NO PROMO CODE REQUIRED
Robert DellaFave
UPDATE: PointsBet has ceased operations in New Jersey and is now part of the Fanatics experience.
Granting an online sportsbook the distinction as “the best” is not something we take lightly, but PointsBet Sportsbook in New Jersey is making a strong case for that honor.
In a market already inundated by over a dozen online options, PointsBet stands out. Launched in January 2019 under the Meadowlands sports betting license, PointsBet is the only existing NJ online sportsbook to bring something truly unique to the table, by way of its high risk spread betting nuance, aptly called PointsBetting. Beyond that, it excels in nearly every aspect of what a sportsbook should be.
| PointsBet NJ Promo Code | |
| Welcome Offer | N/A |
| New Jersey Partner | Meadowlands |
| Online Since | Jan. 2019 |
Players new to PointsBet are no longer in line for an intriguing welcome bonus offer. You cannot sign up for a sportsbook account on PointsBet Sportsbook at this time. However, after a recent 2023 acquisition, you are more than welcome to sign up at Fanatics Sportsbook, who purchased PointsBet Sportsbook.
Editor’s Note: PointsBet New Jersey no longer has a welcome offer.
In order to get started, players will need to successfully register an account, which on PointsBet will redirect you to Fanatics Sportsbook. This entails providing a few pieces of information, including a full name, address, and social security number. Players must be 21+ to register, and cannot place real-money wagers unless they are geolocated within the state of New Jersey.
Upon completing the registration process, those who sign up can follow-up with a qualifying welcome offer.
This is a generous welcome bonus offer in the New Jersey sports betting market, and we do encourage new players to take advantage of Fanatics Sportsbook.
Any winnings from bonus wagers are yours to keep, and will typically reflect in your account within minutes of a contest’s conclusion.
PointsBet must have worked hard refining its product before launching in the U.S., because the end result is an interface that is as sleek as it is intuitive to use. Upon navigating to the desktop platform or mobile sports wagering app, players are immediately treated to a listing of both the hottest upcoming games (Featured), and games that are slated to start soon (Next Up).
Bettors looking to pare down their search only need to navigate to the top menu, where they’ll be able to select games either by market, or by future bets for that market. Looking to get even more specific? Click (or tap) on the side menu icon where all betting markets are displayed. It will provide quick links to in-play games, other popular bet types, the promo page, and much more.
We admit it would have been nice if popular in-play bets were somehow integrated into the home page, without having to navigate a tucked away menu, but overall the interface works brilliantly — and it doesn’t hurt that it’s aesthetically pleasing as well.
Going deeper, players looking to bet on something other than point spreads, totals, and moneylines can click on a game to see all available markets. With the average contest on PointsBet featuring hundreds of bets, one might think that the interface would appear cluttered. Not so, as PointsBet neatly divides wagers into common sense categories such as 1st half markets, player points markets, and totals markets.
The game wagering interface defaults to Fixed Odds, but bettors can tab to PointsBetting, or a nuance called Pick Your Own, which is really just an alternative spread and totals bets page.
We have a few grumbles, but they’re relatively minor. The first is how teams are displayed, with the Away team listed on the bottom and the Home team on top. This goes against convention in the U.S. and may cause some bettors to toss big money on a team, thinking they’re playing at home. It should be fixed, or at the least, players should be given the option to flip flop the display.
Secondly, while we enjoy how the betting slip functions for the most part, particularly the ability to quick select monetary amounts, using the Bet Slip for parlays can be slightly jarring, as the main interface sort of grays out when the slip is open. Again, a very minor complaint.
Back to the positives, PointsBet has integrated a number of account management features into its app, including a detailed transaction history, pending and settled bet views, a player rewards page, and bonus page. In every instance, players see exactly what they’d expect, and sometimes more.
Lastly, the performance of the site is nearly flawless. Responsiveness and server stability are imperative to any book which supports live betting (which is pretty much all of them), as bettors need the ability to get down wagers on the fly, before the line makes an unfavorable move. We can say with pride that we’ve never experienced a problem getting a live bet down on PointsBet, and otherwise, have had no issues with slow loading times or getting bounced from the site. On top of that, PointsBet grades wagers (even more complicated ones) nearly instantaneously.
PointsBet supplements its desktop platform with mobile wagering apps for both iOS and Android. Remarkably, the apps are virtually identical to their desktop counterpart, featuring all of the same bets, account management features, and stability. Yes, some aspects of the site are slightly compartmentalized on mobile, but that’s par for the course.
Otherwise, bettors will be able to make a seamless transition from desktop to mobile, and vice versa.
PointsBet is a younger company and was initially slow out of the gate with deposit and withdrawal options. However, as they have matured in the market, so has their cashiering options. All of the following are available, and reliable for online transactions.
PointsBet does accept deposits as small as $5 (industry lowest), and as large as $50,000. Our sports betting bankrolls weren’t big enough to put that latter number to the test, but we didn’t have any issue loading four-figure sums on to the app.
Like most online sportsbooks, the list of available methods for withdrawal is not as long as that for deposits. However, there are still plenty of choices that will do the trick. Current methods include:
Prior to entering the New Jersey sports betting market, PointsBet NJ was firm that it wanted to offer more bet types than any other operator. Well it wasn’t kidding, as for most mainstream pro contests it offers at least 200 unique wagers. Notably, collegiate events will have substantially fewer options.
Bets run the gamut from traditional straights:
To the more ambitious:
To the outlandish:
As robust as PointsBet’s game selection slate might be, there are a couple of notable absences. For one there is no round robin wagering. Secondly, there is no way to place a traditional teaser bet. However, PointsBet has implemented a workaround that might be even better.
Unique to PointsBet is the “Pick Your Own” format, whereby players can choose from a wide variety of point spreads and totals for a matchup. Several of these bets can be combined to create what is essentially a teaser wager, except that players aren’t confined to say 4 or 5 point teases for an NBA game, as they would be in a traditional setting.
Of course, players aren’t obligated to use “Pick Your Own” for multiple selections. It’s more a means to view and select one of a multitude of spread and totals options.
If fixed odds wagering on PointsBet is a tasty appetizer, then the site’s unique PointsBetting wagering system is the savory main course.
So what is PointsBetting? In its purest definition, PointsBetting is a form of sports betting where players take a position, and are rewarded (or penalized) relative to how right or wrong they are. Via PointsBetting, bettors are typically invested in a contest until the final buzzer sounds, as opposed to traditional sports betting where once an over hits, or a team favored by 7 is down 30, the outcome is pretty much already decided.
Put simply, the better your bet performs compared to the set line, the more you win. As a simple example, let’s say PointsBet sets the over on the Lakers v. Nuggets game at 236. If a player wagers a $1 unit, they will win $1 per point that the game goes over. Likewise, they’ll lose a dollar for every point the game goes under.
Sounds really risky? It is, but there are ways to mitigate risk. The easiest way is to set what’s called a “Stop Loss” when placing a wager. When a player first tries to place a PointsBeting wager, the Stop Loss is set to the maximum amount for that wager, which might be 50 units for totals or points spreads. Using the slider located at the bottom of the betting interface, players can set their Stop Loss to an amount they’re comfortable with, mitigating risk, but also capping their upside.
Do note, however, that the Stop Loss option does not exist for all betting formats, so sometimes you’re just going to have to roll the dice.
You’ll also reduce risk by your own bankroll constraints. To elaborate, if you try to bet a $1 unit with a max loss of 50x, you’ll need to be able to cover that max loss, meaning your bankroll will need to have at least $50 in it. There are occasions where PointsBet deems the maximum possible loss to be less than what’s displayed, for instance 30x on a 50x max loss level, so you won’t have to account for the full amount all the time, but this is the exception rather than the rule.
Lastly, if you want to play it safe, go with wagers where the maximum loss level is lower. So for a point spread or total, the win and loss maximums are typically set between 5x and 50x, depending on the sport, which isn’t too bad. But some wagers, say a Lebron James points * rebounds * assists multiplier, could leave you on the hook for thousands of units if James takes a spill in the opening minutes and doesn’t return. Buyer beware.
