Sports betting is off to a great start in New Jersey and in just under six months has seen more than a $1 billion in sports bets. While the state now offers live sportsbooks at two racetracks and eight Atlantic City casinos, the real winner has been online sportsbooks, which already handle the majority of bets placed in the state.

With so many online casino sites operating, it’s been an easy transition to introduce sports betting.

Players can just sign into their favorite online casino or poker site, and sports betting is just a click away. Better yet, most sites offer a free first bet or other promotions to introduce you to sports betting.

Here’s a look at some of the offers from New Jersey casino sites for first-time sports bettors.

PlaySugarHouse.com

The SugarHouse casino in Philadelphia made waves when it entered the New Jersey online casino market and is continuing that trend with its new sportsbook. Sign up through your regular PlaySugarHouse.com account and you’ll get a 100 percent deposit match up to $250.

Join the sports betting action at PlaySugarHouse.com here.

CaesarsCasino.com

Anyone joining CaesarsCasino.com receives a free $10 bet at Caesars’ online sportsbook. On top of that, CaesarsCasino will match your first deposit up to $300 with a free sports bet for the same amount. Basically, the site has doubled down on its first-time depositor matches, offering them for both sports betting and casino games.

Sign up at CaesarsCasino.com now.

PokerStarsNJ

PokerStarsNJ.com, which has teamed up with Resorts Atlantic City, also offers its BetStars online sportsbook. BetStars is offering a welcome bonus worth up to $500.

Place your first sports bet and get a matched Free Bet up to $50. For every $150 you wager after that, you’ll get another $50 free bet up to $450.

Also, BorgataCasino.com offers sports betting through PlayMGM.com and other sites such as GoldenNuggetCasino.com are expected to launch online sportsbooks soon.

It’s really the best of both worlds.