These online poker sites are legal in the U.S. And can provide you with ways to win some real money. Check out WSOP NJ, 888poker NJ, Global Poker, and more! Oct 02, 2018  Every New Jersey poker site offers free poker money to new players. PokerStars NJ does not have a no-deposit bonus. The closest it comes is depositing $20 to receive $30 in free cash and $10 worth of Spin & Go tickets. The $20 cash is split into two payments.

New Jersey online casinos offer excellent no deposit casino bonuses for first time players. This bonus is just for signing up at the casino site and requires no deposit.

In addition to these free-play bonuses, each NJ online casino offers a bonus attached to your first deposit. You are often required to use bonus codes or promo codes when you sign up to qualify for free play and deposit bonuses.

All online casinos listed below are legal and licensed by the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement.

Best NJ online casino free money offers

We have the best bonuses! Many of our bonuses are exclusive and higher than the standard offer. We have the best NJ online casino promo codes anywhere online.

It’s important to note that these are bonuses, and not “free” money – the use of the bonus, and your ability to cash out is generally tied to certain terms and conditions. NJ’s legal gambling sites are required to clearly list the terms of all bonuses and promotions, and we’re happy to point you in the right direction if you have questions – contact us.

Bet with your head, not over it. Call 1-800-GAMBLER if you have a gambling problem. View our advertising disclosure here.

How NJ online casino no deposit bonuses work

Free-play bonuses are a staple at the legal internet gambling sites, with nearly all NJ online casinos offering free bonus money in some way, shape, or form.

The premise is simple: Casino sites are betting that if you try their casino games for real money, you’re far more likely to make a deposit and play. So they’re willing to give you some free chips to play with to make that happen.

After all, even if you win, there’s a good chance you’ll try your luck with those winnings and become an even more engaged customer of the casino.

Bonus terms and conditions for NJ online casino free money offers:

Like any promotion, terms and conditions do apply. These terms aren’t precisely the same at every NJ online casino, but a few central terms tend to repeat across most no deposit offers in New Jersey:

• New players only: Free-play offers are generally only available to new customers.
• Playthrough: You may be required to wager your bonus and winnings a certain amount before you are able to cash out.
• Validation: Your account must be verified and approved by the operator.
• Opt-in: Operators may require you to claim the bonus (usually a simple click of a button or link).
• Time: You may need to claim to no deposit bonus within a certain amount of time from signing up.
• Expiration date: The bonus itself may expire if not used within a certain amount of time.
• Eligible games: Casinos sometimes limit the games you can try with your free chip bonus.

Let’s take an actual NJ online casino no deposit bonus to illustrate.

Caesars Casino Bonus example:

CaesarsCasino offers $25 free. To claim the bonus, you must:

• Be a new customer.
• Create and validate your CaesarsCasino.com account.
• Log in to your account, click the available bonus page and then click the “$10 credit claim” button.
• Your free money bonus will be credited within 72 hours of approval.

Using the bonus:

• You must wager the $25 one time on slots before you can cash it out.
• Any winnings are yours to keep and cash out.
• You have 7 days to use the bonus.
• The bonus is good for slots, video poker, or table games, but games like Jacks or Better and blackjack contribute at lower rates.

As you can see from the table above, free bonus money promotions are quite common at NJ’s licensed and legal casinos. Caesars offers some of the more favorable terms out of the various offers available, but most offers are relatively similar in terms of the ultimate value they offer to players.

The great thing about free-play bonus, however, is that you’re not stuck to one casino.

In fact, there’s little reason not to try the free-play bonuses at all of NJ’s online casinos – they obligate you in no way whatsoever, you might end up getting lucky and – if nothing else – you’ll have a better sense of which online casino you prefer without having to deposit a penny of your own funds.

How NJ online casino deposit bonuses and match bonuses work

By far the most common promotional vehicle offered by NJ online casinos is what’s known as the matchbonus.

The core concept behind this event type is simple: put up a certain amount of money and the online casino will match a portion (or all) of that amount, up to a certain monetary cap.

For instance, if an offer reads 50% match up to $200, that means a casino will tack on $0.50 for every $1 deposited, but never more than $200. To take full advantage of an offer that reads like this, players would deposit $400.

Here’s where it gets tricky. A 50% match up to $200 on one site might be a far better deal than the same exact offer on another.

That’s because there are terms and conditions attached to every match bonus. And it’s the fine print, not the top-line offer, that ultimately determines a match bonus’s overall worth.

What is a Match Bonus – why not just give out cash?

Let’s get this out of the way: Match bonuses are never given out as cash, for the simple reason that if they were, there’s nothing stopping players from taking the money and running.

It would be a pretty surefire way for the NJ online casino to go broke.

Instead, the match portion is distributed as a bonus, and is placed in a bonus wallet that’s separate from a player’s cash balance.

