Online horse race betting is legal in New Jersey. Among the best horse wagering sites are: 4NJBets, TVG and BetMGM Racebook. Here is our NJ horse racing betting guide for you to learn more about latest offers.
NJ Best Horse Racing Betting Websites 2023
- Sign up for 4NJBets horse racing account, deposit and place your first bet to receive a free bet bonus. Promo code is optional, use links. T&C apply. 21+. Read 4NJBets ReviewSign up for 4NJBets horse racing account, deposit and place your first bet to receive a free bet bonus. Promo code is optional, use links.4NJBets legal states: NJ
Though horse racing is not the force it once was in New Jersey, the state has emerged as an important lab for efforts to incorporate new forms of wagering into the sport in the U.S.
After first approving exchange wagering – a betting arena that resembles a stock market – on horse racing in 2016, the state launched an experiment in fixed-odds wagering in July 2022. The move would make it the first state to restore the wagering system that was pushed out of the U.S. market by parimutuel wagering in the 20th century.
Despite the wide array of online betting opportunities in New Jersey, residents don’t have a choice in providers if they want to play the horses. TVG.com and its 4NJBets.com service are the only licensed advance-deposit wagering services in the state. Both offer identical services and promotions, so this is one state where there is no need for comparison shopping.
That will change when fixed-odds wagering comes online. Monmouth Park was the first who has signed an exclusive 10-year deal with the Australia-based online bookmaker BetMakers to provide the service to residents of the state. Initially, at least, fixed-odds wagering will be limited to win, place and show betting.
At least 11 racetracks in other states have signed up to participate in the experiment by offering their customers the ability to make fixed-odds bets on New Jersey races.
That’s in keeping with Garden State’s aggressive embrace of online betting generally. It was a leading challenger in the case that led the U.S. Supreme Court in 2018 to overturn the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act, which effectively outlawed sports betting nationwide, excluding a few states. It authorized online sports gambling for residents 21 and older soon after, which is available through the state’s racetracks and casinos in Atlantic City.
New Jersey Horse Race Betting Sites & Offers
| Racebooks | Welcome Offer for New Jersey | Other Promos |
| TVG (under (under 4NJBets) | Get up to $200 back | Get a $25 Bonus for every friend you refer |
| Monmouthbets | Free bet credits up to $1,001 | $50 deposit bonus |
How to claim a horse racing bet promo in New Jersey?
Horse racing betting features for New Jersey
- TVG New Jersey Features:
- TVG Expert Picks for everyday
- Free Past Performances Program
- Live races and highlights of previous races
- Live streams from tracks around the US and beyond
- Money Back Special on select races
Horse bet types available online
In New Jersey, you can place different types of horse wagers. The most popular online bets are
- Win (the horse you bet on must come first)
- Place (the horse must finish first or second)
- Show (the horse must come either first, second, or third)
- Win Place (places a win and a place bet in one bet)
- Win Show (places a win and a show bet in one bet)
- Win Place Show (aka “across the board”; combines Win, Place and Show into one bet)
- Exacta (you bet on horses to come first and second in that order)
- Quinella (the same as exacta, but horses can finish in any order for you to win the bet)
- Trifecta (three horses should finish first, second and third in that order)
- Superfecta (the same as trifecta but here you bet on four horses)
- Super High 5 (you have to choose the winner of five races in a row)
- Grand Slam (pick a horse to finish in the top three in three straight races, capped by the winner of the fourth race in the sequence)
- Parlays (combine multiple selections on the same ticket, even if the races aren’t in sequential order).
Banking
- Credit and Debit Cards
- ACH Bank Transfer / eCheck
- Wire Transfer
- Green Dot
- PayNearMe
- Check or Money Order
- MoneyGram
- PayPal
New Jersey Horse Betting Overview
The Garden State has a long horse racing history that dates to the 1830s when the first races were held at what is now known as Freehold Raceway. The state authorized pari-mutuel racing in 1941.
The state is currently home to three horse tracks: Monmouth Park for thoroughbreds and the aforementioned Freehold Raceway and The Meadowlands for standardbreds (harness racing). It also has a relatively small off-track betting network at the racetracks and seven other locations sprinkled around the state.
The state’s first experiment with online horse betting was not a success, however.
Betfair, which pioneered exchange wagering – a marketplace where customers set their own odds on a horse in hopes of attracting a bettor with an opposing view – shut down the service in 2020. The problem, parent company FanDuel said at the time, was that American bettors are hooked on exotic wagering and there was never enough liquidity in the marketplace to make such wagers widely available.
But proponents of fixed-odds betting are hopeful that the system, which locks in odds when a bet is placed regardless of how they change after the transaction, will help attract a new generation of fans already familiar with sports betting.
New Jersey, which has some of the least restrictive gambling laws in the U.S., also has a state-run lottery, cardrooms, and charitable gaming.
Popular horse racing events to bet on in New Jersey
- The Hambletonian Stakes
- The Dexter Cup
- Haskell Stakes
- The Kentucky Derby
- Belmont Stakes
- Preakness Stakes
- Breeders’ Cup
- Royal Ascot
- Cheltenham Festival
- Travers Stakes
- Pacific Classic Stakes
- Dubai World Cup
- Melbourne Cup
- Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe
- Grand National
Horse Race Tracks in New Jersey
- Monmouth Park
- The Meadowlands
- Freehold Raceway
- Garden State Park (closed in 2001)
- Atlantic City Racecourse (closed in 2010)
Monmouth Park is the last of the state’s three great thoroughbred racetracks, the others being Garden State Park, which closed in 2001, and Atlantic City Race Course, which shuttered in 2015.
The track in Ocean Point lies on a beautiful stretch of the Jersey Shore, just over a mile from the Atlantic Ocean. Best known for its signature Haskill Invitational Stakes in July, the track typically races from late May through September.
The Meadowlands in East Rutherford is home to the Hambletonian Stakes, billed as the “Kentucky Derby of harness racing,” which is run on the first Saturday in August. Like the Derby, it is the first race in the Triple Crown for harness racing. The track races are almost year-round on weekends.
Freehold Raceway in central New Jersey typically races on weekends from late August through May. Its signature race, the Dexter Cup, is run in early May and is a major stepping stone to the Hambletonian Stakes.
FAQs
Yes, you can. 18 is the minimum betting age in New Jersey for playing online with TVG. And you must be at least 21 to bet on horses at any casino in New Jersey.
Yes, horse racing betting is legal for New Jersey customers 18 or older. You can bet online at TVG or via Monmouthbets Fixed-Odds Racing App. Also, you can bet at the New Jersey racetracks, hit up the off-track wagering outlets, or bet at casinos that have racebooks.
Yep, TVG operates as 4NJBets in New Jersey.
No, the BetMGM Horse Racing App is not allowed in New Jersey.
You can also read about: NJ online sportsbooks, NJ betting apps, and New Jersey online casino offers.