Online gambling used to have a very rocky history in the United States, but the landscape has changed entirely within just a couple of decades. Now, most states in the US have legalized online gambling, thanks to a few pioneers.
The state of New Jersey is arguably the most important one of them all, so let’s look at how New Jersey has made such a big impact.
Though they have been around for a long time, it wasn’t until 2013 that online casinos began to be legalized in the United States. The first states to do so were Delaware and Pennsylvania. New Jersey would be legalized soon after that year and would go on to play a major role.
These states were able to do this thanks to a federal law that was passed in 2011. This law allowed states to legalize certain forms of online gambling, but it only applied to casino games like poker, not sports betting.
It’s important to realize that for several years, these three states were the only ones that had legalized online gambling. The next state to do so would be West Virginia, which didn’t legalize online gambling until 2019. This gave the three original states a head start of six years to develop their online gambling industries. As you might have already guessed, New Jersey ended up with the most successful launches by far.
New Jersey’s gambling economy was so massive that it was over 100 times more profitable than Nevada's or Delaware's from 2013 to 2018. This is thanks to their iGaming regulation taxes, which provided plenty of money to make investments into the growing online gambling world.
New Jersey has a much higher per capita population than most other states, which also plays a role in why they skyrocketed faster than anyone else. They were able to create new jobs in the tech world, and start experimenting with websites and venues for minimal costs before other places in the country. They were even able to establish several licensing agencies and development funds before anyone else did.
Due to their forward-thinking approach to online gambling and iGaming in general, the state of New Jersey saw huge booms to their gambling economy. Every year was more profitable than the last. Within only a few years, it became a billion-dollar industry for the state. Thousands of part-time and full-time jobs were created.
In fact, New Jersey was so ahead of the curve that they tried to pass online gaming legislature way back in 2010. Known as the Lesniak bill, named after Senator Raymond J. Lesniak, it aimed to legalize online gambling in nearly all forms, with the exception of sports betting. This bill was eventually superseded by the aforementioned federal law in 2011, meeting the requirements of the Lesniak bill.
New Jersey’s approach to regulating online gambling has created one of the most mature and successful iGaming markets in the U.S. The state requires all platforms to be licensed and regulated by the Division of Gaming Enforcement, ensuring that only secure, transparent, and trustworthy operators can serve New Jersey residents. From detailed tax policies to strict player protections, the framework has become a model for other states. To better understand the current offerings, licensing structures, and operators in the state, you can explore a complete overview of online gambling in New Jersey, including the top-rated casinos and the key rules that continue to shape this thriving market.
It hasn’t been that long since New Jersey set a massive precedent for online gambling all over the country. To this day, all online casinos in the state need to be licensed by the state’s official Division of Gaming Enforcement, just as it was back in 2013.
Alongside this, New Jersey is one of the states that fights the hardest against many of the concerns that people often have with gambling in general. Before legalization in 2013, many people voiced concerns about the downsides of legalizing igaming.
Concerns included fraud, addiction, unverified users, underage users and even major crimes such as money laundering. Even today, there are issues of illegal, non-licensed casinos making business where they shouldn’t.
People used to think that it wouldn’t be possible to monitor or regulate the world of online gambling, both ethically and legally. The state of New Jersey, through some trial and error, helped prove that it could be done.
New Jersey casinos were ahead of the curve when it came to promoting verification, licensing, trustworthy payment transactions and an atmosphere that catered to fun and responsible gambling. Their online casinos were meant to be places to relax, rather than an attempt to make a quick buck during a stressful session.
The gambling landscape of America, both online and offline, is very complex. Each state is allowed to legalize, regulate and license businesses according to their own needs and preferences. However, if anything is certain, it’s that the state of New Jersey has one of the most interesting histories in the country when it comes to this industry.
New Jersey should also be considered something of an example for other parts of the country, and even the world, to aspire to. As pioneers and innovators, they helped prove that the impossible really wasn’t impossible after all.
