Guide to Esports Betting in New Jersey
Esports betting is now legal in the state of New Jersey.
For those wondering what eSports (electronic sports) are, the term is actually very easy to define. Esports are basically professional competitive video gaming. Believe it or not, it is legal to bet on eSports in New Jersey via regulated wagering apps, though these markets won’t be available on every app just yet.
Here, we explain the basics of betting on esports in New Jersey, including how and where to legally place wagers in the Garden State.
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What are eSports?
The term esports is a compound of electronic sports, shortened to eSports.
In general, eSports refers to the more organized, professionally run tournaments that may offer cash prizes and attract the top players and teams in each esports title.
The eSports industry has grown markedly over the last 10 years, particularly in New Jersey, and it has naturally been at the heart of this. A number of key advances in technology and gaming have expedited growth. Notably, the increase in the speed and availability of internet connections, the development of console and PC gaming over the Internet, and an increase in the number of titles best enjoyed by playing against others over the Internet, as opposed to playing a solo mission at home.
From this initially ad-hoc arrangement, the first eSports tournaments were organized, and now there are many different esports tournaments across multiple titles played every week of the year. It has even become an officially sanctioned high school sporting event in some states. The most popular professional tournaments draw millions of viewers via live stream, with prize money measured in the millions or even tens of millions. Many also enjoy wagering on the events.
Does New Jersey have any eSports betting apps?
Pick your NJ online sportsbook of choice, and you’re likely to find limited events tied into esports wagering. However, this will change over time as state regulators approve events and apps add them to their offerings.
Esports Entertainment Group (EEG), operating under Bally’s Atlantic City license, received a transitional waiver from the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement to start accepting wagers.
After launching with the VIE app, EEG was the first esports-dedicated operator in the Garden State.
The most common and popular esports titles
Given that the most popular esports titles cover a large range of games across different genres, we group the most popular titles into the most common game types, together with a short explanation of each.
Let’s start with the esports titles that are currently the most played, streamed, and viewed in the world today.
Multi-Player Online Battle Arena (MOBA) esports
- League of Legends (LoL)
- Defense of the Ancients 2 (DOTA 2)
- Smite
- Arena of Valor
- Heroes of the Storm (HOTS)
These games are played in a large arena between multiple players on opposing teams. The aim of the game is to win the map by defeating your opponent across multiple battles and by strategic moves by using your characters’ different abilities on screen.
First-Person Shooter (FPS) esports
- Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CSGO)
- Overwatch
- Call of Duty
- Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege
- Valorant
- Team Fortress 2
First-person shooter games are games where either individuals or teams of players compete against other opponents to complete objectives and/or (more usually) eliminate the other team by shooting them. These games are called first-person shooters because the view on-screen is as if you were viewing the scene in real life (first person).
Battle Royale games
- Fortnite
- PUBG Battlegrounds
- Apex Legends
- Call of Duty Warzone
Battle Royale games are similar to First-Person Shooters in that players must eliminate opponents, but in this genre, there is a greater emphasis on individual play, and more players are involved. The aim of the game is to be the last player standing on the map, having seen all other players eliminated.
Fighting games
- Street Fighter
- Super Smash Bros.
- Mortal Kombat
- Tekken
- Marvel Vs Capcom
These games feature one-on-one battles between opponents, often using a variety of martial arts and specialist moves, depending on their character. The aim of the game is to beat your opponent over a series of rounds.
Racing games
- F1 Official Games
- iRacing
- Project CAR
- Gran Turismo Sport
As the name suggests, these esports titles are based on racing, most often cars.
Sports games
- FIFA (soccer)
- eFootball (soccer – formerly Pro Evolution Soccer)
- Madden (American football)
- NBA2K (basketball)
- Rocket League
All these games are popular esports titles based on sports, except Rocket League, which is a more futuristic version of soccer played with rocket-powered vehicles.
Card games
- Hearthstone
- Shadowverse
- Magic: The Gathering Arena
- Legends of Runeterra
Card esports titles involve players utilizing a variety of cards to win battles against their opponents to achieve an overall victory for their team.
Other titles
- StarCraft I
- Age of Empires
- Clash of Clans
- Pokemon
- World of Warcraft
- Teamfight Tactics
These are popular esports titles that may not fit easily into any of the categories listed above.
Which are the most popular esports games?
As you can see from the list above, the number of popular esports titles is extensive, but when it comes to esports betting, the number of titles that are most popular to wager on is smaller. Generally, the most popular titles among players and streamers watching the games are also the most popular for esports betting.
CSGO is arguably the most popular esports betting title due to the sheer number of tournaments held around the world throughout the year. Its ready availability and massive popularity make it a very popular option for esports betting enthusiasts.
League of Legends and Dota 2 are also very popular, with these two esports hosting the two biggest tournaments in the world. The League of Legends World Championships is the most popular in terms of viewers and streams, and the Dota 2 The International tournament offers the richest prize in esports.