In order to “unlock” the bonus, so that it becomes part of a player’s withdrawable balance, players will have to:

• Give the NJ online casino a certain amount of action
• Provide that action on allowablegames, and under certain rules
• Do so in a specified timeframe

Let’s look at all three of these conditions, in an effort to help you seek out the most favorable terms.

What is a wagering requirement?

Every match bonus comes affixed with a turnover or wageringrequirement, and this requirement is alwaysa multiple of the bonus amount.

So if a player receives a $100 bonus, and the wagering requirement is 10x, then the player must place a total of $1,000 ($100 x 10) in bets in order to unlock the bonus amount and any winnings secured via bonus wagers.

That’s a simple example. Some NJ online casinos like to throw an additional curveball at their patrons.

For instance, Caesars Casino requires that players wager the bonus plus deposit amount x number of times.

Therefore, if Caesars offers a 100% match up to $100 with a 5x wagering requirement on the bonus plus deposit, it’s really the same as an equivalent bonus with a 10x requirement on just the bonus amount, like one might find at Golden Nugget Casino.

However — and this is important — if the offer is a 50% match up on $100, Golden Nugget’s terms would be the betterdeal, since players would have to wager the Caesars bonus 15x to clear it, but still only 10x on Golden Nugget.

Why 15x? Because players now have to deposit $200 to receive $100, for a total of $300. $300 times five is $1,500, or 15 times the bonus amount.

What are the best games for clearing wagering requirements?

Always be on the lookout for what casino games online are eligible to wager on with bonus funds. Some casinos, like Borgata Casino typically only allow bonus funds to be wagered on slots.

That being said, the vast majority do allow for wagers on all games. However, wagers on some games contributemore toward the wagering requirement than others.

To wit, players will commonly see bonus terms that read like this: “The wagering requirement is 10x, slots contribute 100%, roulette 50%, and all other games (video poker, blackjack, and other table games) contribute 20%.”

This means that for every dollar wagered on blackjack, only $0.20 would count toward the wagering requirement. Therefore, players who receive a $100 bonus with a 10x wagering requirement will actually have to wager $5,000 (50x) on blackjack or video poker to unlock the bonus.

The reason these games generally contribute less than slots is that they’re lower house edge games.

Compounding matters further, sometimes wagers only count if a game is played a certain way.

For example, on most NJ online casinos low-risk roulette wagers do not contribute to the clearance requirements. An example of a low-risk bet might be if players bet an equal amount on red and black, or even and odd.

This type of wager is considered exploitative and not in the spirit of the promotion.

What’s an advantageous wagering requirement?

Generally, players should be on the lookout for match bonuses where the wagering requirement is 20x or less on slots. That’s because the average NJ online casino slot returns about 95%, so a 20x requirement (5% cash-back) would be about a break-even play.

A 10x requirement equates to 10% cash back, and can be considered advantageous by 5% on average. Players will wager $1,000 to unlock $100 and only lose $50, for a profit of $50.

Do note, that volatility plays a major role in the short run, so it’s more than possible for a player to still lose money despite favorable terms.

For video poker games a 25x requirement (4% cash back) is favorable, as most VP games return 96% or better even after removing the royalflush payback. The same goes for other table games and single-zero roulette.

As for blackjack, even a 50x requirement (2x requirement) is fine, since even the poorer NJ online casino blackjack games return over 99% with optimal play.

That, and blackjack really isn’t all that volatile of a game. Just be sure to play a small enough denomination to minimize whatever volatility there is, perhaps about a $10 wager on a $5,000 turnover requirement.

Bonus expiration terms

Lastly, all bonuses come affixed with an expiration date. Luckily, they’re usually prettylenient, although there are a few NJ online casinos that require bonuses to be cleared in a week or less. Most give players 14 – 30 days.

If a bonus expires, what generally happens is the bonus funds and any associated winnings from bonus bets are removed from a player’s account.

There’s a common misconception about how the removal sometimes works. For instance, players who receive a 100% match up to $500 and who lose $500 before the bonus expires might think they’ll still have their original $500 cash to play with.

This couldn’t be further from the truth, as wagered are almost always extracted from a player’s cash balance first. So if a player loses $500 and then the bonus expiry date hits, that player will be left with $0 in their cash wallet.

Biggest deposit bonuses at NJ online casinos

New Jersey online casinos want players so badly, they’re willing to give them free bonus cash to play with on the site with no strings attached.

But if there’s one thing these NJ online casinos love more than a new player, it’s a player willing to make a deposit on the site. In fact, New Jersey online casinos enjoy depositing players so much, they’re willing to give away massive deposit bonuses.

On certain online casino sites in New Jersey, players can claim a deposit bonus of up to four figures, which can be a big boost to just about any bankroll.

There is a catch. The truth is, all these deposit bonus offers will include some wagering requirements.However, most of these requirements are easy enoughto clear. Plus, many pay off in increments. That means you should be able to clear part, if not all, of the deposit bonus with ease.

It’s not exactly something for nothing, because you have to make a deposit to get your hands on a deposit bonus. But it is the next best thing.

