This archive report was first published on 30 June 2019.
Move Over, Nevada: New Jersey Is the Sports Betting Capital of the Country ¶
When former Gov. Chris Christie took New Jersey's effort to legalize sports betting to the Supreme Court, it was considered a long shot. But a year after the state's surprising high court victory brought legalized sports betting to any state that wanted it, New Jersey has become the sports betting capital of the country.
Powered by betting on mobile devices and by New Yorkers flooding across the border to place wagers, New Jersey notched a milestone in its rapid rise in the booming sports betting industry. In May, bettors wagered more in New Jersey than in any other state in the country, edging past Nevada and the famed Las Vegas sports books by $1.5 million.
According to the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement, sports books in the state took in $318.9 million in bets, while Nevada took in $317.4 million. The results have been staggering, even for bullish industry insiders.
“It happened a little quicker than we imagined,” said Mr. Christie, a Republican who left office last year. “But I had no doubt that we would, just based on demographics and how we structured the thing, that we would do extraordinary.”
Mobile sports betting apps have been a key driver of the industry's growth, with roughly 80 percent of bets made on mobile devices. Bettors have to be physically in the state to make a sports wager.
“Over the past year, New Jersey has in many ways ascended to the center of the sports betting universe thanks largely to the Garden State's embrace of mobile technology,” said Jamie Shea, the head of digital sports book operations at DraftKings, a sports fantasy company.
The top four mobile betting locations for DraftKings have all been along the Hudson River across from New York City, underscoring the outsize impact of New Yorkers flooding the New Jersey market.
Just how long New Jersey can maintain the sports betting crown is unclear. Though sports betting appears to be years away in New York, Pennsylvania recently legalized sports betting. But for now, New Jersey can count on large and dedicated sports fan bases in New York and Philadelphia, which could power it through the sports betting doldrums of summer before football begins.
