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Everything You Need To Know About Betting on Football in New Jersey This Weekend
By Kyle Scott
Published:
The time has come. The first full weekend of college football and NFL betting is upon. For those of you in New Jersey, you already have a wide range of options for both online betting and in-person betting at sportsbooks. This is our guide for where and how to bet on football this weekend in New Jersey.
NJ online sports betting
There are five licensed sites and apps ready to take your bets in NJ. DraftKings, FanDuel, SugarHouse, PlayMGM, and Caesars are all officially live. William Hill, the popular Nevada bookmaker owned by a British company of the same name, was in soft launch last week, but is not currently listed by the New Jersey DGE as an approved vendor. Which to choose? Well, in these early stages and with the generous bonuses being tossed around as sportsbooks aim to acquire customers, we recommend signing up for as many sites as possible. Odds vary quite a bit between each of them, and several offer unique action – such as DraftKings’ cash out option – so it’s worth shopping around.
DraftKings Sportsbook
The first to go live in New Jersey, DraftKings, along with FanDuel, will obviously be a major player in legal sports betting. According to several sources who work at the company, up to 30% of their workforce is technology employees, meaning their focus is on creating a superior mobile app. While not perfect, DraftKings Sportsbook looks and feels great right out of the box. The company got some early backlash on the price of their odds, which were higher than offshore sportsbooks, but they have come down. DraftKings Sportsbook is run by Kambi, who sets not only prices for DraftKings but also SugarHouse. In terms of user interface, though, DraftKings is clearly a step ahead.
App availability: iOS and Android
DraftKings bonus: DraftKings will match your first bet up to $200, meaning that whatever amount you wager on your first bet, you’ll have a second bet for that amount waiting for you.
Bonus: First bet matched up to $200
Minimum Deposit: $5
DraftKings Sportsbook
- Ease of use
- Variety of action
- Modern interface
- Live betting
If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800 GAMBLER.
21+. NJ only. Eligibility restrictions apply. See website for details.
FanDuel Sportsbook
Just going live on Thursday, FanDuel’s interface is awesome, and the best of the bunch so far. It just looks good. One of the best things it has going for it is its live data visualization built right into the in-play bet areas. This is one of the things we wish DraftKings would implement. FanDuel doesn’t offer betting on as many sports as its counterparts, yet, as their focus is on the more traditional American sports, which doesn’t matter unless you want to get really exotic.
App availability: iOS and Android
FanDuel bonus: This is the one area where FanDuel isn’t competitive. They offer only a deposit match up to $100 on your first deposit.
Bonus: First deposit matched up to $100
Minimum Deposit: $10
FanDuel Sportsbook
- Established brand
- Backed by Betfair
- Excellent interface
- Live betting view
SugarHouse Sportsbook
Though not as slick as either DraftKings or FanDuel, SugarHouse puts its sportsbook inside its PlaySugarHouse casino app, which is a solid feature for those of you who like to play other games. Their odds are the same as DraftKings by virtue of using Kambi. And while their interface isn’t as good as the others, they offer the best bonus.
App availability: iOS and Android
SugarHouse bonus: SugarHouse will match your first deposit up to $250, which is by far the best bonus offered by the NJ sports betting sites.
Bonus: First deposit matched up to $250
Code: CROSSINGBROAD
Minimum Deposit: $10
SugarHouse Sportsbook
Established New Jersey casino
- Live betting options
- Exciting prop bets
- Strong bonus
21+ and Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-Gambler
William Hill, PlayMGM, Caesars
We included all three of these together because all come from the “traditional casino” or sportsbook realm. Their sites and apps, so far, are subpar. PlayMGM is available only on Android. Caesars and William Hill have poor interfaces. All of them lack a variety of action. At a quick glance, their lines aren’t any better than our three top choices. While it can’t hurt to download and try these apps, we think they have a long way to go to compete in the space.
Deposit methods
This is something that often doesn’t get much attention from potential bettors, but the ease at which you can deposit and withdraw from betting apps is a major factor in the overall user experience.
At the start, DraftKings has had some issues with credit card companies that they are working through. They do accept all major credit cards and PayPal, however.
FanDuel offers several more options.
And SugarHouse is by far the best in this regard, offering up the following methods: checking account, credit or debit card, Neteller, PayPal, Cash @ Casino Cage, and wire transfers. You can even deposit at 7-11s. They have experience as an online casino in New Jersey, and it shows.
Odds and pricing
A lot has been made about how the legal sportsbooks have inferior odds or are “more expensive.” In some cases this has been true in the early going, but the lines are on par with Las Vegas. To be clear, legal sportsbooks have to pay taxes and, thus, may not always compete with offshore books on prices. We’ve explained this tradeoff at length on our page of sports betting sites, but the gist is that you pay for a superior experience and the relative safety of betting with a regulated casino. But negative publicity about expensive odds, particularly when it comes to DraftKings and FanDuel, has been overblown. Though they have different odds, they are on par with what you’ve come to expect. In fact, the casino apps in several cases are offering much more expensive bets. The upside is that sites like DraftKings, FanDuel and SugarHouse offer a wide-range of betting options, making it possible to find a sweet spot.
Promo codes and bonuses
While we don’t recommend choosing a sports betting app solely based on its bonus, these sportsbooks are offering up a lot right now to acquire customers. You benefit from that.
Here are the top three promos for NJ online sports betting:
First deposit matched up to $250.
First bet matched up to $200.
First deposit matched up to $100.
Casinos
Besides online sports betting, you can bet in-person at multiple locations throughout New Jersey. Here are all of the casinos that offer sportsbooks right now.
Borgata Hotel Casino and Spa Race and Sports Book
Bally’s Casino Hotel Sports Book
Golden Nugget – The Sports Book
Harrah’s Casino Hotel Sports Book
Resorts Sports Book
The Meadowlands Racetrack
Monmouth Park Sports Book by William Hill
Ocean Resort – William Hill Sports Book
Sports betting tools and guides
Monster Roster
Based in the Sixers practice facility, Monster Roster offers individual game and prop picks based on an algorithm that ranks confidence from 1-5 stars. Does it work? Monster Roster guarantees that 52.5% of its picks will win or they won’t charge you for the day. They went 11-2 on the first day of the NFL season.
BetQL
They offer powerful analytics in slick iOS and Android apps.
AccuScore
A popular brand, AccuScore simulates games thousands of times and show you the outcomes.
We’ve put together a comprehensive sports betting guide that includes a how-to for beginners, guides for live betting and teasers, and state-based guides for Delaware and New Jersey.
Bonus: First bet matched up to $200
Minimum Deposit: $5
DraftKings Sportsbook
- Ease of use
- Variety of action
- Modern interface
- Live betting
If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800 GAMBLER.
21+. NJ only. Eligibility restrictions apply. See website for details.
Bonus: First deposit matched up to $100
Minimum Deposit: $10
FanDuel Sportsbook
- Established brand
- Backed by Betfair
- Excellent interface
- Live betting view
Bonus: First deposit matched up to $250
Code: CROSSINGBROAD
Minimum Deposit: $10
SugarHouse Sportsbook
Established New Jersey casino
- Live betting options
- Exciting prop bets
- Strong bonus
21+ and Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-Gambler
Kyle Scott is the founder and editor of CrossingBroad.com. He has written for CBS Philly and Philly Voice, and been a panelist or contributor on NBC Sports Philly, FOX 29 and SNY TV, as well as a recurring guest on 97.5 The Fanatic, 94 WIP, 106.7 The Fan and other stations. He has more than 10 years experience running digital media properties and in online advertising and marketing.