Golden Nugget deposit bonus example

The Golden Nugget online casino offers players in New Jersey access to one of the largest game libraries in the industry. There are more than 400 different games. There is definitely no shortage of deposit bonus dollars a player can use to play them either.

New players who sign up at Golden Nugget with online promo code PLAY20 have access to a 100% deposit match bonus of up to $1,500. Only BetMGM’s and Betfair’s deposit bonuses are bigger than this one.

The wagering requirement is five times the deposit, plus the bonus on slots. Roulette, video poker, blackjack, and other table games count only 20% toward meeting the requirement.

Easiest online bonus to clear

New Jersey online casinos offer no-deposit bonuses of various shapes and sizes. That’s free money to play casino games you can get hold of without ever making a deposit on the sites.

There is a catch, in that all this free money comes with a play-through or wagering requirement. That means you must make a certain number of bets with the bonus before you can withdraw the cash you win from the site.

The truth is, some of the wagering requirements are more onerous than others. In fact, they range from just one time, with plenty of time to get it done, to a wagering requirement of 30x and just a week to complete it.

For example, new players on Golden Nugget can take advantage of a no-deposit bonus of $20 on sign-up. Use the online promo code PLAY20 to take advantage of the offer.

There is a wagering requirement of one time on slots. Other games count only 20% toward meeting the wagering requirements.

Match Bonus (for the win)

From what we’ve witnessed over the course of the NJ online casino industry’s long history, match bonus offers still provide the most player value — and even enable them to sometimes play with a temporaryadvantage over the house.

However, it’s the terms and not the percentage match, that matters when distinguishing a solid match bonus from a poor one.

Remember that, and you’ll be well on your way to finding better success at the virtual terminals and tables.

Using NJ online casino bonus codes

One of the tools NJ’s online casinos use to track marketing campaigns are bonus codes (sometimes referred to as promo codes). These are codes you enter when you sign up for the casino (or sometimes when you make a deposit) in order to receive a certain promotion.

Sometimes using an NJ online casino promo code can allow you to qualify for an exclusive promotion. For example, the Tropicana promo code PLAY20 gives players $10 in extra free bets over the publicly-available offer.

NJ online casino promo codes vary from operator to operator. Codes are usually attached to a certain marketing campaign or a certain promotion, and may only work for a certain period of time.

Researching bonus codes and promo codes for online casinos is a smart way to make sure you get the best possible NJ online casino signup bonuses. Online casinos in New Jersey reserve their best promotions for their strongest marketing partners and most valuable customers, so not every bonus code and promo code at an NJ online casino is created equal.

The difference between NJ online casino promo codes and NJ online casino bonus codes

It’s two terms that mean the same thing. It really just comes down to what an operator decides to call it. Some online casinos refer to the code as a promo code or a promotional code, while others refer to it as a bonus code.

No matter what it’s called, the purpose is the same – you use NJ online casino promo codes and bonus codes to qualify for offers that casinos might not otherwise give you. That’s why it’s critical to research and find the best promo and bonus codes for NJ’s online casinos, just like you would if you were shopping for anything online.

NJ online casino market snapshot

Two new online casinos launched in 2015, and another two in 2016. Then, over the past two years, the New Jersey online casino market became even more crowded with no less than five new online casino sites launching, including:

Below you’ll find a summary of each license holder’s current online casino brands, the software provider they utilize, and their current place in the New Jersey online casino hierarchy.

Golden Nugget

Golden Nugget Atlantic City now has four online casino brands operating under its interactive license:

• GoldenNuggetCasino.com – Launch date December 13, 2013
• BetfairCasino.com – Launch date November 21, 2013 (moved to GN on November 21, 2014)
• PlaySugarHouse.com – Launch date September 13, 2016
• BetAmerica.com – Launch date Feb. 2, 2019

Golden Nugget got a late start due to some early technical issues, but once GN found its sea legs, the casino has been one of the biggest surprises in the legal NJ online gambling market.

GoldenNuggetCasino.com was powered by Bally Technologies/Scientific Games, but ended its deal with Scientific Games and switched to NYX Gaming. NYX also powers the Resorts and Mohegan Sun online casino platforms. NYX is now a part of Scientific Games.

BetfairCasino.com migrated to Golden Nugget following the closure of Trump Plaza, the brick-and-mortar casino Betfair originally partnered with in New Jersey.

Because Betfair was an already-established brand in New Jersey, Betfair’s online casino operates on a completely separate platform from GoldenNuggetCasino.com, making both online casinos standalone products — the only thing they share is a license.

The addition of Betfair in November of 2014 took Golden Nugget from a significant, but middling, player in the market and propelled it to the top of the state’s online casino revenue generators. The addition of SugarHouse in late 2016 helped Golden Nugget climb to the very top of the NJ online gambling revenue charts.

In Feb. 2019 Churchill Downs launched its BetAmerica brand online casino and sportsbook under the Golden Nugget license, further solidifying Golden Nugget’s place at the top of the NJ online gambling market. In fact, its monthly revenues now more than double anyone else in the market.

Tropicana

Tropicana Casino & Resort Atlantic City also has two online casino brands operating under its license:

• TropicanaCasino.com – Launch date Nov. 21, 2013
• VirginCasino.com – Launch date Jan. 24, 2014

Unlike Golden Nugget and Betfair, Tropicana and Virgin both use the same online gaming platform, powered by Gamesys.

From the outset, Tropicana’s online casino sites were among the top revenue generators in the state.

One of the reasons for its success could be its early adoption of last-four Social Security number verification. The state’s other casinos were asking players to divulge their complete Social Security number while Tropicana was running player verification checks based on just the last four digits of customer’s SSN.

Tropicana was able to piece together the player’s full SSN through this method, but it has the advantage of appearing far less intrusive to the customer.

Ultimately, Tropicana sites have dipped to fourth place in the market, well behind Golden Nugget and trailing both Borgata’s and Caesars’ sites.

Borgata

Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa currently hasa number of separate online casino brands using its license:

• BorgataCasino.com – Launch date Nov. 21, 2013
• NJ.partypoker.com – Launch date Nov. 21, 2013
• PalaCasino.com – Launch date Nov. 17, 2014
• BetMGM – Launch date Aug. 1, 2017
• PartyCasino NJ – Launch date March 2018

Borgata and its partner GVC Holdings (PartyPoker) led the New Jersey online gambling market at the outset. But the emergence of other online casinos has seen Borgata, Golden Nugget, and Tropicana take turns at the number one spot when it comes to New Jersey online casino revenue. Golden Nugget is now the clear market leader.

Still, the Borgata and MGM brands are well known and will keep it in the upper tier of online operators.

In March 2018, partypoker spun off the casino game side of things into its own NJ online casino site. It runs under the PartyCasino brand, which happens to be one of the European online gambling market’s oldest and most popular online casino brands.

Caesars AC (Caesars)

Caesars has a trio of online casinos under its interactive license:

• US.888Casino.com – Launch date Nov. 21, 2013
• HarrahsCasino.com – Launch date Nov. 21, 2013
• CaesarsCasino.com – Launch date Nov. 21, 2013

The first two are powered by 888. Caesars was powered by Amaya but switched over to NYX Gaming in 2016.

Caesars was one of the top revenue generators from the outset. Even as its online poker revenue numbers have continued to lag behind those of the casino sites, Caesars has maintained its position among the top three groups of sites in the market. Although, like Borgata, it still trails Golden Nugget by a significant margin.

Resorts

Despite a very late start (ResortsCasino.com launched a full year after the other properties listed above), Resorts Casino now has three online casino brands operating under its iGaming license:

• ResortsCasino.com – Launch date Feb. 26, 2015
• MoheganSunCasino.com – Launch date July 20, 2015
• PokerStarsCasinoNJ.com – Launch date March 16, 2016
• DraftKings online casino – Launch date Dec. 2018

ResortsCasino.com was a great success story to start out, but revenue has fallen off. The addition of Mohegan Sun (a strong brand) and PokerStars (a stronger brand) has not helped much, particularly since the NJ online poker market has proven so small.

For its online casinos, Resorts is partnered with NYX Gaming.

DraftKings Sportsbook launched under Resorts’ license in 2018. It now runs a small selection of casino games as well. The success of the online sports betting platform has made Resorts appear as if it’s second in the market in Internet gaming revenue. However, the revenue is clearly coming from sports betting, a different sector no matter how the state lists it on a balance sheet.

Ocean Resort Casino

The new Ocean Resort Casino officially opened its doors on June 28, 2018, replacing the failed Revel Atlantic City. Ocean Resort launched its own NJ online casino on July 10, 2018, with software provided by industry leaders GAN.

Ocean Resort Online is struggling to compete as such a late-entry in the NJ online casino market

Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City

The Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City officially opened its doors on June 28, 2018, replacing the defunct Trump Taj Mahal. It followed up with the launch of its own Hard Rock online casino the very next day featuring software provided by online gambling technology partner Gaming Innovation Group (GIG).

Hard Rock online casino lags behind the leaders in the NJ online gambling market, which is no surprise as such a late entry. However, it records more than triple the monthly internet gaming revenue of competitor Ocean Resort Online.

• HardRockCasino.com – Launched June 2018
• NJ.Unibet.com – Launched June 2019

We will do our best to keep this page constantly updated with the latest casino bonus codes & promotions for New Jersey casino players. They consistently change so come back soon.

New Jersey is a certified poker destination for players not only from the East Coast, but from across the US and around the world. While it may lack a bit of the glitz of Las Vegas, New Jersey remains a significant part of the poker universe.

Online poker has also caught on in the Garden State, so it’s not surprising that we consistently receive questions from our members in New Jersey concerning how poker works online, the process for signing up, which poker sites are in NJ and the legal issues involved in online poker.

Those are all questions we’ll address here in one place with our Guide to New Jersey and Online Poker.

Overview of New Jersey Gambling From 2013 – 2019

Online Poker For Money Nj State

No state in the US has had more changes to its gambling laws than New Jersey in the past five years. New Jersey had its rollout for online casinos and poker sites, followed by daily fantasy sports (DFS) contests and sports betting.

In addition, New Jersey became the only state since Black Friday to award a gaming license to PokerStars. Pala Poker launched its inaugural site there. And New Jersey became the third state to enter the multi-state online poker liquidity network, joining Nevada and Delaware to share online poker player pools for tournaments and cash games.

Several bills were passed to help Atlantic City avoid bankruptcy or otherwise help the casino industry there. And a lobbying group continues to fight for the approval of land-based casinos in the northern reaches of the state, near New York City, to which Atlantic City enthusiasts are directly opposed. Meanwhile, the consistently growing revenue from online gaming and sports betting boosts the monthly and yearly revenue of the land-based casinos in Atlantic City, improving the overall numbers and showing a complementary relationship between the traditional and virtual gambling worlds.

The Road to Regulation

In November 2013, the rollout for licensed and legal online gambling in New Jersey happened. Eventually, five different partnerships emerged, with a number of ancillary companies involved. The five partnerships currently are: Borgata and PartyPoker, Golden Nugget and Betfair, Tropicana and Virgin Casino, Caesars Interactive and 888 Holdings, and Resorts Digital Gaming and PokerStars. Since then, more companies have obtained licenses and additional partnerships have emerged.

A month prior to the rollout in 2013, the Division of Gaming Enforcement suspended the review of PokerStars’ license application for further investigation due to the company’s role in Black Friday and the subsequent indictment of several executives. However, when Amaya Gaming in Quebec bought Rational Group, PokerStars’ parent company, and when Amaya CEO David Baazov left the company under investigation for insider trading, the New Jersey regulator reexamined PokerStars’ application. In September 2015, the investigation concluded with PokerStars officially reentering the US market to offer online poker and internet casino games, with sites launching in March 2016.

During that investigation, Borgata emerged as the leader in the online casino market. Caesars Interactive’s various websites combined to make Caesars the number two operator, and the two continued to dominate until PokerStars entered the market and proved that its partner, Resorts Casino, would be a serious competitor.

Improving the Numbers at New Jersey Poker Sites

The initial numbers in the online casino and poker market were disappointing, especially at first. The geolocation software did not work properly, so many gamblers on the borders of New Jersey could not play because their devices showed they were in Pennsylvania or New York State. Also, credit card payments were often declined. Visa payments only succeeded about 43% of the time, while MasterCard payments worked about 70% of the time. This caused significant confusion and frustration with new registrants, helping to slow down signups.

However, as the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement and the online gaming operators found their footing and improved technology to fix problems, the industry began to thrive. Geolocation was working near perfect, and responsible gaming measures worked so well that there wasn’t one single case of underage gambling in the first four years and counting. Payment processing improved quickly, and the initial problems fell by the wayside.

As of August 2017, the New Jersey online poker market had peaked and started losing ground over the previous year, despite new companies entering the market like Pala Poker. Though Pala was still gaining its footing in 2017, PokerStars and the WSOP-888 shared network were neck-and-neck for the leadership position in New Jersey, with PartyPoker-Borgata trailing behind by about 10%. New Jersey online gambling on the whole remained very lucrative, however. The industry surpassed $100 million in tax revenue in January 2017, and online gambling became an integral part of the overall gambling numbers for New Jersey each month, with online numbers showing so much profit as to keep the land-based casino revenue from dipping into negative territory.

By August 2018, the overall online gambling market in New Jersey neared $875 million in gross gaming revenue since the sites launched in 2013. The online poker market had been losing ground on a monthly basis, showing year-on-year decreases each month in 2017 and 2018, an almost continuous downswing. Meanwhile, the online casino games climbed each month, showing as much as 20% year-on-year increases each month in 2018. The online market as a whole was being carried by the online casino games, though poker did make its contribution and put the combined numbers on a path to reaching $1 billion by the end of 2018.

In fact, that is what happened. The final 2018 financials for New Jersey’s internet gaming market put revenue over $1 billion. The total internet gaming win for 2018 was $298,700,903, which was a 21.6% increase over the previous year.

Online poker, on the other hand, had a rough 2018 with a significant downswing in participation and revenue. New Jersey poker sites reported $21,393,296 in 2018 revenue, but that number was down 11.8% from the previous year.

As 2019 hit its halfway point, internet gaming as a whole was still soaring, seeing massive monthly increases in revenue. The first six months of 2019 showed a 55.2% increase year-over-year with $256,775,046 in total revenue. Online poker wasn’t able to reverse the downward trend entirely but began to shave its losses. Though poker still has more down months than ones with increases, the half-year revenue of $12,720,082 was only down 2.1% from 2018.

Is Betting on Sports Legal in New Jersey?

Yes. After many years of court battles that resulted in New Jersey taking its case all the way to the United States Supreme Court, the state earned the right to offer sports betting, as well as the right of every state in America to do so.

In 2011, the people of New Jersey voted in favor a referendum that allowed licensed and regulated sportsbooks in the state. That led to attempts in 2012 to legalize and regulate sportsbooks in the casinos and racetracks of New Jersey. When it appeared this might happen, a coalition of the American sports associations filed a joint lawsuit against New Jersey. The group of associations included the National Football League (NFL), Major League Baseball (MLB), National Basketball Association (NBA), National Hockey League (NHL), and National College Athletics Association (NCAA). They argued that New Jersey was violating the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) of 1992.

The PASPA law was pushed by the NFL in 1992 because they wanted to ban sports betting at the federal level in all 50 states. Nevada had been operating sportsbooks for year, so they lobbied Congress to avoid having their money-generating bookmakers outlawed. The sports leagues argued successfully that sports betting would undermine their sports, so Congress made a compromise. Those states with legal sports betting would be grandfathered in to the law. This ended up being four states: Nevada, Oregon, Montana, and Delaware. The latter three states had sports lotteries — less than full sportsbooks — but their forms of gambling were protected in those states.

The Lawsuits That Followed

The case of New Jersey Governor Chris Christie vs. NCAA went to the court of U.S. District Judge Michael Shipp in Trenton, who ruled in favor of the sports leagues. New Jersey appealed to the Third Circuit Court of Appeals in Philadelphia, which confirmed Shipp’s ruling. New Jersey appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court, which declined to hear the case.

After numerous rounds with appeals courts, which continuously ruled against New Jersey, the US Supreme Court agreed in June 2017 to hear the case. Arguments were presented to the Supreme Court Justices in December 2017, and most analysts said the attorneys for New Jersey presented the best case. The key argument in the case was the states’ rights issue, but the decision left up to the justices was the fate of PASPA.

On May 14, 2018, the US Supreme Court finally announced its decision in the case that was then named Murphy vs. NCAA, due to a change in the governorship. In a 7-2 ruling, the court ruled in favor of New Jersey, essentially overturning PASPA as unconstitutional. PASPA was ruled to violate the anti-commandeering doctrine of the US Constitution by barring states from authorizing sports betting, which “unequivocally dictates what a state legislature may and may not do.” One justice called PASPA a “direct affront to state sovereignty.” He added that Congress does have the option to regulate sports betting on the federal level, but in its absence, states may act on their own.

Governor Phil Murphy signed the official bill on June 11, 2018, to legalize sports betting via AB.4111. Land-based casino and racetracks were given the right to in-person launch sports betting per licensing requirements and state regulations, Monmouth Park opened its sports betting windows three days later, with Governor Murphy placing a World Cup bet to kick things off, and Borgata and opened its sportsbook minutes later. By the end of the first month of legalized sports betting, the state took in $3.5 million in revenue from the total of $16 million in wagers placed.

Soon after, online sports betting sites launched for New Jersey bettors, and many operators also launched mobile apps. More than a half dozen soon became available, including offerings from 888, BetStars, DraftKings, and FanDuel. Sites from MGM and others were in the works to be launched by the end of 2018.

PILOT Bill for Atlantic City Casinos

In 2015, a PILOT bill was passed to help Atlantic City standardize their annual tax burden. PILOT stands for “Payment in Lieu of Taxes”, and it set the tax rate for the combined Atlantic City casinos at $120 million a year for the next 15 years. The idea was to avoid costly annual legal battles the state of New Jersey and the AC casinos have over tax rates. Each year, the state assesses taxes, only to have the casinos file tax appeals. The lawyers win, but both sides waste a lot of money on legal fees.

The bill gives casino operators a chance to project costs years in advance, which is a help in itself. However, if one or more Atlantic City casinos closes, it would push more of a burden on the remaining casinos. At the same time, if new casinos appeared in Atlantic City, the casinos might pay a smaller percentage in taxes.

The 2014 Atlantic City Casino Closures

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Since it was mentioned, let’s quickly discuss the wave of casino closures in Atlantic City in 2014. To begin 2014, the city had 12 brick-and-mortar casinos. Almost immediately, the Atlantic Club closed its doors. The closure actually was brought about by Caesars Entertainment and Tropicana Casino, which partnered to buy the Atlantic Club in a bankruptcy option, then close their former competitor. Caesars Entertainment received Atlantic Club’s player database, while Tropicana received the casino’s gaming equipment at a discount.

Caesars Entertainment decided to close the Showboat in late August 2014. The Showboat was profitable, but Caesars wanted to consolidate its customer base in its remaining three AC casinos: Caesar’s Atlantic City, Bally’s, and Harrah’s. The following month, the Trump Plaza closed its doors. Trump Plaza had been in enough disrepair that Donald Trump wanted his name taken off the property in August 2014, fearing it would tarnish his image.

The Trump Taj Mahal entered bankruptcy in October 2014. At the time, Carl Icahn was the biggest creditor of Trump Entertainment Resorts, which owned the Trump Taj Mahal. Icahn was owed $290 million and was clearly in a position to take control of the Taj. In October 2014, the famed activist investor and Tropicana Casino owner filed a motion to have the Tropicana’s worker’s union, the Local 54 of Unite-HERE, lose its health and pension benefits. A judge ruled in Icahn’s favor. Meanwhile, Icahn was taking control of the casino in the bankruptcy process. In December 2014, he loaned an additional $20 million to the Taj in order to keep it afloat through much of 2015, but soon after took control of the entire casino. Donald Trump and his daughter, Ivanka, praised Icahn as a family friend who would turn the casino around. The damage had been done, however, and the casino finally closed for good in October 2016.

Revel Casino had trouble before its doors opened in April 2012. The building is the most expensive skyscraper in Atlantic City history at $2.4 billion. Revel Casino was envisioned before the global recession, and the investor Morgan Stanley realized it was a bad idea to open such a grand casino in the prevailing economic climate of 2012. It opened anyway, on April 2, 2012, and the casino was in business for 29 months, undergoing two bankruptcies along the way. When no bidders emerged after the second one, in September 2014, it closed its doors. In the following years, several buyers emerged but failed to follow through with the purchase, until Polo North Country Club bought it in April 2015 for $82 million to open it as a resort with a new TEN casino, That never happened, but in June 2018, the property opened as Ocean Resort Casino. Top ↑

The North Jersey Casino Referendum

The biggest issue facing New Jersey gambling in 2016 was the North Jersey casino referendum. The issue of whether to build two casinos in the northern end of New Jersey was going to be on the November ballot. Over the years, the states of Pennsylvania and New York had built a significant number of casinos. Also, New York has approved video lottery terminals (VLTs), while Pennsylvania placed slot machines in their racetracks. Atlantic City’s gaming revenues dwindled from $5.4 billion in 2006 to less than $2.4 billion in 2016. Some New Jersey leaders wanted to build casinos in North Jersey as a solution, but the voters, decided against it. In November 2016, the New Jersey casino expansion amendment was soundly defeated with more than 77% of the citizenry voting against it.

Which Are the Best Poker Sites for NJ Players?

When you start out with online poker, it’s tempting to just sign up at the first room you come across. After all, who wants to go to all of the trouble of comparing room after room when you just want to play poker?

That’s why we’ve simplified the process with this list of the top New Jersey online poker sites. All of the sites on our list receive the highest ratings for operating safely, rewarding players generously and maintaining software that provides a smooth, safe online poker experience. Ignition Poker is our number one online poker site, but there are many other poker rooms to choose from. Top ↑

New Jersey FAQ

Which companies hold online gaming licenses in New Jersey?

As of July 2018, the following companies hold online gaming licenses:

• Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa for BorgataCasino.com, BorgataPoker.com, NJ.PartyCasino.com, NJ.PartyPoker.com, PalaBingoUSA.com, PalaCasino.com, PalaPoker.com, PlayMGMCasino.com, PlayMGMPoker.com, ScoresCasino.com
• Caesars Interactive Entertainment for Boardwalk Regency Corp. for CaesarsCasino.com, HarrahsCasino.com, WSOP.com, US.888.com, US.888Poker.com, US.888Casino.com
• Golden Nugget Atlantic City for GoldenNuggetCasino.com, NJ-Casino.GoldenNuggetCasino.com, BetfairCasino.com, PlaySugarHouse.com
• Hard Rock Hotel & Casino for HardRockCasino.com
• Ocean Resort Casino for OceanOnlineCasino.com
• Resorts Casino Hotel Atlantic City for ResortsCasino.com, MoheganSunCasino.com, PokerStarsNJ.com
• Tropicana Casino Resort Atlantic City for TropicanaCasino.com, VirginCasino.com

What games are available?

Online poker, which is referred to as peer-to-peer gaming, is available in the form of cash games and tournaments. Most sites offer Hold’em and Omaha games, though there are no limits as to the games that can be offered.

Online casinos offer video poker, bingo, keno, and online slots. There are also numerous table games, like blackjack, baccarat, and roulette, that are offered as traditional internet games and in the new live-dealer format. Most games that are offered in land-based casinos can be offered online.

What are the taxes, licensing fees, etc.?

The initial permit to obtain an online gaming license in NJ requires a deposit of $100,000, which can then be applied to the $300,000 due for the first year of service upon the issuance of the license. Applications for renewals require $100,000 as a deposit, which can be applied toward the total of $150,000 due for a one-year renewal permit upon its issuance.

Each online gaming operator pays an annual fee of $250,000 that is dedicated to a responsible internet gaming fund to be allocated to the Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey and other compulsive gambling treatment programs in New Jersey.

Operators must pay a 15% tax on gross internet gaming revenues to the Casino Revenue Fund.

Watch our poker news section for daily updates on regulation and other important topics for US online poker players.

