. The Commission issues licenses, conducts investigations, provides for the safety of horses and works to protect the integrity of the industry as a whole.

All horse racing betting in New Jersey is conducted parimutuel style, which means fans bet against one another rather than against the house. This means all wagers taken online, in-person and at various OTBs are placed into common betting pools and then distributed among winning bettors.

NJ Horse Racing Betting Sites

The New Jersey Racing Commission also oversees account wagering, which is controlled by 4NJBets. No other horse racing betting site is permitted to operate in New Jersey.

New Jersey law requires customers to be 18 or older, state residents, and physically located within state lines to place wagers online. All wagers taken online or via mobile devices are pooled with wagers taken at the track, which in turn creates bigger betting pools and larger purses.

Betfair Exchange was also permitted to serve New Jersey at one point, but Betfair parent company Flutter Entertainment decided to withdraw in October 2020 after failing to generate the growth it needed to support exchange wagering.

The exchange wagering format offered by Betfair NJ was unique among betting sites as it allowed players to make and take both sides of any bet. Each wager placed on the platform was matched with a wager placed by someone else taking the opposite position to create a market of wagering.

Essentially, Betfair Exchange allowed customers to act as the bookmaker with Betfair taking a 12% commission on all bets. Users were able to set their own prices, but prices set too far out of line went unmatched. As a result, market forces tended to push prices to a middle ground that attracted wagers on each side of every bet.

The big challenge Betfair Exchange was never able to overcome was reaching a critical mass of users needed to provide liquidity for the market. Betfair Exchange was limited to residents of New Jersey, it was unable to reach deals with many racetracks, and the entire format was foreign to customers accustomed to standard parimutuel wagering.

Horse Racing Tracks in New Jersey

New Jersey’s three horse racing tracks host live racing and accept wagers in-person. The three active racetracks in New Jersey include:

Off Track Wagering in New Jersey

The Off-Track and Account Wagering Act of 2001 to authorize the opening of off-track locations allowing customers to bet on horse races while not physically present at a track. Live racing video is simulcast to authorized off-track betting locations so customers can watch races in real-time.

New Jersey now has six authorized OTBs:

NJ Daily Fantasy Sports

Fantasy sports sites have been operational in New Jersey for years, but it wasn’t until 2017 that they achieved formal legal status. A law enacted in 2017 finally gave New Jersey fantasy sites firm legal footing.

The 2017 law officially legalized daily fantasy sports and set up a licensing process for prospective operators. The law also implemented a number of consumer protection measures such as setting a minimum age of 18, requiring DFS sites to keep player funds separate from operational funds, prohibiting employees of DFS sites from participating and putting place responsible gaming rules.

The law did not change much on the ground as the major daily fantasy sites in New Jersey were already active in other states with similar legislation. The most important thing the law did was to give DFS sites firm legal status in New Jersey.

Online Gambling in New Jersey

New Jersey legalized online gambling in 2013 with the passage of Assembly Bill 2578.

The bill amended the Casino Control Act to authorize land-based casinos to apply for licenses to offer online casino games and poker to players 21 or older within New Jersey borders.

Article 6C of the Casino Control Act pertains to online gambling and outlines the basic rules under which land-based casinos may take their games online. The New Jersey Administrative Code provides additional regulations at N.J.A.C. § 13:69O.

Key points from the law include:

  • New Jersey casinos may apply for licenses from the Division of Gaming Enforcement to offer online gambling via websites and mobile devices
  • Each land-based casino may partner with third-party service providers to launch multiple, individually branded online gambling platforms (also known as “skins”)
  • Internet gaming revenues are subject to a 15% tax
  • Customers must be 21 or older and located within state lines in order to place wagers but do not need to be state residents
  • NJ online casinos must verify the age, identity and location of each customer

Licensed NJ Online Casinos

Seven Atlantic City Casinos hold licenses to operate more than two dozen online casinos and poker sites. Each of the following gambling sites is licensed by the NJDGE.

Online Poker in New Jersey

NJ poker sites also operate in a regulated environment overseen by the NJDGE. Under state law, NJ online poker operators are required to verify the identity of each user, take reasonable measures to protect the integrity of their games, and to monitor for signs of collusion.

New Jersey is now home to seven poker sites that operate across four poker networks. Poker sites that operate on the same network (such as WSOP and 888) share tables with one another in order to increase liquidity (number of active players) and make it easier to find active tables.

There are four distinct online poker networks in New Jersey. Two operate as standalone networks with one poker site each while two are home to multiple poker sites that share tables, players, and games.

PartyPoker Network

  • Party Poker
  • Borgata Poker
  • BetMGM Poker

All American Poker Network

  • 888 Poker
  • WSOP NJ

Pala Poker Network

  • Pala Poker NJ

PokerStars Network

  • PokerStars NJ

One of the key challenges that is unique to online poker in any state is reaching the critical mass of regular players needed to keep games running and to attract new players.

Interstate online poker agreements play a key role in overcoming that challenge by allowing poker sites to share players across state lines.

