New Jersey Horse Racing Betting

New Jersey is home to a robust horse racing betting industry with parimutuel wagering at race tracks, off-track betting facilities (OTBs), and online through licensed providers.

State law permits online horse racing betting in New Jersey through the state’s only authorized advance deposit wagering providers, 4NJBets.com and MonmouthBets.com. Customers must be 18 or older and residents of New Jersey to bet on horse races online from within state borders.

The New Jersey Racing Commission oversees all parimutuel wagering and racing conducted within the state. Some of its duties include regulating the safety of races, ensuring the integrity of NJ horse racing betting, conducting drug tests, and granting permits for race dates.

New Jersey Horse Racing Betting Sites

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New Jersey Online Horse Betting Apps

New Jersey is home to two licensed online horse racing betting sites and their accompanying mobile racebook apps.

One is 4NJBets.com, the state’s only authorized advance-deposit wagering provider (ADW). New Jersey residents can visit 4NJBets.com to place pari-mutuel wagers on an international selection of tracks.

The other is MonmouthBets.com, the state’s only fixed-odds horse racing betting site. MonmouthBets.com opened in 2022 after New Jersey legalized fixed-odds horse racing betting.

The difference between the two NJ horse betting sites is in how the odds work:

  • 4NJBets: Traditional pari-mutuel wagering in which the odds constantly fluctuate even after bettors have placed their wagers
  • MonmouthBets.com: Fixed-odds betting in which bettors lock in their prices when they place their wagers

Both approaches have advantages, but anyone new to horse racing betting will likely find MonmouthBets.com more intuitive. The price you pay is the price you get. In contrast, a bettor could back a horse at 10/1 an hour before the race and then watch as the price drops to 6/1 or worse just minutes before post time.

On the other hand, the 4NJBets app covers a much wider variety of tracks and offers new customers a cash welcome bonus, race rebates, and regular promotions for major events. Customers can also expect to find cashback offers for close misses, free-to-play predictions contests with real prizes, and more.

New Jersey law requires customers to be 18 or older and state residents to bet on horse races online. Per state law, all NJ horse betting sites pool wagers taken online with those taken at each track, which means customers are paid at true track odds.

In November 2020, the state legislature passed a law permitting residents to bet on horse races online even when out of state. Under the new law, NJ residents may bet on horse races through approved advance deposit wagering providers from anywhere in the country.

New Jersey Horse Racetracks

The state of New Jersey is home to three permanent horse race tracks that collectively offer a menu of live racing year-round for standardbreds and thoroughbreds.

All NJ race tracks offer on-course betting, simulcast racing, and sportsbooks.

Freehold Raceway

130 Park Avenue
Freehold, NJ 07728

Freehold Raceway hosts live standardbred harness races from January through May and August through December each year. Options at the track include year-round simulcasting and a retail sportsbook powered by BetParx.

Meadowlands Racetrack

1 Racetrack Drive
East Rutherford, NJ 07073

Meadowlands Racetrack offers live thoroughbred racing, and harness racing on most Fridays and Saturdays year-round. The track also provides pari-mutuel wagering via simulcasting seven days a week throughout the year and is home to FanDuel Sportsbook, one of NJ’s most popular sports betting operators.

Monmouth Park

175 Oceanport Avenue
Oceanport, NJ 07757

Monmouth Park hosts live thoroughbred racing every May through October. The track offers simulcasting seven days a week, starting at around noon, and houses a retail sportsbook by Caesars Sports.

Monmouth Park also holds the distinction of being the first racetrack in the United States to offer fixed-odds horse racing betting. Guests can place fixed-odds bets (where the payoff is locked in at the time the wager is placed) on the first floor of the Grandstand and the Clubhouse.

Major New Jersey Horse Racing Events

New Jersey operates a very healthy live racing scene with major horse racing events hosted regularly in the state. There are too many events with purses greater than $100,000 to list here, search below for a sampling of the state’s largest purses and events, and the tracks that host them.

