You can currently bet on approved esports events in New Jersey. Both online and retail sportsbooks across the state take bets on major esports tournaments. You do not need to be a New Jersey resident either; anyone over 21 and physically located in the state can bet on esports.
According to the Approved Events List provided by the Division of Gaming Enforcement (DGE), sportsbooks in New Jersey can offer lines on the following events:
- League of Legends World Championship Series
- eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series
- Vie.GG Legend Series (CS:GO)
At the time of writing, the Approved Events List was last updated on January 11, 2021, so it may feature other esports options when you’re reading this.
New Jersey Online Sportsbooks Taking Esports Bets
Not all sportsbooks in New Jersey take esports bets. But those that do accept wagers on all or most of the events approved by the DGE. These are the New Jersey online sportsbooks currently taking esports bets:
- BetMGM Sportsbook (and Borgata Sports NJ)
- Caesars Sportsbook
- PlaySugarHouse Sportsbook
- PointsBet Sportsbook
- William Hill Sportsbook
We personally reached out to every legal online sportsbook in New Jersey, so we can guarantee that those are the only options. All other NJ sports betting apps and sites do not offer esports bets.
Daily Fantasy Esports In New Jersey
You can play Daily Fantasy Esports at the DraftKings DFS and FanDuel DFS platforms. While neither takes esports betting on their sportsbook platform, you can play:
- Fantasy League of Legends
- Fantasy CS:GO
- Fantasy Rocket League
- Fantasy Call of Duty
- Fantasy iRacing
To play Daily Fantasy Esports, you purchase entries to competitions, choose your team of players within the salary cap, and compete against other DFS players. If your selection’s performance does well, you can win real money payouts.
New Jersey To Fully Authorize Esports Betting
As it stands, New Jersey is like Nevada when it comes to eSports betting: it’s not explicitly illegal or legal. Instead, sportsbooks must submit a request to the state’s regulatory body to offer a specific esports bet.
However, this is likely to change in early 2021 with Bill A637, which clarifies what constitutes as “prohibited sports events.” So far, it’s received unanimous bipartisan support, so it’s a safe bet that this will come to fruition in the very near future.
Upon passage, New Jersey sportsbooks will be able to take bets on any esports event that takes place in the US as long as the majority of competitors are over the age of 18. It will also open the doors to betting on international esports, even if the majority of competitors are under 18.
If you’re familiar with esports betting, you likely know that many of the players are under 18. But the same is true for international soccer, Olympic sports, and beyond. So betting on professional-level esports with underage players isn’t the same as betting on a high school athletic program.
Bill A637 aims to make that distinction, and esports bettors in New Jersey will have even more to bet on as a result. This expansion of the sports betting laws is also likely to bring esports betting to more sports betting sites and apps as well.
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