In May 2018, after a six-year legal battle, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of New Jersey in Murphy v. NCAA and struck down a decades-old federal law that prohibited the state from legalizing sports betting. Within weeks of the decision, on June 11, 2018, Governor Phil Murphy signed legislation permitting sports betting at New Jersey’s casinos and racetracks. Three days later, the Governor placed the first sports bet at Monmouth Park Racetrack. (He bet $20 that Germany would win the World Cup and that the Devils would win the Stanley Cup.) Since then, sports wagering has proved popular in New Jersey, both online and at the state’s casinos and racetracks. Throughout this process, the Division of Gaming Enforcement (DGE) and the New Jersey Racing Commission (NJRC) have worked to ensure compliance with the new laws and develop a fair, transparent market for sports wagering in New Jersey.

• Establishing a well-defined regulatory structure. As soon as Governor Murphy signed the sports betting legislation into law, DGE and NJRC were ready to implement the new rules. Within 48 hours of passage, both agencies had promulgated regulations, making it possible for licensed operators to begin accepting bets on June 14, 2018. DGE and NJRC also provided assistance to various casino operators and racetracks as they launched sportsbooks and entered the world of online sports wagering. Since then, the nine licensed operators have accepted more than $1 billion in wagers and collected tens of millions of dollars in gross revenue.

• Ensuring the integrity of the sports betting industry. DGE and NJRC have worked with the licensed operators to ensure the integrity of the sports betting industry. With the agencies’ assistance, sports wagering operators have developed state-of-the-art technology to monitor bets, identify suspicious activity, and ensure compliance with state law.

Additional Resources

DGE Sports Wagering FAQs