New Jersey’s Top Side Hustle Raises Red Flags

Did you know that more than half of United States Residents have a Side Hustle to make up for the money they do not earn at their primary jobs?

Back in November 2024, a recent survey found that 55 percent of Americans use their Side Hustle to afford gifts during the holidays.  Another 25 percent of Americans surveyed are using their side gig money to pay for Holiday Travel expenses.

With the National Rate of Inflation increasing by 31 percent over the last ten years, many Americans have been looking for different ways to make more money.

The Cost of Living in New Jersey is higher than in most states, so many people are looking ways for extra income.  Studies have shown that 2023 marked a 20-year high for Americans admitting that they need their Side Hustle to cover regular living expenses.

The latest research shows that 39 percent of United States Adults have a Side Hustle.  The Analytics and Research Team at Casino.com wanted to find out what are the Top Side Hustles in America and what are the most popular in each state.

They collected data over 12 months to find out what Side Hustles US Adults are using the most to earn extra income.

What Is The Most Popular Side Hustle In New Jersey?

The Casino.com Research Team found that the most popular Side Hustle in America is DoorDash.  There are 14 states where that is the number one Side hustle for Adults.

Tied for the second most popular Side Hustle in the United States is Pet Sitting and Day Trading.  But in New Jersey, none of those are in the top three most popular Side Hustles in The Garden State.

Instead, NJ Adults' most popular ways to earn extra income are Arbitrage Betting, Babysitting, and Online Tutoring.

When someone participates in Arbitrage Betting, they place multiple wagers to "guarantee" a profit. For example, a Sports Bettor can place multiple wagers on the same Sports Event that will "ensure a win" because they are betting on multiple outcomes.  At a casino game, Arbitrage Betting can involve an individual placing wagers on multiple outcomes to "guarantee" a win at the Roulette Table.

This is a problematic Side Hustle because Arbitrage Betting requires a high volume of wagers to be placed to create a legitimate profit. This type of Gambling is High Risk and can create an illusion to the bettor that they are a winner when their profit margins depend on spending unnecessary amounts of money.

In 2023, over $1 Billion of Sports Betting Revenue was made by Sportsbooks in New Jersey.  Three of the Highest Sports Gambling months over the last six years in New Jersey were recorded in 2023, right in the same window that this research by Casino.com found that Arbitrage Betting is the top Side Hustle in New Jersey.

New Jersey is one of four states where Arbitrage Betting is a popular Side Hustle. The other three are Massachusetts, Kansas, and Ohio. NJ's neighbors have different side hustles:

-Pennsylvania's two most popular Side Hustles are Pet Sitting and Babysitting.
-New York's top three Side Hustles are Freelance, Virtual Assistant, and Influencer Marketing

For some people, they can become desperate to find ways to make extra income and that desperation blinds them from when they are being taken advantage of by manipulators. These are the top scams targeting New Jersey residents that you need to be aware of: