In November, voters in New Jersey will have the opportunity to decide if betting on college sports should be legalized. Currently, betting on college sports is illegal in the state as is betting on college teams from other states playing games in New Jersey.
Now, the state legislature has approved a ballot this fall which could reverse the situation. This is potentially good news for sports fans and for betting companies who would benefit from the expansion of what is already a healthy New Jersey betting market.
Sports betting market already thriving in New Jersey
Legal sports betting in New Jersey was enabled by law in 2018. Governor Phil Murphy signed it into law in June of that year. Three days later, the first legal bets were placed. It did not take long for betting providers to take advantage of the new market. The first online sportsbooks in the state began taking bets in August 2018.
The new laws meant that companies could legitimately provide opportunities for customers to bet on their favorite teams and players. Since then, the market has expanded significantly with new providers regularly coming to the market. There are now around 20 online operators and 12 retail sportsbooks in New Jersey.
Now, the market could be about to change again if people vote to allow betting on college sports. We spoke to a representative of independent sports betting and gambling experts JustGamblers. He told us about the excitement of sports betting providers that his company recommends, one of them being 4NJBets that is particularly well positioned, you can read more about them on the page of their website dedicated to reviews. These are reputable companies that are looking forward to the possibility of expanding the already healthy sports betting market in New Jersey.
College sports and sports betting – the perfect combination?
There is no shortage of great college sports teams in New Jersey including Rutgers, Seton Hall, and Princeton. This is the perfect environment for popular sports to mix with a change in sports betting rules.
If the New Jersey public vote in favor of a change in the law fans of college sports will be able to place a wager on their team as well as supporting them. For many fans, this change cannot come soon enough.
Originally, the bill that was put forward suggested that residents should vote on approving the legalization of college sports betting only for New Jersey college playoff or championship games. However, following support from the Attorney General’s Office and the NCAA, the bill was amended to include a vote on betting on regular season games as well.
This opens up the market even more which is good news for sports betting providers and New Jersey residents who want to bet on college sports as well as professional sports in the state.
There is no guarantee as to which way the public in New Jersey will vote. However, the fact that the journey to legalization has started is positive. The betting industry will anxiously await the result of the vote in November.