The state of New Jersey is home to a surprising number of online casinos, catering to players who want to enjoy all sorts of cutting-edge digital gambling experiences. But why has this market exploded in recent years, and what makes it different from other parts of the US when it comes to supporting such a burgeoning online casino scene?
Online Casinos Were Legalized in New Jersey in 2013
First and foremost, it was the legalization of online gambling in NJ back in 2013 that has allowed this industry to flourish in the interim.
Today, sites like Gambling-NewJersey.com showcase all of the sites that have blossomed in the past decade, and it was this innovative and forward-thinking move made by local legislators that allowed NJ to get the edge over lots of other regions.
It’s a case of the early bird getting the worm, and with online gambling established as a legal activity for so long, the licensing and regulation of the industry are equally robust, reliable, and understanding.
This means that for new casino brands that want to enter the market, there is a tried and tested route to achieving this, which eliminates a lot of the roadblocks that exist in states where legalization has occurred far more recently.
Land-Based Gambling Has Been Around Since The 1970s
It’s additionally important to remember that New Jersey already has a long and storied history of providing legal gambling at bricks and mortar venues that dates back to the mid-1970s.
It was decided at this point that the coastal community of Atlantic City was in need of serious economic stimulation and regeneration and that allowing casinos to operate within its limits was the best way to go about this.
Almost half a century later, this move turned out to be a good one since Atlantic City is still going strong, with casino resorts aplenty which attract visitors from across the state, the country, and the world.
It’s also worth noting that this has an important link to online casinos in New Jersey since the only way to get a license to run a gambling site is to have an established land-based presence in the state.
That means that overseas operators are not able to get a foothold, which in turn keeps all of the economic benefits within NJ, meaning that legal online gambling also doesn’t compete with physical facilities but instead bolsters them with extra earnings.
This proved crucial to keeping a lot of the resorts afloat during the pandemic since even with the closure of the real-world venues, their online equivalents were able to keep customers gambling via the latest smartphones, and keep generating revenues until restrictions were eased.
Sports Betting was Legalized in 2018
Following on from its decision to be an early adopter of online gambling once legalization was an option in 2013, New Jersey took the initiative in 2018 as well and jumped at the opportunity to legalize sports betting following a Supreme Court decision.
The upshot was that both land-based and online outlets could offer wagering on all sorts of sporting events, adding to the cavalcade of slot machines and other casino and gambling experiences that were already common.
Sports betting is seriously big business, generating billions in wagers on a monthly basis and adding millions to the public purse thanks to the tax receipts that it generates as well.
This once again proves that NJ has set a positive precedent with its embracement of gambling both online and off.
Enthusiasm for Online Casinos is Significant
Perhaps most importantly of all, the simple fact is that the people of New Jersey are fans of gambling and, by extension, are interested in supporting online casinos, which in turn creates the market conditions that convince operators to set up shop here.
The history of gambling in this state makes it more amenable to the industry in general, and it is seen as a socially acceptable activity as a result. Elsewhere the same progressive views are not held, which is why it is not as widely adopted in other states.
So the stage is set for NJ to continue benefiting from online casinos and for the number of sites for gambling to rise steadily with time.
