Ever since cavemen rolled stones at holes in the ground for seashells and bones, and even before that, when Greeks gathered to watch chariot races and Romans threw coins down on their favorite gladiator, humans have been betting on the outcome of sports events. While it isn’t hard to sign up for a legal online sportsbook, there are many details that are important to consider before placing a wager. For example, it’s important to investigate each book’s betting markets and betting options, as not all sites accept bets on the same types of games/events.

The NFL has made a lot of noise about the importance of integrity, with the league beefing up its in-house technology and partnering with sportsbooks and integrity firms to ensure it can track where bets are placed and who makes them. The league has also been more proactive in identifying offenders, with up to five NFL players expected to receive season-long suspensions this week after being linked to suspicious betting activity.

New Jersey was one of the first states to act in the wake of the Supreme Court’s PASPA ruling, with retail sportsbooks opening in December and online options launching in January 2022. A slew of operators — including SugarHouse, DraftKings, BetRivers and PointsBet — offer NJ sports betting.

The Garden State’s law tethers online sportsbooks to the state’s commercial casinos, with carveouts for pro teams that partner with a casino and Kansas Speedway. The state’s sportsbook licensing law was approved in November, with the first site to launch being DraftKings.