For the first time in American history, a state other than Nevada led the way in sports gambling last month.
New Jersey sports books took $318.9 million in bets while Nevada sports books took $317.4 million in May, according to figures ESPN obtained from the states’ gaming commissions. It’s the first time ever that a state other than Nevada had the most sports wagering.
And it comes a year after the Supreme Court paved the way for legal sports gambling throughout the country. It was May 14, 2018 when the Court struck down the federal law that restricted sports betting to Nevada. Seven other states now have legal sports books, and more are in the process of legalizing it.
New Jersey’s gain has not been Nevada’s loss: Nevada sports books actually had their busiest year ever in 2018, and so far this year Nevada is ahead of its pace from last year.
