All Bets Are On New Jersey!

If You Love to Gamble – New Jersey May Be Your Vacation Destination!

Being a state whose neighbor shares the same “first name”; New Jersey has always been struggling to shine through the shadow that’s cast upon it by its bully big brother New York. For as long as we (us, native New Yorkers) can remember there have been endless jokes, slurs and insults hurled across the George Washington Bridge landing smack dab in the middle of New Joisey. In fact, Lauren Barnett, publisher of Lone Star Publications of Humor, once commented in a New York Times article that “there are more mean-spirited jokes about New Jersey than any other state” and the national popularity of the original TV reality show Jersey Shore (and now the announcement of the reboot) has given the rest of the country plenty of fodder when poking fun at the Garden State.

All that being said, we heard that if you step up to almost any Native New Jersey-ite and ask them what they love about living in the state they will immediately puff out their chest with pride and begin to rattle off a litany of reasons!

Well, we did just that and the reactions were pretty much as we were told to expect, — state pride and a love of their neighborhoods. However, the reasons they gave as to why they loved living in the state so much varied greatly. Everything from having a great roller derby team to being home to some of the largest pharmaceutical companies to the serving up the best Taylor Ham sandwiches to boasting one of the most prestigious Ivy League schools in the country — Princeton University.

So, we are going to focus on the three we found most interesting and they all revolve Atlantic City and the fact that New Jersey was the first state in the Union after Nevada to legalize gambling.

First, a few interesting things we learned about Atlantic City before it became a gambling Mecca.

1. The properties in popular board game, Monopoly, were named after Atlantic City streets.
2. The first Miss America Pageant happened here.
3. In the late 1800s and early 1900s, the city’s most popular attraction was a diving horse.
4. The boardwalk in Atlantic City is the oldest and longest boardwalk in the world.
5. Lucy the Elephant is a building that is shaped like an elephant. It is older than the Eiffel Tower and the Statue of Liberty

Let’s take a look at the how gambling became such a big part of New Jersey.

Gambling has a long legacy in New Jersey, with the state historically being more permissive of gambling than most other states. Until they were banned in 1844, lotteries were common in New Jersey, being used to help pay for the military during the French and Indian War and American Revolution, and help finance the construction of Rutgers University and the College of New Jersey (now Princeton University). Freehold Raceway is the oldest racetrack in the United States; with horse racing having taken place there informally since the 1830s.

However, the big gambling boom happened back in May of 1978, when the Resorts Casino Hotel off the boardwalk of Atlantic City became the first casino outside of Nevada. Ironically the site of the casino is built atop the land that was once occupied by two three story-wooden Quaker rooming houses.

There are 8 casinos in Atlantic City, but there are more aborted casinos then active. As of today there have been 11 casinos that stopped construction, with nine of them now merely empty lots. The Hilton was denied its gaming license and the Penthouse Casino was never completed and it is presently the site of Trump Plaza East.

Okay, so Casino gambling in New Jersey may have seen better days, but Online Gambling is booming. In fact, there are great sites to help you find the legal poker sites in New Jersey and navigate to the best online has to offer.

Here’s what you should know about that!

What type of online gambling is legal in New Jersey?

As of November 2013 online casinos and poker rooms were deemed legal in the state of New Jersey. Although you are able to access a variety of offshore gambling sites that allow NJ residents to bet on sports, online sports betting they are not approved or regulated by the state.

What if you are a resident of another state, can you still gamble at New Jersey gambling sites?

You can claim your official place of residence is Mars. All that matters is that you sign up and play within the borders of New Jersey. Anyone physically present in NJ, including non-resident tourists, can legally gamble online.

What is the legal gambling age in New Jersey?

Okay, the legal age is 18 to play lottery, bingo, horse/dog racing, and online bingo and 21 to play in land-based casinos, poker rooms, sports book and most land-based and online casinos. Most sites will ask for age verification of 21 before allowing you to play even if the legal age is 18.

Can you legally engage in online sports betting in New Jersey?

Landline sports betting is illegal but there are legal online sportsbooks available to New Jersey residents. However, although the online sportsbook is available to New Jersey residents it is not run through the state. If you want to bet on sports you must do it through offshore online sports betting

If I play in offshore internet gambling sites in New Jersey, can I be arrested?

Many people worry that they are violating the state gambling laws when they play at offshore gambling websites that is simple not true. However, if you personally try to set up and operate an online gambling site in New Jersey then you are breaking the law and face criminal charges.

Here are a list of some reputable online gaming sites: