NJ Online Casinos

Is Online Gambling Legal in New Jersey?

Online gambling has been legal in New Jersey for quite some time. The authorization for online casinos occurred in February 2013, and the first online casino launches happened shortly afterward.

Since then, online casinos in NJ have generated over $1.4 billion in revenue. In the process, the state government has received hundreds of millions in tax dollars from the online sites.

In fact, revenues have grown each year since legalization. So, suffice it to say, online gambling is not going away in New Jersey.

Online Casinos in NJ

Here is a complete list of all 22 online casinos in New Jersey for 2020. This list offers you a side-by-side comparison of the casinos that have live dealers, the number of games available and bonus offers.

If you’re looking for a new NJ online casino, we suggest you try Unibet, Bet365 or BetMGM.

New players to New Jersey online casino sites can take advantage of a wide selection of bonus offers and deals. Many Garden State gambling sites will offer no deposit bonuses and deposit match bonuses to appeal to those considering registering.

Even if you’re not planning on sticking with a particular site, make sure to take advantage of any juicy deals and use NJ casino bonus codes to receive the no deposit offers.

How online casinos operate in New Jersey

Due to the restriction of gaming activities to Atlantic City proper, all New Jersey online slot companies must be partnered with land-based operators within the city limits.

In accordance with state law, all gaming servers must also reside within the Atlantic City borders. However, anyone within state lines is eligible to play at one of the 20 authorized sites. 

How to Get Started

It is not in the best interest of the casinos to have a difficult registration process. So, getting started with your choice of site shouldn’t take more than five or ten minutes.

First, decide which NJ gambling site you want to try, and how you want to access it. Most sites have browser versions and dedicated apps for both Android as well as iPhone and iPad users.

The browser versions themselves are usually designed to provide a near-identical experience to playing through the NJ online gambling app. Most of them are optimized to detect and adjust their displays based upon how each player is accessing them. In other words, the site will know if you’re using a computer, an Apple, or an Android device.

For Apple users, the process is no different than for most other apps. Almost all NJ online casinos with mobile apps are available for download and installation through the App Store. The only caution is that players need to make sure that they are downloading the version specific to New Jersey – Pennsylvania versions won’t work.

Because of Google’s ban on gambling apps in the Google Play Store, Android users will have to download their apps from an alternative source. The file is usually available on the site’s browser version. Make sure to set your phone to accept these kinds of installations before moving forward.

Once the site is up or the app is downloaded, look for a button that will go to the registration screen(s). It will usually say “Join Now,” “Sign Up,” or something similar.

After pressing this button, be ready to fill out a few items of personal information and identification. These pieces of information will usually be the following:

• Name
• Email address
• Cell phone number
• Home address
• Social Security number
• Date of birth

The registration is also likely to ask you to designate a username and password. Make sure that these options are memorable but secure, as personal banking information is likely to be stored onsite.

Afterwards, make your way to the cashier to begin depositing and playing. Depending on the type of deposit, you will have to volunteer your financial or banking information to the site.

New Jersey Sports Betting Sites

Online sports betting became a bona fide reality in the US in 2018. Quite frankly, none of that would have been possible without the steadfast work of New Jersey lawmakers. So, it’s fitting that New Jersey is now the top destination for online sports betting in the country.

Similar to online casinos, New Jersey online sportsbooks often have numerous offers for new players to use. With such fierce competition, players can find free bets, deposit matches, and even free money as a perk of joining some of these sites.

There are several online sportsbooks in New Jersey. Players in the Garden State will also find action with the following companies:

New Jersey brick-and-mortar sportsbooks

The New Jersey regulations set some precedents for other states looking into sports betting. For example, despite major pressure from the leagues, there is no percentage of revenue from sports betting going to any sort of league integrity or royalty fee.

What Sports Can I Bet in New Jersey?

Most sports are available for wagering in New Jersey. With such a robust and growing sports betting industry, action is available on events around the globe.

However, New Jersey law does have some specific prohibitions about what types of events are permissible as wagerable vehicles.

Obviously, one of those types of events are high school athletics. As is the case in every other sports betting jurisdiction, betting on games below the collegiate level is strictly prohibited, regardless of the sport.

Actually, betting on games at the collegiate level is quite difficult in New Jersey, too. New Jersey does not allow betting on college sports events that take place within the state itself.

In a corollary to that rule, there can also be no wagering on college teams from New Jersey. This restriction is in effect no matter where the teams play.

Finally, the principals in a particular sport cannot wager on their sport of choice. In other words, players, coaches, trainers, referees, or any other group that might influence the outcome of a sporting event are forbidden from wagering on games in that sport, regardless of whether they play in the game in question or not.

Online Poker in New Jersey

New Jersey has been one of the stalwarts of online poker for several years. Though its revenues pale in comparison to online casinos or sports betting, the online poker scene in the Garden State has produced a steady stream of play for its inhabitants.

There are even a few notable professional poker players that call New Jersey home. Perhaps the most well-known player from the area is the 2017 World Champion, Scott Blumstein.

As it is, there are numerous poker apps available for New Jersey residents at present. Consult the table below for all the choices.

Of the selections, PokerStars has the most activity and play options – by far. The site is the worldwide leader for online poker, and that trend continues unchecked in New Jersey.

PokerStars distinguishes itself with a tremendous amount of flexibility in terms of game selection. There are opportunities to play every major game in the poker universe. In fact, PokerStars even offers games that are exclusive to the site itself.

Online Lottery in New Jersey

The good news is that there is a New Jersey lottery app. The bad news is that it does not permit actual online lottery play.

Instead, the app serves as a facilitation tool. Those who have the app can use it to check their retail-purchased tickets to see if they have any winners and to receive updates about the latest games.

In fact, they can even purchase tickets online. The problem is that the purchase only generates a barcode. It’s up to the player to visit a retailer afterward in order to redeem the ticket and complete the transaction.

To that end, the app does not process payouts for winning tickets, either. So, while there are some valid reasons for New Jersey gamblers to use the NJ Lottery app, it is not a true online lottery application.

Online Horse Betting in New Jersey

A majority of US states permit residents to wager on horseracing online, and New Jersey is one of them – to a point. Regulatory requirements have limited some of the options that residents might otherwise have to bet the ponies on their devices.

The only major horse betting site that offers unfettered access for Garden State residents is TVG. However, New Jersey residents must access TVG’s selections through a unique site – 4NJBets. TVG’s main site is not available in the state.

The two other main sites, BetAmerica and Twin Spires, either offer limited service, or none at all. Twin Spires does not permit New Jersey play at all, and BetAmerica only allows wagering on its handicapping contests.

Worse, it appears that BetAmerica has discontinued said handicapping contests. So, it is unclear if any of BetAmerica’s features remain open in New Jersey.

However, New Jersey residents are able to place bets on simulcast races at several retail locations throughout the state. Along with the three horsetracks in New Jersey, there are also six off-track betting locations. So, residents and visitors can place wagers on horse races at the following places:

• Racetracks
  • Freehold Raceway
  • Meadowlands Racetrack
  • Monmouth Park
• Off-track Betting
  • Favorites – Egg Harbor
  • Favorites – Glouchester
  • Favorites – Hillsborough
  • Favorites – Toms River
  • Favorites – Woodbridge
  • Winners Bayonne

Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS)

Daily fantasy sports play is completely legal and acceptable in New Jersey. Garden State fans of the games have been in the clear to play their favorite sites since 2017.

In that year, Gov. Chris Christie signed A 3532, which established the legality of DFS and designated a regulatory body for it. The idea was to provide structure to the burgeoning industry.

At the time, however, most of the major operators, like DraftKings and FanDuel, were already active and comfortable in the state. The law merely brought them completely into the light.

So, all major operators are present and available in New Jersey. Some top choices for New Jersey DFS players are:

• DraftKings
• FanDuel
• Fantasy Draft
• Yahoo!

How to Gamble in New Jersey

Besides Nevada, few states conjure images of gambling more vividly than New Jersey. Since 1976, Atlantic City has been the East Coast’s reply to the glitter of Las Vegas.

The surprising thing about the Garden State and gambling, however, is that overall, the state is actually quite hostile to the practice. The law that brought casinos to Atlantic City explicitly confined them there, too.

Since then, efforts to expand casino gambling outside America’s Playground have failed. Most recently, a proposed constitutional amendment in 2016 met heavy opposition, and its opponents prevailed by more than a 3 to 1 margin in the 2016 election.

Casinos

So, for all of its progressive approach to gambling, live casino play is only available within the city limits of Atlantic City. Here are the casinos that are active there:

Cardrooms

Any poker rooms inside New Jersey’s state lines are located within casino properties in Atlantic City. There are no standalone cardrooms anywhere in the state.

Therefore, the following casino properties have poker rooms:

• Bally’s
• Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa
• Golden Nugget Atlantic City
• Harrah’s Atlantic City
• Ocean Resort Casino
• Tropicana Casino

Sportsbooks

At this point, most of the gambling locations in New Jersey have a retail sportsbook. The income potential from one of these facilities is too great to ignore.

There are 12 locations under New Jersey law that could potentially open a sportsbook. Of the nine eligible casinos and three eligible racetracks, only two have yet to accept a wager on a sporting event.

One of the holdouts, Caesars Atlantic City, is simply choosing to defer to its other two properties on sports betting. Its sister casino, Bally’s, has the largest, if not the most impressive, retail sportsbook in all of New Jersey.

Meanwhile, Freehold Raceway continues to move slowly towards an open sports betting facility. The northern New Jersey racetrack has dragged its feet about launching a book over concerns about its location and the profit potential.

So, at present, these are the retail sportsbooks that call New Jersey home:

• The Book (Bally’s)
• The Book (Harrah’s)
• DraftKings Sportsbook at Resorts
• FanDuel Sportsbook (Meadowlands)
• Hard Rock Sportsbook
• Moneyline Bar & Book (Borgata)
• Monmouth Park Sportsbook by William Hill
• The Sportsbook (Golden Nugget)
• William Hill Sportsbook at Ocean Resort
• William Hill Sportsbook at Tropicana

New Jersey Lottery

While there is a New Jersey lottery app, all lottery tickets must ultimately be purchased at retail locations. There are lottery vendors scattered throughout the state, and entries are available at most convenience stores, grocery stores, or other general retail outlets.

Players in New Jersey can pick between draw games and scratch-offs. Draw games include instate lottery drawings and multi-state contests.

Multi-state contests include the popular Mega Millions and Powerball drawings. Each of these contests has offered prizes in the hundreds of millions in the last few years.

Players may also try to win on scratch-off tickets. These games can pay anywhere from the cost of the ticket to life-changing money.

Bingo and Raffles

New Jersey is also home to several bingo halls and raffles that award cash and prizes to players.

These facilities are run exclusively by a rotating set of charitable organizations. Each organization must be licensed and overseen by the Legalized Games of Chance Control Commission, a department of the New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs.

According to the statutes, none of these drawings can award prizes in excess of $1,000 in value. However, that still leaves plenty of room for them to operate.

Responsible Gaming in New Jersey

Gambling is a fun, and sometimes, profitable activity for most. Unfortunately, some gamblers find themselves unable to stop playing their favorite games of chance.

The sad reality is that problem gambling is real and affects a significant portion of the population. Even though continuing to play is detrimental to their bank accounts, family lives, and health, problem gamblers simply cannot stop playing or stay away from gaming locations.

Thankfully, there are some resources available to assist problem gamblers in getting the help that they need. The first place that a struggling gambler can visit is the Council on Compulsive Gambling of NJ.

This non-profit organization can help problem gamblers connect with treatment centers, support groups, and educational materials to start the process of recovery. The organization’s website is also the number of its helpline 800-GAMBLER.

Struggling gamblers can also visit the website of the National Council on Problem Gambling. The organization is the leading support organization for addiction to gaming, and New Jersey gamblers can find numerous resources specific to the Garden State there.

Finally, the state of New Jersey itself maintains a self-exclusion program and links to resources within the state. The New Jersey Department of Gaming Enforcement can help gamblers save themselves from themselves by banning them from gambling activities in New Jersey.

These self-restrictions can last from one year to a lifetime. While they may seem harsh, the bans can be invaluable for breaking the cycle of addiction for people who cannot stop themselves from gambling any longer.

There’s no reason to suffer from a crippling addiction in this day and age. A treatment center or support group meeting is never far away.

If you need help, get help.

Inside NJ’s gambling industry

Legal online gambling in New Jersey casts a wide net. There are land-based and NJ online casinos, horse race wagering (both onsite and off-track), the state lottery, and with the striking down of PASPA by the Supreme Court, the advent of sports betting.

Unlike most other states in the nation, New Jersey land-based casinos are primarily corporate owned, rather than tribal. All casinos are based in Atlantic City, as mandated by state law.

The 2016 election saw a rejection of expanding casinos into other parts of the state. So, for now, Atlantic City is the epicenter. However, all residents can gamble real money online at one of 20 NJ gambling websites that have partnered with a land-based company.

Horse racing is offered at three tracks in New Jersey, with wagering allowed. Off-track betting is also legal at venues across the state. Racinos (racetrack/casino hybrids) are currently illegal. However, rumblings in the Senate about raising funds for the state pension plan has renewed interest in allowing racetracks to bring in slot machines or video gaming terminals.

Additionally, there is sports betting

On May 14, 2018, the Supreme Court ruled PASPA unconstitutional, meaning it is up to individual states to decide whether or not to regulate sports betting. New Jersey won, and managed to sign its own sports betting rules into law less than a month later, on June 11, 2018.

NJ casino operator history

Borgata Hotel, Casino & Spa, commonly referred to as “The Borg,” is a major casino in AC.

Borgata opened in 2003. It’s the largest hotel in New Jersey, with 2,002 rooms, and a 161,000-square-foot casino that features 3,400+ slot machines and 250+ table games.

Borgata’s poker room is the largest in NJ and it unofficially the destination for poker players. It hosts several daily poker tournaments and many notable tournament events annually, including the World Poker Tour Borgata Open. When it comes to poker in AC, the Borgata is undoubtedly the destination of choice.

Borgata also offers 15 dining options with a wide range of food choices. Many renowned chefs have restaurants bearing their name, including Michael Symon and Wolfgang Puck. The property also has 10 retail shops, a two-story spa, two 1,000+ seat entertainment venues, and the Premier Nightclub.

Borgata is undoubtedly designed as a Las Vegas-style mega-resort.

In keeping with that theme, Borgata also has a hotel-within-a-hotel. The Water Club offers visitors a different, more exclusive vibe. It has 800 rooms, meeting space, its own spa, five pools, and six retail outlets.

These efforts have yielded an extremely profitable venture, even amid competitive pressure from neighboring states. Its reported monthly revenue indicates a year-to-date casino win (irrespective of other income) in excess of $722 million, more than twice the revenue of any other AC casino. Based upon its quarterly earnings statements, Borgata made an estimated $110 million in profits in 2016, over $9 million per month.

Borgata’s success is attributable to the experience of its ownership. For 13 years, Borgata was owned by Marina District Development Holding Company, a joint venture between MGM Resorts International and Boyd Gaming. However, in June 2016, MGM bought Boyd out for a reported $900 million. The property is now wholly-owned by MGM. 

Atlantic City gaming

New Jersey has long been a center of gambling in the United States, primarily due to the prevalence of casinos in Atlantic City.

A special provision within the state constitution allows for establishing all manner of gambling houses within Atlantic City. Seven (or eight, if Wild Wild West is counted separately) casinos offer tens of thousands of slot machines to New Jersey residents and visitors along either the famous Boardwalk or the marina section.

However, Atlantic City’s dominance as a gambling mecca has receded dramatically in the past five years. Six casinos have shuttered or rebranded as non-casinos since 2014.

Most of this reduction in size is due to the legalization of online gambling in Pennsylvania in 2006. Atlantic City gambling revenue has dropped over 50 percent since then, primarily because the lifeblood of Atlantic City, Philadelphians, now have closer options. Atlantic City has also not been helped by its reputation (deservedly or not) as a troubled, crime-filled town outside of the casino district.

Though AC has been ravaged by the economic downturn and competition in neighboring states, there are and will still be many options for the slots player in New Jersey.