History of sports betting in New Jersey
Before gambling became illegal in NJ in 1844, lotteries existed in the state. Gambling was helpful in New Jersey as it helped finance landmark events and infrastructure in the state over time. However, it became prohibited after a referendum in 1897.
In 1974, there was another vote, but legalizing casinos & betting in the state was blackballed again. Finally, only two years after casino gambling was made legitimate again, it was only legal in Atlantic City. The first casino to commence activities after this legalization was Resorts Atlantic City in 1978, when Nevada was the only state that could legitimately control casinos statewide.
John Corzine, the Governor of NJ at the time, was embroiled in a budget-related conflict with the state legislature, resulting in a government shutdown. The domino effect was that the bet platforms in Atlantic City had to shut down since New Jersey laws don't allow a casino to operate without the close supervision of the New Jersey Casino Control Commission. This revenue pocket of the state was hit severely due to this occurrence. Hence, other cities in the state subsequently started to forge their sports staking advancement.
In 2012, then-Governor Chris Christie assented to a law allowing New Jersey's 12 casinos plus its four racetracks to conduct gambling activities. However, this development was struck down when a joint action by the NCAA, NBA, NFL, NHL, and MLB caused the court to void the Governor's action, upholding the monopoly of betting activities in Nevada.
Fortunately, after an appeal in June 2017, the Supreme Court agreed to hear the case. As a result, in May 2018, the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PAPSA) was voided, making it legal for other states to conduct gambling activities independently. This destroyed the monopoly of Nevada as regards sports betting and gambling.
Governor Phil Murphy June 2018 signed the bill legalizing gambling in all of New Jersey and encouraging betting houses to seek a license to conduct online gambling after thirty days. To this moment, gambling - both traditional and online - is still booming in the state of New Jersey.