Gambling has had a varied history among the 50 states. While federal law does not, in general, explicitly prohibit gambling, each of the states has come up with their own laws regulating the gaming industry within their state’s borders. As you can imagine, given the different histories of each state, gambling laws vary significantly from one state to the next.
New Jersey, home to Atlantic City, has relatively permissive gambling laws, which permit licensed casinos and horse race wagering. One of the main gambling-based offenses in New Jersey is operating a casino or other gambling institution without a state permit. While dog racing is prohibited, sled dog racing is explicitly permitted for fairs and exhibitions.
Learn more about New Jersey gambling laws in the following chart and related links. See Details on State Gambling Laws for more information.
| Code Section | 2C:37-1 et seq.; 5:5-1 et seq. |
| Gambling | Unlicensed risking of something of value upon outcome of contest of chance or future contingent event not under actor's control, upon agreement that actor will receive something of value in event of a certain outcome. |
| Horse Racing/Off-Track Betting | Licensed horse racing legal. On-track pari-mutuel wagering; race simulcasts; licensed intertrack wagering; receipt of and wagering upon simulcast horse races held out of state legal. |
| Dog Racing/Off-Track Betting | Sled dog racing allowed for agricultural fairs and exhibitions only. |
| Casinos Allowed? | Licensed casino operation legal. |
| Other Kinds of Gambling-Related Activities Allowed or Banned | Bookmaking; possession of gambling records; unlicensed maintenance of gambling resorts; possession of gambling devices not regulated by Casino Control Act; unlicensed conduct of games of chance on Sundays illegal. Raffles and bingo for charitable organizations legal. Promoting gambling prohibited. |
Note: State laws are constantly changing -- contact a New Jersey gaming attorney or conduct your own legal research to verify the state law(s) you are researching.
More Information
For more information on New Jersey gambling laws, feel free to check out the links to the websites listed below. To compare New Jersey gambling laws with the laws of other states, take a look at Findlaw’s Details on State Gambling Laws article. Finally, you may find consulting with a local gaming attorney helpful if you are looking for answers to more specific or individualized questions.
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New Jersey Gambling Laws: Related Resources