  • The Hambletonian: $1,000,000 purse, open to 3yo standardbred trotters, held each August at Meadowlands
  • Hambletonian Oaks Filly Trot: $500,000 purse, open to 3yo fillies, held each August at Meadowlands
  • Haskell Invitational: $1,000,000 purse, open to 3yo thoroughbreds, held each July at Monmouth Park
  • TVG Free for All Championships: Annual harness racing series with $1,000,000 in purse money allocated across multiple races – held each November at Meadowlands Racetrack
  • Breeders Crown: Annual harness racing championship series with more than $6 million in prizes, held every few years at Meadowlands
  • Meadowlands Pace: $700,000 purse, open to 3yo pacers, held each July at Meadowlands
  • WR Haughton Open Pace: $450,000 purse, held each July at Meadowlands
  • United Nations Stakes: $300,000 purse, open to 3yo+ thoroughbreds, located at Monmouth Park each July.
  • Monmouth Cup: $300,000 purse, open to 3yo+ thoroughbreds, located at Monmouth Park in July.
  • Molly Pitcher Stakes: $250,000 purse, open to 3yo+ thoroughbreds, held each July at Monmouth Park
  • Far Hills Race Meeting: Biggest steeplechase horse race meet in the United States, held each October at Moorland Farm located in the city of Far Hills, NJ.

New Jersey Off-Track Betting Locations

NJ horse racing law (NJSA § 5:5-136) permits up to 15 off-track betting facilities (OTBs). Currently, the state is home to six standalone OTBs plus one off-track wagering location at the Borgata.

New Jersey Fixed-Odds Horse Racing Betting

New Jersey formally legalized fixed-odds horse racing betting in August 2021 after the governor signed NJ S3090 (the Fixed Odds Wagering Act) into law. Now, licensed New Jersey race tracks may offer fixed odds wagers on their races in-person and online via MonmouthBets.com.

Whereas parimutuel wagers are subject to change even after a customer has placed a bet, fixed-odds bets are locked in as soon as customers place their wagers. The concept is essentially sports betting but for horse races.

Monmouth Park took the state’s first fixed-odds wagers and remains the only racetrack with the capability, but other licensed tracks may follow suit. Bettors can also visit MonmouthBets.com to participate from anywhere in New Jersey.

Key Points of NJ Fixed Odds Racing Law

  • Bettors must be 18 or older
  • Customers may place fixed-odds horse racing bets through license holders approved by the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement.
  • License holders must have agreements with and give a portion of their revenue from fixed-odds wagering to the Standardbred Owners and Breeders Association of New Jersey and the New Jersey Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association.
  • Customers on New Jersey’s gambling self-exclusion list may not participate in fixed-odds wagering or collect any winnings. Operators that allow players on the self-exclusion list to place bets face fines of up to $5,000 and may potentially have their licenses suspended.

Hopes are high that fixed-odds betting will benefit horse racing in New Jersey and anywhere else the concept takes root because it provides customers, many of whom are experienced with sports betting, a more familiar and predictable form of wagering.

Fixed-odds horse racing betting began in New Jersey in May 2022, with Monmouth Park taking the country’s first legal fixed-odds horse racing wagers. Monmouth Park has an agreement with Australia’s BetMakers to manage and distribute fixed-odds wagers on races held or simulcast at the track. Later, the pair launched MonmouthBets.com to offer fixed-odds betting online.

Monmouth Park experimented with fixed odds on some of its races between 2018 and 2019 but paused the program in 2020 as the Attorney General conducted a review of the program’s legality.

Now, Monmouth Park has firm legal footing to offer fixed-odds horse racing betting. Monmouth Park and MonmouthBets.com may also distribute fixed-odds wagering markets to other states, but each state must approve the concept before bettors there can participate.

New Jersey Online Horse Racing Betting Law

NJ legalized online horse racing betting and off-track betting facilities in August 2001 with the Off-Track and Account Wagering Act (NJSA § 5:5-127-160).