So what’s the juice? PointsBet does not implement a traditional vig structure on PointsBetting. In other words, if you win 5x at a $1 unit, you’ll receive the entire $5, and not $4.50 or what have you. But the house has to make money, and make money they do.
For PointsBetting the house edge is created via a small middle that separates the over and the under. As an example, for an NBA game, the over might be set as 220 and the under at 217. In this instance, if the score lands on 226, a player that bet the over will win 6 units, but a player that bet the under will lose 9 units, creating a net win of 3 units for the operator. We surmise from this that the margins on PointsBetting are higher than they are on traditional straight bets at -110 odds.
Tip: There are instances when good value is to be had while PointsBetting. These occur when the main market line is not reflected on the PointsBetting line. For example, if the o/u on the Lakers v. Warriors game is 226.5, the PointsBetting line should be along the lines of 228 for the over and 225 for the under. But we’ve noticed occurrences where the over or under PointsBetting line parallels the traditional line at 226.5. Look out for these instances.
Typically, the higher the numbers the bigger the middle. So while a totals middle might only be three points, a player multiplier such as Kevin Durant points * rebounds might be as large as 50.
Can you bet on anything? As long as there’s a way to devise an over and an under, it’s likely that PointsBet offers a PointsBetting option for it. A typical main market game might offer over 100 PointsBetting wagers, running the gamut from simplistic lines and totals, to first basket / goal accelerators, player groups performance, and either team’s largest leads. Sky’s the limit really.
PointsBet does a more than adequate job when it comes to live betting. In addition to offering tons of in-play betting options — we’re talking in the dozens, if not hundreds, depending on the contest — the odds update swiftly enough so that getting down a wager on a preferred line usually doesn’t result in the ominous “Bet rejected — line change” notification.
In-play games are easily accessed via the main interface through an In-Play tab located smack at the top of the primary odds window. They can also be displayed by clicking on the “In-play” icon from the side menu, which also shows how many contests are currently live. It works.
The Cash Out option, which allows players to claim their winnings (or cut their losses) on a pregame wager prior to the outcome being determined, was propped up as the next big thing when it came to the New Jersey market.
Sadly, this isn’t really the case, as the option is pretty much limited across all NJ online sportsbooks to just single, fixed odds wagers — and really just points spreads and moneyline wagers on select sports. When it’s available, it works just fine, and PointsBet makes the process pretty simple by displaying bets that are available for cashing out, along with the current cash out value, from the Pending Bets menu.
But the fact that PointsBet (and many other NJ books for that matter) charge a premium on cash outs if the odds haven’t moved, along with the aforementioned limitations and that they are not available when tied to a promo or bonus bet, just has us feeling pretty lukewarm on them.
The lines on PointsBet are firmly in the upper echelon relative to the rest of the NJ online sports betting market, but they’re not always the absolute best.
Where the true value lies on PointsBet is when players are able to tie their bets to a boosted market or a promotion, of which PointsBet offers many. From no-juice and reduced spread lines, to enhanced odds on select props, it’s tough to beat the value finds on PointsBet if you shop carefully.
As an added plus it appears that winners are welcome to place rather significant wagers on the site, making it seem like PointsBet is adhering to the philosophy “if you can’t make money offering -110 odds, then what are you doing in the business?”
A site without bets is like a bicycle without wheels. Acknowledging this, PointsBet offers a great number of key, one-off betting markets for players to enjoy. Included are:
Multiple variations of each sport are often available.
Bets that aren’t decided on the field of play, like NFL Draft futures, are also available for bettors to plunk a few bucks down. PointsBet NJ even permits a comprehensive betting menu for the Oscars, and may roll out more non-sports wagering formats in the future.
What PointsBet doesn’t offer is bets on college teams hailing from New Jersey, but that’s due to a regulatory restriction and not an oversight by the operator.
PointsBet boasts what is without a doubt the single best promotional schedule in the NJ online sports betting market. Not only are the site’s promos lucrative, but they’re also plentiful, and rotating often. Our initial concerns were that they would eventually scale back, but that doesn’t seem to be happening. We recommend visiting the ‘Promotions’ section early, and often.
