New Jersey is a trendsetter when it comes to gambling laws and regulations in the United States. Many believe that it is thanks to New Jersey that the gambling landscape has changed so drastically in the US.

As with most other states, New Jersey first legalised racing activities in the state. Horse racing became legal in 1939 and two decades later (1959) Bingo was legalised. From there New Jersey waited over a decade before legalising the lottery and charitable games in 1970. Casinos were legalized in 1976 and since then Atlantic City casinos were legally allowed to operate. While casinos were only legalised in 1976, many suspect illegal operations took place here long before then. With the legalisation of casinos, a referendum was held which restricted the location of all land-based casinos to Atlantic City.

New Jersey was the third state opting for the legalisation of online poker and did so in 2013. Shortly after online casino games were legalised. The legalisation of sports betting was a bit of a struggle and lawmakers had to work around the clock to ensure sports betting was no longer prohibited by federal law. There were many court cases to try and disband legal sports betting but lawmakers of New Jersey fought to keep sports betting legal. In 2018 a Supreme Court decision finally ruled in favour of New Jersey finding the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) unconstitutional. Before this New Jersey and many other states were kept from both legalising and regulating sports betting.

The PASPA battle started in 2012 but New Jersey has kept strong and unlike other states, New Jersey had a head start. Allowing the state to kick off sports betting from the minute it was deemed legal. According to the New Jersey laws, any online casino operating in the state must have a land-based partner and can only be accessed by residents of the state. It’s for this reason that many foreign operators have created New Jersey only online casino sites since the legislation was passed. In 2017 the New Jersey online gambling industry had already passed $100,000,000 in tax revenue. It was in this year that a new law was passed for daily fantasy sports too.

New Jersey might be a trendsetter that thrives on bringing in new gambling opportunities but they take the laws and regulations of these activities very seriously. While there are plenty of gambling options available all are heavily regulated and both land-based and online options require licensing before being able to operate legally in the state.

As stated previously online casinos are only allowed to operate in the state if they are partnered with a land-based casino in the state. Apart from this, they are required to only offer their services to New Jersey residents.

In New Jersey, all gambling activities are regulated by the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement (DGE). This division has gained a reputation for being one of the strictest gaming commissions in the world. The commission was established in 1977 under the Casino Control Act, N.J.S.A. 5:12-1 et seq. Their main goal is to ensure the integrity of the casino gaming industry in New Jersey. The commission does this through the enforcement of the Casino Control Act and all the regulations it includes. Their duties include licensing, regulatory enforcement, monitoring casino operations and testing electronic gaming equipment.

The division completes license applicant investigations on all prospective casino owners and reports their investigation findings to the Casino Control Commission (CCC). The latter then has the authority to grant or deny a license at a public hearing.

Then there is the Regulatory Enforcement and Regulatory Prosecutions Bureaus that enforce the laws of the Casino Control Act as well as the CCC Rules and Regulations. Their daily tasks include investigating and prosecuting violations of the Act and Regulations.
The DGE also has state investigators that monitor the day to day casino operations to assure regulatory compliance and investigate all violations. Furthermore, they address regulatory concerns and hand over all serious cases to the State Police.

Lastly, there is the Slot Laboratory – Technical Services Bureau (TSB) who is in charge of making sure all electronic equipment including slot machines operate randomly and fairly. These machines are tested regularly to ensure they meet the current requirements as set out by the Casino Control Act and the Rules and Regulations. The TSB is responsible for evaluating all the payouts, odds and fairness of old and new games added to casinos.

The New Jersey Racing Commission is in charge of licensing and carrying out regulations of the racing industry. They have the authority to regulate all three of the racetracks currently operating in the state and also oversees all simulcast and off-track wagering facilities in the state.