The Act granted the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority (NJSEA) an account wagering license to offer online horse racing betting in partnership with PennWood Racing.

The online betting platform is managed by Darby Development, which operates Monmouth Park and relies on software provided by TVG.

NJSA § 5:5-129 establishes a minimum age of 18 to bet on horse races online in NJ and specifies residency requirements, while 5:5-143 outlines the types of deposit methods licensed ADWs may accept.

The New Jersey Racing Commission oversees account wagering, and some of its functions include implementing state law, auditing licensed ADWs, suspending licenses if necessary, and much more.

Responsible New Jersey Horse Racing Gambling

Like any other form of wagering, horse racing betting can lead to problem gambling. Anyone who feels they may be risking too much money, spending too much time thinking about horse racing betting, or who has any other concerns can find information and confidential help through the following resources.

New Jersey Horse Racing Self-Exclusion

Bettors can self-exclude from all New Jersey horse racing betting for a minimum of one year by downloading an application, completing it, and hand-delivering it to one of the following locations during normal business hours:

  • Meadowlands Racetrack in East Rutherford
  • Monmouth Park in Oceanport
  • Freehold Raceway in Freehold
  • New Jersey Racing Commission in Trenton
  • NJDGE Office in Atlantic City
  • NJDGE Office in Trenton

Bettors must also bring an official photo ID, such as a driver’s license, passport, or military identification card, when dropping off the application at one of the above locations.

After the Racing Commission processes the request, bettors remain excluded indefinitely for at least one year. During that time, individuals on the list are prohibited from the following:

  • Entering any New Jersey racetrack or off-track betting facility
  • Participate in online horse racing betting in New Jersey
  • Participate in fixed-odds horse racing betting in New Jersey

After one year, bettors may submit a request to leave the self-exclusion list.

New Jersey Horse Racing Betting FAQ

NJSA § 5:5-142 requires customers to be 18 years or older and residents of New Jersey. Lawmakers amended the Act in 2020 to authorize customers to wager on races from other locations as long as it is legal in those jurisdictions.

The NJ Racing Commission maintains a calendar of approved race days here, updated annually. Readers can also visit each racetrack’s website for more details.

There are several options to watch and bet on horse races in and around Atlantic City.

BetMGM Race & Sportsbook at the Borgata offers simulcasting and horse racing betting in the heart of Atlantic City as the city’s only in-person horse wagering provider.

Nearby are Monmouth Park and Freehold Raceway, both about an hour-and-a-half north depending on traffic.

Additionally, people in the Atlantic City area can bet on horse races online through 4NJBets.com.

Betfair Exchange operated in NJ until Betfair parent company Flutter Entertainment shut it down after failing to generate the growth it needed to support exchange wagering.

The biggest challenge Betfair Exchange was unable to overcome was reaching a critical mass of users needed to provide liquidity for the market.

Betfair Exchange was limited to NJ residents, unable to reach deals with many race tracks, and the concept of exchange wagering was unfamiliar to customers accustomed to standard parimutuel bets.

Yes, but it does so under the 4NJBets.com banner. New Jersey law grants a monopoly over online horse racing betting to a single provider, 4NJBets, which is powered by TVG.

Horse racing fans suffer no shortage of places to watch and bet on the Kentucky Derby in NJ. Freehold Raceway, Meadowlands Racetrack, and Monmouth Park all host watch and wager parties for the Kentucky Derby, and readers can check local news for events held elsewhere around the state.

NJ’s three race tracks simulcast the Breeders Cup each year and provide pari-mutuel wagering on-site. Fans can also visit 4NJBets.com to bet on the Breeders Cup, Kentucky Derby, and other major events.

Bettors have two options to place fixed-odds horse wagers in New Jersey. One is to visit Monmouth Park in person and visit the dedicated fixed-odds betting windows on the first floor grandstand and the first floor clubhouse. Alternatively, bettors can visit MonmouthBets.com from anywhere in NJ to place fixed-odds wagers online.