New Jersey Sports Betting

The 72-year-old racetrack in Oceanport had plans in place for NJ sports betting before it was even legal. Monmouth partnered with William Hill US way back in 2013 with plans to build a new sportsbook in the future. On June 14, 2018, the Monmouth Park sportsbook officially opened and took the first legal bets in New Jersey from Murphy. The Monmouth Park Sportsbook By William Hill is open at the following times:

• Monday-Thursday: 10 a.m. to 1 a.m.
• Friday: 10 a.m. to 2 a.m.
• Saturday: 7:30 a.m. to 2 a.m.
• Sunday: 7:30 a.m. to 1 a.m.

On June 28, Ocean Resort Casino officially opened its doors, bringing NJ sports betting to the Boardwalk. The William Hill sportsbook opened albeit in a temporary spot.On Sept. 6, however, the state-of-the-art, 7,500-square-foot sportsbook opened in all its glory for the start of football season. As of this writing, the Ocean Resort sportsbook is open from 9 a.m. to midnight daily. Weekend hours will be extended to 2 a.m. after a few weeks.

FanDuel opened its first true sportsbook at The Meadowlands Racetrack on July 14. The facility opened as the nearest sports betting location to New York City. It will retain this title at least through the end of 2018 due to regulatory issues in New York state. The FanDuel Sportsbook at Meadowlands Racetrack is open at the following times:

• Monday – Thursday: 10 a.m. – 1 a.m.
• Friday: 10 a.m. – 2 a.m.
• Saturday: 9 a.m. – 2 a.m.
• Sunday: 9 a.m. – 1 a.m.

This sportsbook opened for business on July 30. Seven Star Rewards member Scarlette Hedgepeth placed the first bet at the new facility. Fittingly, she bet $100 on the Dallas Cowboys at the Western-themed casino. The sportsbook is now open for business during the following hours:

• Sunday – Thursday: 11 a.m. – 11:30 p.m.
• Friday – Saturday: 11 a.m. – 12 a.m.

Harrah’s AC opened a sports betting location on Aug. 1, two days after its sister property, Bally’s. The casino opened the wagering with a bit more flair and had Elvis and Frank Sinatra impersonators place the first bets. The new sportsbook shares the same business hours as its Boardwalk counterpart:

• Sunday – Thursday: 11 a.m. – 11:30 p.m.
• Friday – Saturday: 11 a.m. – 12 a.m.

The Golden Nugget sportsbook opened on Aug. 15 in the space formerly known as the poker room. But it was quick to turn around and open its permanent space. The Sportsbook includes a 2,500-square-foot seating area with 50 TV screens and nine self-service betting kiosks.

• Daily: 10 a.m. – midnight

Resorts AC became the first Atlantic City property to have both an online sportsbook (DraftKings) and a physical sportsbook up and running. It opened its temporary NJ sports betting lounge on Aug. 15, shortly after Golden Nugget. On Nov. 14, however, Resorts and DraftKings announced that its new permanent sportsbook would be called DraftKings Sportsbook at Resorts, bringing DraftKings its first physical sportsbook presence in New Jersey. Here are the current Resorts sportsbook hours of operation:

• Daily: 10 a.m. – 2 a.m. (subject to change)

The newest kid on the betting block is Tropicana’s William Hill Sports Book at Tropicana Atlantic City. The venue opened on Oct. 25, making it to market roughly halfway through football season and just in time for NBA and NHL season. The book is a temporary set up in the North Tower of the casinos, but there are plans in the works for a 5,000-square foot permanent betting space in the future.

The law prohibits owners and other key members of sports leagues/franchises from booking wagers on their own league.For NJ, this restriction applies to the Golden Nugget alone. Its owner, Tilman Fertitta, also owns the Houston Rockets of the NBA. The Nugget’s sportsbook, therefore, will not be permitted to take action on NBA games.

Nobody is currently offering NJ esports betting, but it’s approved with limitations.Regulations allow betting on “all professional electronic sports and competitive video game events that are not sponsored by high schools, do not include high school teams, and do not include any participant under the age of 18 years.”