The Fans in the South of New Jersey Who Provide Additional Support to the Philadelphia Eagles

The Philadelphia Eagles may not have won Super Bowl LVII, but this does not stop their loyal fanbase from recognizing what was a semi-successful season.

This recognition is felt across the entire Eagles fanbase, although it’s tinged with some disappointment, of course.

The team’s supporters will be hoping the Eagles go one step further next season, and there are plenty of them.

According to Statista, there are millions of Eagles followers on social media, including over 3.11 million on Facebook alone. The team’s fanbase is not restricted to Pennsylvania either.

There are Eagles supporters across the country, including a large following in neighboring New Jersey.

In fact, when sports betting was legalized in New Jersey, the first bet to be placed at the Borgata in Atlantic City was on the Eagles.

The First Sports Bet in Atlantic City was on the Eagles

The Borgata was the first casino in Atlantic City to accept legal sports bets in June 2018. The first bet was placed on a Super Bowl victory for the Philadelphia Eagles by NBA legend Julius Erving. The first online sports bets in the state were placed in July 2018, giving Eagles fans, mainly located in the south of the state, the opportunity to bet on their favorite team and players.

It was not until November 2018 that the first legal sports wagers were made in the Eagle’s home state of Pennsylvania, and the first online bets were made in May 2019. Since then, sports betting has continued to grow in both states, with sportsbooks in Pennsylvania handling $7.2 billion in sports bets in 2022 and online casinos taking $1.36 billion worth of sports bets. These figures are compared to New Jersey, where $11 billion worth of sports bets were taken by casinos in 2022; $1.66 billion was taken at online casinos.

Since the sportsbooks launched in both states, Eagles fans have taken advantage of the opportunity to place a bet on their team. It’s interesting that there is ardent support for the Eagles in both states, but why is this the case?

Why Do NFL Fans in Southern New Jersey Support the Eagles?

Put simply, many people in the south of New Jersey are closer to the Eagles’ Lincoln Financial Field home than people in certain parts of Pennsylvania; the Eagles are their local team.

There is no definitive cut-off that marks the border between the part of New Jersey that is mostly home to Eagles fans and parts that are home to fans of the Giants and the Jets. However, people have suggested that Bordentown is a boundary location with around a 60-40 split of fans in favor of the Eagles.