Editorial Guidelines

Editorial integrity

PlayNJ is one of many regional websites operating under the Catena Media North America umbrella. Our mission is to increase consumer awareness regarding the legal and regulated NJ sports betting and online casino industries. This includes information related to responsible gambling. To achieve our mission, we follow a strict editorial review process to ensure our content is timely and accurate.

PlayNJ delivers fair and objective views

When readers visit PlayNJ for timely and newsworthy gambling content, they will find articles that share common themes of being objective and balanced. Of course, just like print publications, some pieces are subjective, focusing on the opinions of the writer. They may even be a little on the humorous side. Call it giving readers content variety. These opinionated pieces will be labeled as Opinion or View articles and it will be clearly stated in the introductory section.

Other times you will find promotional pieces highlighting special offers from PlayNJ’s online sportsbook and casino partners. The editorial team at PlayNJ has the final decision over what promos we publish. These are meant to be informative articles that help readers find the best deals currently available to Garden State gamblers.

Licensed by DGE = Trust

PlayNJ is considered a trustworthy source for regulated New Jersey gaming industry news and information. Catena Media, the parent company of PlayNJ, being licensed by governing regulatory agencies across the United States confirms this credibility.

More specifically, here in the Garden State, PlayNJ is licensed by the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement (DGE) as an affiliate site under Catena Operations Ltd.

• New Jersey, #0089184, Active as of April 6, 2021

Looking out for you, our loyal audience  

When it comes to gambling, both online and at Atlantic City casinos, players have options. PlayNJ is not a place you’ll find content related to offshore sportsbooks or casinos. Our focus is on regulated options overseen by the DGE rules and regulations. We also cover the latest on gambling legislation, both federal and local, as it pertains to legal betting in NJ.

The online casinos and sportsbooks that we promote and partner with must follow strict rules set by NJ regulators. All of these sites include the DGE logo to make players aware that depositing funds and gambling via the app is safe. As an added bonus, there are responsible gambling measures put in place.

More about the PlayNJ team

The PlayNJ editorial staff and freelance contributors all joined the team with strong professional journalism backgrounds and combined decades of experience. They have won regional and national awards for their work. 

Being extremely knowledgeable about the New Jersey land-based and online gambling industries is an added bonus. The editorial team is responsible for analyzing NJ’s record-breaking betting revenue and regularly contributes industry insights for regional and national publications.

To learn more about the PlayNJ team, click here.

Our editorial process

Every post and page written for PlayNJ follows the Society of Professional Journalists Code of Ethics. And before any article is published, the content goes through an extensive review process. This includes fact-checking as well as making sure the tone and clarity are appropriate for the PlayNJ audience. There is a dedicated team of Catena Media copy editors responsible for reviewing the factual and grammatical accuracy of every article.

Managing editor Grant Lucas is responsible for carefully reviewing all articles that appear on PlayNJ prior to publication. Grant brings extensive writing and editing experience to the team. He’s covered New Jersey in some or fashion since 2018.

Grant’s knowledge of online and land-based gambling markets makes him the perfect candidate to review and fact-check all content you will read at PlayNJ.

How we handle corrections

The PlayNJ team takes reporting accurate information extremely seriously. With that being said, sometimes errors or mistakes are made. There is a system in place to quickly update and correct any inaccuracies.

If any major changes to the article are made we will include an editor’s note at the top of the article explaining why we changed/updated what we did. Other times an article will be revised to share updated and important information with readers. In cases like this, we will post a special note with an explanation.

How we make money  

You may notice the PlayNJ site has live odds feeds for NFL, NBA, and other pro and college sports with direct links to legal and regulated NJ sports betting operators. There are also links in which NJ gamblers can receive bonuses for signing up for online casino and poker accounts with our legal and regulated partners.

So what does this all mean?

PlayNJ partners with these operators to get our readers the best welcome offers possible. Through partnership deals, our site will sometimes receive a referral bonus when customers or readers redirect to these online sportsbooks, online casinos or poker sites. However, we do not have any ownership stake in any sports betting or casino company, and PlayNJ maintains ultimate control over the editorial coverage and articles that appear on the site.

Note: PlayNJ does not work with or recognize unregulated or offshore operators so you can trust that any casino or sportsbook we cover or promote is operating legally under NJDGE authorization.

We want to hear from you  

We at PlayNJ strive to provide the best resources possible for our audience, which consists of Philadelphia and New York sports fans (New Jersey Devils too), New Jersey sports bettors, online casino and poker players, along with industry executives and personalities.

Is there a topic we are not covering that you would like to read more about? We welcome suggestions and requests from our audience.

Feel free to share your thoughts, requests or feedback by sending an email to [email protected].