Are you taking the over or under on 24.5 NJ sports betting apps by the time NFL betting season arrives? We know there is no such thing as half of an app, but we are taking an NFL odds approach to this prediction game.
The current count of NJ sports betting apps is 19. Even though the likes of FanDuel, DraftKings, BetMGM, and William Hill are dominating the market, the Garden State has not reached its allotted app capacity.
And it makes perfect sense why every operator out there would want a slice of the NJ sports betting pie, even it only amounts to a child’s-sized portion.
In terms of handle, other jurisdictions are having trouble keeping up with the NJ sports betting industry. May 2021, a traditionally slower month, generated nearly $815 million in bets.
NJ Sports Betting market not done growing yet
But the interesting piece of news is the industry isn’t done growing. The Garden State market still has room for several more operators to go live before the 2021 NFL betting season kicks offs.
The big questions are who and when will this happen. Or are all these rumored launches just one giant tease?
NJ Gambling Sites may not know exactly what is taking place behind those closed doors at the state Division of Gaming Enforcement. However, we are getting a pretty good vibe that there will be 20 to 25 apps to choose from before the next Super Bowl.
For fun, here is a look at five new NJ sports betting apps (along with a few extras) that have a realistic chance of going live soon.
Soon would be sometime before or during the upcoming NFL season.
1) Bally Bet
At this very moment, Bally’s Atlantic City does not have a horse in the NJ online market. Bally’s Corp., previously Twin River Worldwide Holdings, didn’t invest millions in the Atlantic City market just to watch neighboring properties fight over slices of the NJ sports betting pie.
So it’s pretty much a guarantee the status will be changing from pending to live by the fall, at the latest. Bally Bet is currently available in two markets, Colorado and Iowa. The app just went live in Iowa on June 29.
An August launch is looking like a realistic possibility, but we’ll play it safe and predict Garden State bettors will have access to Bally Bet by the time the Philadelphia Eagles open the 2020 NFL season against the Atlanta Falcons.
2) SuperBook
Gamblers who have visited the Las Vegas Strip for major sports betting events know SuperBook.
So it only makes sense for the company to expand operations to the nation’s No. 1 market – a title that previously belonged to the Silver State. But unlike Vegas, the company has no plans of setting up a retail sportsbook space.
SuperBook recently expanded to the Colorado market.
The mobile SuperBook app will be available for download soon here in the Garden State. The first clue is the company website that includes the words “coming soon” next to New Jersey.
Feel free to sign up for email notifications so you don’t have to wait for NJ Gambling Sites to break the news (and we won’t be offended). The SuperBook skin will fall under the Meadowlands Racetrack license, which already includes FanDuel Sportsbook and PointsBet NJ.
For those wondering about a Superbook NJ launch date, we’ll go with late summer. However, don’t rule out sooner as a possibility.
3) Barstool Sportsbook
We are well aware New Jersey Stoolies are anxiously awaiting the opportunity to place wagers via the NJ Barstool Sportsbook app.
Garden State customers can access Barstool by crossing the Pennsylvania state line, where the app is live. However, it makes more business sense to enter every legal mobile wagering market.
Barstool loves the spotlight, and New Jersey is as big as it gets in the sports betting realm. For those thinking this is just a wild guess that Barstool will finally be live in NJ this year, there is actually valid evidence that supports our theory.
First, Penn National Gaming owns half of Freehold Raceway, which currently does not offer mobile sports betting under its license (see PlayUp below). Secondly, Penn National Gaming CEO Jay Snowden appeared on CNBC and said: “(We will) be live in New Jersey…probably by the end of May.”
Yes, it’s now July.
So this should make live by NFL season a sure bet. Right?
4) PlayUp
Rumors of a PlayUp Sportsbook launch date back to the most recent March Madness betting season. NJ Gambling Sites has heard from sources that the app is in the DGE testing lab awaiting final approval for a soft launch.
What we do know is the PlayUp skin will be operating under the Freehold Raceway license. Just like Bally’s, Freehold currently only offers retail sports betting. So joining forces with an established international brand based out of Australia should provide a small revenue boost for the license holder.
Year to date, Freehold has only generated $479,787 in NJ sports betting revenue. by comparison, nearby Monmouth Park has earned just shy of $14 million. Keep in mind Monmouth has a Willam Hill-branded retail book and three online skins.
We do know PlayUp (currently live in Colorado) has cleared a major regulatory hurdle as the company has received licensing approval from the DGE. We also know PlayUp is eyeing a piece of the NJ online casino market too, having recently announced a market access deal with Caesars Entertainment.
Unless a major problem occurs behind testing doors, we don’t see anything stopping PlayUp from getting a full NFL betting season.
5) Sporttrade
Sporttrade has a land-based partnership deal with Bally’s AC. And in a perfect world, the newest player in the NJ sports betting game would love nothing more than to have all three of its online skins available to bettors by NFL season (Bally Bet and Esports Entertainment group being the others).
While there will be some heavy lifting involved in trying to earn a small market share, something is better than nothing. Plus Bally’s is in a unique situation as a result of its ownership change.
Compared to the other names on this list, Sporttrade is one of those brands likely to get a “who are they?” response.
Sporttrade is a start-up company based out of Philadelphia. The product will be quite different from the others on this list. Forget the normal NJ sports betting approach. Here, gamblers will trade sporting events like they trade stocks.
A promising sign is the company recently announced $36 million in funding, a sign that Wall Street sees Sporttrade’s potential.
In terms of going live, Sporttrade is targeting the second half of 2021 as a launch date, pending regulatory approval.
Other NJ sports betting apps to watch
Consider the five NJ sports betting apps mentioned above the favorites. However, there are other brands in various phases of the regulatory process, so we shouldn’t count them out.
The previously mentioned Esports Entertainment Group learned during the spring that the DGE accepted its application to be a licensed gambling operator in NJ. So a late summer or fall launch is a realistic possibility.
The Carousel Group, the company behind SportsBetting.com, has a market access deal with Caesars Entertainment. However, if and when the app goes live in NJ, it will be known as the rebranded MaximBet. The reason this brand is making the cut is simple: New Jersey has always been at the top of its list.
Finally, there is Betway Sportsbook, the well-known European operator. While there has been little news regarding its NJ sports betting plans, just last week the app launched in neighboring Pennsylvania. So it would make sense that New Jersey would be included among the coming soon states.
The only thing left to do is sit back and wait. September will be here before we know it.
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