Seeing the tides of change bubbling up under the surface, Chris Christie, the governor of New Jersey, made the bold move to sign legislation that would permit internet gambling back on February 26, 2013. Of course, he would end up being one of the central figures petitioning for the infamous PASPA bill to be evoked.
On May 14, 2018, that day finally came for the Garden State governor. The Supreme Court struck down the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act after hearing the case put forward by the state of New Jersey. Now, the majority of states in the US regulate their own sports betting sectors and license platforms accordingly.
New Jersey, however, is a bit different. They were among the first out of the gates to release a regulated online sports betting sector. However, the Garden State was also swift in allowing online casino sites to set up shop within its borders. So, how has New Jersey’s big jump into iGaming gone so far?
A very competitive industry
You can usually tell the quality of an industry by the competition – especially in a market that leans so heavily into hyper-capitalism, as the US does. Not only does each New Jersey online casino put up a hefty welcome bonus, but the competition has become fierce enough that they’ve already started to lean into what are essentially freebies.
In the Garden State, you’ll find sites offering $25 no-deposit bonuses, others giving away 400 percent matches on deposits as well as hundreds of free spins, and even more offering stacks of slot bonuses for hit games like 88 Fortune Megaways. All of this battling just in the arena of welcome bonuses is a great sign for the industry.
Beyond the welcome bonuses, you can see how online casino gaming has been able to take root so quickly. The games on offer are world-class creations that have been proven popular in the much more seasoned European market, and the platforms are hosting the newest releases from the best providers.
You only have to look as far as the best-rated no-deposit casino in New Jersey to see this in action. You can see 4 Fantastic Lobsters, Peaky Blinders Jackpot Royale, and Almighty Kraken Jackpot among the new games, as well as some new exclusive titles like MGM Bonus City, which is a live casino big wheel game.
State’s reaping the tax revenue
Almost all states that introduce online sports betting or online casino gaming hail the revenue potential and what the state could do with the money for their communities. This is a huge reason why so many states joined the then-quaint selection of states with regulated iGaming from late 2020 onwards.
As online casinos in New Jersey have to be attached to land-based ones, there’s encouragement for the two sides of gaming to assist one another. Given that the total market revenue of the state hit $487.1 million in October 2022, only $164.4 million of which was from online games, it’s clear that the whole casino industry has received a boost.
Those figures showcased a total growth of over 6.5 percent, while online revenues surged by 13.4 percent when compared to the year prior. Overall, the commercial gaming operation in the Garden State is said to have an $11.9 billion annual economic impact, per the American Gaming Association.
At least in terms of player experience and tax revenue for the state, it looks as though, so far, the gamble to jump into online gambling swiftly is paying off for New Jersey.
