Why New Jersey is Still The King of Sports Betting

While New Jersey is not the only state with legalized sports betting in the northeastern United States, the Garden State has proven to be one of the highest revenue generators and customer-friendly states compared to its neighbors.

The state of New Jersey has half the population compared to the state of New York and also has 3 million less than Pennsylvania, but the Garden State still has the second largest sports betting handle in the United States in 2023 at $7.77 billion through the first 40 weeks of this year.

The website NoDepositRewards researched state population figures and calculated how much sports gambling has been wagered per capita in every state where sports betting is legal.

Their research found that New Jersey has a higher percentage of sporting betting based on their population of persons 18 years and older than any other state in the Northeast:

• New Jersey averages $1,069.30 in sports betting per person 18+ years of age
• New York averages $828.90 in sports betting per person
• Massachusetts averages $550.26 in sports betting per person
• New Hampshire averages $513.55 in sports betting per person
• Pennsylvania averages $482.63 in sports betting per person
• Connecticut averages $399.11 in sports betting per person
• Rhode Island averages $316.49 in sports betting per person
• Delaware averages $46.53 in sports betting per person

Unlike the state of New York which voted to ban fantasy sports games that "mimic proposition betting,” New Jersey is still allowing daily fantasy sports platforms to operate in their state.

Since DFS does not fall under the same category as sports gambling, you could argue that New Jersey's sports betting handle is higher if you included the fantasy sports prop-style games.

Yes, the legalization of sporting gambling in New York resulted in a decrease in New Jersey's overall sports betting handle for 12 straight months.

But the Garden State rebounded with two of their four highest months of all time in 2023 with $111.1 million received by sportsbooks in September and $96 million in August.