These three esports are arguably the most dominant in the esports betting industry, but many others are enjoying a surge in popularity in recent times. The growing popularity of titles such as Valorant, Call of Duty, and Overwatch has driven increased interest in esports betting, while top esports tournaments based on sports, such as Madden, NBA2K, and FIFA, also draw plenty of interest.
Is esports betting legal in New Jersey?
If you are based in New Jersey, this is the key question in esports. The good news is that since New Jersey lawmakers passed the bipartisan bill A637 back in June 2021, it has been legal for operators to offer esports betting to their customers.
The bill expanded the definition of sporting events within New Jersey to also include esports events for the first time. Before the bill was passed, books were permitted to offer esports betting in New Jersey only if granted state regulatory approval.
The first legal sports wager was made with that approval during the 2019 League of Legends World Championship finals, and state permission was later granted for further esports events.
Then, a bill was introduced in January 2020 to legalize esports bets, which passed the Senate in June 2021. It was eventually signed in November 2021.
While operators can now legally offer esports, there are still some limits in place. The maximum wager an operator can accept on esports is $100, and the maximum payout on any esports wager is capped at $500.
This has drawn criticism from some who feel the lower limits will put off higher-stakes gamblers from wagering on esports.
Since the bill was passed, the New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA) has been working hard to support and promote esports activity across the state, with a particular focus on developing interest in esports betting in New Jersey.
Can you bet on esports at New Jersey books?
Yes, you can, but it is dependent on the book offering esports to its customers. Given that it took four months to sign off on the bill, many operators have only been able to start formalizing their esports offering since November 2021, and as such, you may well find that some sites are rolling out their esports betting offering quicker than others.
There is nothing legally stopping wagering apps in New Jersey from offering esports; it is simply a case of waiting for them to add esports betting to their sites.
Currently, you may find esports markets (depending on event schedules) at DraftKings Sportsbook NJ, FanDuel Sportsbook NJ, and Bet365 Sportsbook NJ. But the likelihood is that over time, the number of esports betting sites will increase markedly in the state.
At the moment, though, it is fair to say that esports betting is still in its fledgling phase within New Jersey, but that this market will develop quickly and significantly in the coming months in terms of size, popularity, and revenue.
Esports betting vs. sports wagering: Key differences
To someone unfamiliar with esports betting, it may appear as though this type of wagering is completely different than sports wagering, but as we shall see in the section below, they actually share far more similarities than they do differences.
Of course, the big difference with esports betting compared to sports wagering is that you are wagering on the performance of players or teams who are playing computer games. This is an entirely different discipline from wagering on sports events, which are more physical and require different skills.
There are other differences between esports and sports wagering, too. In Madden, for example, a game between two players may take 8-12 minutes to complete. In the NFL, the same game, even featuring the same teams, takes about 3-4 hours to complete. In Soccer, FIFA games take between 8-10 minutes to be completed usually. A standard soccer game takes 90 minutes.
Of course, seeing as esports are entirely different disciplines from sports events, the types of wagering markets you find for esports can be very different from sports, but in some cases, especially for sports-based esports, you can find very similar wagers too (such as wagering on a team to win a match). That is not the only similarity we find between the worlds of esports and sports wagering.
How are betting on esports and sports similar?
Although esports betting may seem very different from sports wagering, there are many similarities.
First of all, the actual process of selecting a market, placing your stake with your chosen bookmaker, and then, if your wager wins, being paid out at the stated odds is entirely the same regardless of whether your stake is on esports or sports.
Other similarities between esports and sports wagering include a high level of intensity in the competition, top-level professionals competing in the events you choose to wager on, strict regulation of events to prevent fraud or cheating, and, of course, $100 won on esports betting is the same as $100 won on sports wagering.
Furthermore, people from younger generations, including millennials and Generation Z, are growing up with esports betting and gain as much enjoyment from it as previous generations have from sports wagering.
Esports betting vs. virtual sports wagering: What’s the difference?
Another fast-growing and popular wagering option is Virtual Sports. Many people confuse Virtual Sports with esports, and it is perhaps easy to understand why. They are both computer-program-based, and both offer wagering to customers. However, that is where the similarities end.
In Virtual Sports, a game or sports race is simulated by the program, which also allows people to wager on certain markets for that virtual sport. A shortened version of the event is then simulated, often with highlights shown on screen, and then the winning wagers are highlighted.
Wagering on Virtual Sports is entirely down to the programming and the degree of randomness built into the game, whereas in Esports, like in real sports, you can research your wagers and use your judgment on which markets and selections to back. Esports also happen in real time and involve real teams of players. Virtual Sports do not.
In truth, Virtual Sports share more similarities with slot games (they are governed by a random number generator) than esports betting, which has far more in common with traditional sports wagering.
New Jersey is fast becoming a big part of the esports revolution, lighting a beacon for esports betting in the United States. Exciting times lie ahead for esports fans in those states that choose to allow esports betting!