What About Playing Poker Online?

Unlike neighboring state New York, poker players in New Jersey aren’t restricted from signing up at most online poker rooms. The rule of thumb for New Jersey online poker players: if a site accepts US players, then you can be pretty confident New Jersey residents will also be allowed to create an account.

Is Online Poker Legal in New Jersey?

Two things we always have to get out of the way before talking about online poker and the law. The first is that this page does not offer legal advice, and you should not treat it as any sort of substitute for legal advice. The second is that knowing your state law is always a good idea, so we strongly suggest you bookmark the New Jersey State Statutes online. Top ↑

The simple answer to the question of online poker legality in New Jersey is YES. The legislature passed the bill in 2013, it was signed by Governor Chris Christie, and the law became effective on October 21, 2013. The final version of A.2578 amended the Casino Control Act. The details of the law are explained in the New Jersey Administrative Code, Title 13, Chapter 69O, with the most pertinent section as follows:

Pursuant to the 1976 amendment to the New Jersey State Constitution and the express authorization to the Legislature to determine the type of gambling games that may be conducted in casinos under regulation and control by the State, the Legislature hereby declares that in furtherance of the goals of the Casino Control Act and in recognition that the technologies necessary to support Internet gaming can be prescribed and implemented in a manner that ensures all such gambling activity occurs within casinos located in Atlantic City, it is appropriate that the Casino Control Act be amended and supplemented to authorize licensed casino operators to conduct such games within the casino premises with all wagering to be conducted solely within the casinos. (New section) Any authorized game or authorized gambling game, as defined in section 5 of P.L.1977, c.110 (C.5:12-5), that is authorized to be played in a casino may, with the approval of the division, be offered through Internet gaming.

Online poker, slots, table games like blackjack, and other casino games are now available online via a number of partnerships between online gaming operators and land-based casinos in Atlantic City.

As for poker, specifically, there are numerous online poker providers available to New Jersey players as of mid-2018, with the following four licensed by the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement: PokerStars, WSOP/888poker, PartyPoker/Borgata, and Pala Poker. These sites are offered to any legal-aged player located within the state’s borders (residency is not required).

New Jersey Gambling Facts

Many assume that the story of gambling in New Jersey begins and ends with Atlantic City, but there’s a longer tale behind the casinos on the boardwalk, which have only been open since 1978. Over a century before an Atlantic City casino took its first bet, New Jersey residents were risking their paychecks on horse races at Monmouth Park. That industry was shut down by the law at the turn of the century, and regulated gambling didn’t return in earnest until 1970 when the state approved a lottery. Top ↑

Current Regulated Gambling Options in New Jersey

Today, that lottery sits aside one of the largest collections of commercial casinos found anywhere on the globe. Atlantic City made it an even dozen in 2012 with the opening of Revel. Outside of Atlantic City you’ll find other regulated gaming activity like parimutuel wagering at tracks and OTBs, charitable gambling events and social gambling (as permitted within the law), as well as newly-regulated online poker and casino games, daily fantasy sports (DFS) contests, and sports betting, both live and online.

Current Regulated Online Gambling Options in New Jersey

Online gambling, including poker, slots, and casino table games, was legalized by the state legislature in 2013, and Governor Chris Christie subsequently signed it into law. The industry will initially be allowed to run for a ten-year period for evaluation, as the land-based Atlantic City casinos partner with various online gambling operators to grow the new industry. Players are required to be located within the state’s borders, which is tracked by geolocation systems developed for New Jersey online gambling. The first online casinos virtually opened in November 2013. Nearly four years into the “experiment,” all parties involved agree that the industry is growing and increasingly successful. Many say it has already become an essential part of the growth of Atlantic City.

New Jersey Gambling Research

CityofAtlanticCity.org . The official website of the city provides information about the casinos that drive Atlantic City, along with a detailed picture of the region beyond the casinos.

Division of Gaming Enforcement . Complete set of resources regarding land-based casino gambling in new Jersey. Financial records, self-exclusion information, game testing and all other relevant information can be found at the DGE’s homepage.

GamblingAndTheLaw.com . Site of gambling law expert I Nelson Rose, who frequently writes about New Jersey’s push into online gambling and sports betting.

New Jersey’s Place in Poker History

While Las Vegas may be the ultimate poker destination, Atlantic City is arguably just as iconic for a certain generation of poker players. It is, of course, the casinos of Atlantic City – not Vegas – that provided the backdrop for Rounders, what many consider the definitive modern poker movie.

New Jersey is also the original home of the man many consider to be the absolute best in the game: Phil Ivey, who got his start in the card rooms of Atlantic City. The 2017 World Series of Poker Main Event champion, Scott Blumstein, hailed from New Jersey, even crediting the new online poker industry with much of his knowledge of the game. His play on the legal internet poker sites in New Jersey prepared him for the 2017 WSOP and led to his Main Event victory worth $8.15 million. Top ↑

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Sources & Citations For This Article on New Jersey Online Poker