New Jersey took the first step in opening its poker industry to other states in 2017 when Governor Chris Christie announced that he had reached an agreement with the governors of Delaware and Nevada to allow NJ poker sites to share tables with operators licensed in the other two states.

As a result, New Jersey poker players may now find themselves at tables alongside players from Nevada and Delaware. Any poker site licensed in two or more states that are a part of the agreement may now put players from any of those three states at the same tables.

New Jersey Lottery

New Jersey voters approved a state lottery via referendum in 1969 by an overwhelming 81% majority. The first lottery tickets were sold the following year and first millionaire drawing was held in 1971. Since then, the NJ Lottery has raised billions for education and other good causes.

Today, the NJ Lottery offers the following games.

  • Pick 6 with Xtra: Pick six numbers from 1-49 to win anywhere from $2 to the jackpot, which ranges in the millions. Drawings are held every Monday and Thursday.
  • Jersey Cash 5: Pick five numbers from 1-43 to win anywhere from $2 to the jackpot, which can be worth tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands. Drawings are held every evening.
  • Pick-4: Pick four numbers from 0-9 to win up to $2,500. Drawings are held twice daily.
  • Pick-3: Pick three numbers from 0-9 to win up to $250. Drawings are held twice daily.
  • Quick Draw: Keno style game has players pick up to ten numbers from 1-80 to win up to $100,000. Drawings are held every four minutes.
  • Cash Pop: Pick anywhere from 1-15 out of a range of 15 numbers and wager anywhere from $1 to $10 per number. Prizes range from 5x to 250x the wager amount and drawings are held every 15 minutes.
  • Powerball: Home to some of the biggest jackpots the world has ever seen, Powerball has players pick five numbers from 1-69 and one Powerball number from 1-26. Jackpot prizes have at times exceeded $1.5 billion. Drawings are held every Wednesday and Saturday.
  • Mega Millions: This is the world’s other biggest lottery with prizes that have also exceeded $1.5 billion on occasion. Players pick five numbers from 1-70 and one Mega Ball multiplier from 1-25. Drawings are held every Tuesday and Friday.
  • CASH4LIFE: Pick five numbers from 1-60 and one Cash Ball number from 1-4 to win anything from $2 to $1,000 a day for life.
  • 5 Card Cash: Poker-style draw game with a five card hand randomly generated on each ticket. If a winning hand is printed on your ticket, win up to $5,000 plus a progressive jackpot. Each night, winning cards will be drawn for a second chance to win anywhere from $2 to $100,000. Drawings are held every evening.
  • Fast Play Progressive: A variety of instant win games that are printed at the counter. Match your numbers to the winning numbers to win a range of prizes, including progressive jackpot payouts.
  • Instant Win Scratch-Offs: A variety of instant win scratch cards with prices ranging from $1 to $30 and prizes ranging from free tickets to millions of dollars.

How to Buy NJ Lottery Tickets Online

New Jersey passed a law in 2016 allowing third party courier services to register with the lottery for authorization to sell lottery tickets online and through mobile apps.

These tickets are not sold directly by the lottery but are instead sold by independent companies that accept orders online and buy real tickets from an official retailer on behalf of customers.

Jackpocket was the first such courier service approved to sell NJ Lottery tickets online and is now open to customers 18+ across the Garden State. Through Jackpocket, customers may purchase tickets for:

  • Powerball
  • Mega Millions
  • CASH4LIFE
  • Pick-6

Customers can purchase tickets by downloading the app, signing up for an account and making their picks or choosing “quick pick.” After an order is placed, Jackpocket buys actual lottery tickets from an authorized retailer and then scans a copy of the ticket so customers can verify the ticket has been purchased.

Winnings under $600 are instantly credited to customers’ accounts while winnings of $600 to $5,000 result in the ticket being mailed to the customer for redemption. If a customer win more than $5,000, they will need to visit a Jackpocket location in-person to verify their identity and claim the ticket through the normal NJ Lottery process.

1939

Horse Racing

New Jersey banned parimutuel wagering in 1894. The legislature reauthorized betting on horse racing in 1939.

1939
1969-1970

Lottery

The New Jersey legislature passes legislation creating the New Jersey Lottery in 1969. Voters overwhelmingly approve the measure (81.5%) in a 1970 referendum.

1969-1970
1976

Casinos

After rejecting casino gambling in 1974, New Jersey voters approved casino gambling in Atlantic City via referendum in 1976.

1976
2013

Online ADW Wagering

TVG launches 4NJBets, the state’s first online platform for ADW horse betting in March 2013.

2013
2013

Online Gambling

New Jersey legalized online casino and poker games in February 2013. The online platforms, run through Atlantic City casinos, launched in November of the same year.

2013
2017

DFS

Not wanting to complicate its ongoing PASPA lawsuit, New Jersey was late to the DFS legalization party. The state finally got around to it in 2017.

2017
2018

Sports Betting

After spearheading a multi-year court battle that resulted in the repeal of PASPA, New Jersey officially legalized retail and online sports betting in 2018.

2018