N.J. Stat. § 5:19-1 Participation in contests of skill not deemed unlawful gambling.
1. Notwithstanding the provisions of any other law to the contrary, participation by a New Jersey resident in a contest of skill in which a participant pays an entry fee for the opportunity to win a monetary prize or something else of value shall not be considered a game of chance, shall not constitute unlawful gambling under the laws of this State, and shall not subject the participant or the sponsor of the contest of skill, or any officer, employee, or agent of the sponsor, to any civil or criminal liability under the laws of this State that prohibit gambling. For the purposes of this section, "contest of skill" means any baking or photography contest, and any similar contest that is approved as a "contest of skill" by the Attorney General, provided that the winner or winners are selected solely on the quality of an entry in the contest as determined by a panel of judges using uniform criteria to assess the quality of entries. A "contest of skill" shall not include any contest, game, pool, gaming scheme or gaming device in which the outcome depends in a material degree upon an element of chance. A "contest of skill" shall also not include any casino game, any sports wager or sports wagering scheme, or any Internet gaming of any kind. L.2013, c.269, s.1.