A few examples of PointsBet promos include:
All this in addition to what PointsBet dubs the “Karma Kommittee”. Apparently, each morning over coffee and a bagel, the PointsBet team gets together to discuss any injustices from the night prior. Whether it be a late scratch, an injury to a team’s superstar, or a blown call, PointsBet will review and may decide to institute a Good Karma Payout, refunding impacted bettors with a bonus wager — because sometimes an otherwise good bet turns sour thanks to one bad break. When this happens, PointsBet is in your corner.
PointsBet’s promotional schedule would be pretty awesome without a loyalty program. And yet, not only does it have one, but it actually rewards a meaningful amount of cashback.
The premise of the program is extremely straightforward. There are no loyalty tiers, no bloated points store, and no special entry requirements. Nope, all new registrants are entered into the program automatically, and all they’re allowed to do is convert their accrued rewards points to bonus bets.
In this instance, simplicity works, mainly because the earn rates are fairly generous. For fixed odds bets players earn 1 Reward Point for every $5 bet, equating to a 0.2% bonus back rate. No, that isn’t great, as the house take on these wagers is approximately 5%, resulting in players only receiving about 4% of their losses back — but it’s something.
For parlays and Pointsbetting wagers, the earn rate is significantly better: 1 Reward Point per $1 wagered, working out to 1% bonus back. Granted, the hold on parlays and PointsBetting is higher than for fixed odds, but not so much that this isn’t the better deal. By our calc, players receive about 10-12% of their theoretical losses back on these wagers via the loyalty program — not bad.
Once players accumulate at least 250 points, they can convert their points to bonus wagers. A 250 point conversion will net a player a $2.50 bonus bet, while a 1,000 conversion works out to a $10.00 bonus, all the way up to 100,000 points in exchange for a $1,000 bonus wager.
In addition to the Revis Betting Academy (aka PointsBet 101), PointsBet provides players with a compact FAQ, and multiple means to contact a customer support agent, including round-the-clock Live Chat services and email support. There’s even a number bettors can call if they wish to cancel a bet, which is an allowance we have yet to see offered elsewhere.
Currently, Live Chat queues are rather short, and response times are quick. The agents seemed knowledgable enough about the site’s goings-on, although some were a bit too curt for our taste. For more complicated questions we turned to emails and were surprised to receive answers so quickly.
Games are usually graded really fast, with payouts on most wager types hitting moments after the result is decided. Sometimes, particularly in the case of an over hitting, the bet is graded before the contest concludes, which is a nice touch, although certainly not unique to PointsBet online sportsbook.
Even Pointsbetting wagers, which initially weren’t graded too quickly, are now settled lightning fast. Solid all around.
Before finding its way to U.S. soil, PointsBet geared up in its home country of Australia. There, the sportsbook operator readily established itself as a rising star, with patrons falling in love with its easy to use mobile apps and of course, its unique spread betting format, called PointsBetting.
In 2018, PointsBet serviced 45,000 clients, paid out north of $300 million, and generated upwards of 147k bets in a single day. In preparation for its debut in the U.S., PointsBet signed on both NBA hall-of-famer Allen Iverson, and NFL star Darrelle Revis, after which the site named its betting tutorial school: Revis Betting Academy.
In order to enter the New Jersey market, PointsBet needed to lock up a land-based partner that was licensed to offer sports betting. It found one in The Meadowlands Racetrack, becoming the licensee’s second behind New Jersey market share leader FanDuel Sportsbook.
From its generous welcome offer, to its extensive betting menu, and easy to navigate interface, the Australian-based bookmaker clearly did its homework. Is PointsBet perfect? No — a few facets of the site leave something to be desired, and there’s no guarantee that the current marketing tour de force will last forever. But minor gripes aside, this is a book that clearly differentiates itself from the pack, and should prove a threat to New Jersey market leaders DraftKings and FanDuel.
Following a brief beta period, PointsBet celebrated its full launch in the Garden State on January 17, 2019. Today, it remains the only sportsbook in the state to offer a spread betting format.
