William Hill, FanDuel begin mobile sports bets in New Jersey

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. – New Jersey’s mobile sports betting market is getting bigger as football season gets closer.

The American affiliate of a major British bookmaker and a fantasy sports titan began offering mobile sports betting in New Jersey on Saturday night, joining that state’s rapidly expanding market.

William Hill US, which runs sports books at Atlantic City’s Ocean Resort Casino and the Monmouth Park Racetrack in Oceanport, and FanDuel, which operates the sports book at the Meadowlands Racetrack in East Rutherford, began a trial period of their mobile sports betting operations after receiving authorization to run a five-day testing period by the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement.

Their entry into the mobile sports betting market brings the number of companies offering such gambling in New Jersey to five.

Previously approved companies include the Borgata casino; fantasy sports company Draft Kings, which partners with Resorts casino; and PlaySugarHouse.com.

Companies are pushing to get approved for mobile and online sports betting in time for the start of the NFL season, which kicks off Thursday night with a game between the defending champion Philadelphia Eagles and the Atlanta Falcons.

Including in-person sports betting, six of Atlantic City’s nine casinos offer sports wagering, along with the two horse racing tracks.

The Borgata was the first New Jersey casino to offer sports betting beginning in June. It has since been joined by the Ocean Resort; Harrah’s; Bally’s; Resorts; and the Golden Nugget.

A court battle is underway regarding whether the former Garden State Park racetrack in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, can be used for sports betting as well.

New Jersey gambling outlets took in $40.6 million in sports wagers in July, the first full month it was legal.