You’ve heard about what Atlantic City is popular for (or not known for, depending on how you want to look at it). Casinos and the like. But what about the history of legal gambling in New Jersey before places like Atlantic City got built? Or how Atlantic City started as a small fishing settlement that eventually became the gambling Mecca of the East Coast?
This article will briefly look at the history of legal gambling in New Jersey and let you know more about the state.
The Origin of Gambling in New Jersey
New Jersey has a long and colorful history when it comes to gambling. From the beginning of the colony, gambling was a part of life. Settlers would gather in taverns and houses to play cards, dice, and other games of chance. So it wasn’t long before the first gambling house opened in America.
After the Revolutionary War, New Jersey became more industrialized, and its population grew dramatically. The development increased interest in gambling as it provided an exciting distraction for people bored with their day-to-day lives.
During the late 19th century, casinos began popping up around Atlantic City and other coastal cities along the East Coast. These casinos were mainly patronized by wealthy patrons from Europe or nearby states such as New York, who would travel there for entertainment purposes.
In the early 20th century, New Jersey was the first state to authorize racetrack betting. People could wager on horses and other animals at horse racing tracks throughout the state — but not on other sports or games, like poker or blackjack.
The next major change came in 1976 when New Jersey became one of the first states to legalize casino gambling. The following year, Atlantic City hosted its first casino opening and launched a new era in gaming history.
Since then, gambling has been a legal affair in New Jersey. As a result, today, there are hundreds of online casinos where gamers enjoy playing their favorite games from. You can find more here.
Furthermore, they have integrated better payment and withdrawal systems for the players, thus encouraging them to game more.
Horse Racing NJ
Horse racing has been a part of New Jersey’s culture since the 1700s. At first, it was simply an activity for wealthy landowners to enjoy on their large estates. As time went on, however, horse racing became more popular and spread across the entire state.
Later, New Jersey passed its first law allowing horse races to occur at fairgrounds across the state. As time went on, horse racing became more popular throughout New Jersey and even led to the development of several racetracks throughout the state.
The State’s First Legal Lottery
In 1970, New Jersey legalized its first state lottery. At this time, there were no casinos or racetracks in New Jersey. The first state lottery only offered scratch-off tickets and was run by the state government rather than private businesses.
This first lottery used proceeds from sales to fund public education at all levels in the state. However, after some time, there was little money to support education because there weren’t enough people buying tickets, hence little profits.
It’s a Long History
There you have it. New Jersey has a long and storied history with gambling. While some might still be skeptical of legalization and its effects in the future, one thing seems to be certain: legal gambling is not going anywhere—at least not for the foreseeable future.
