Harrah’s Online Casino Review

Harrah’s is one of over a dozen NJ online casinos currently licensed to offer real-money gaming to all New Jersey-based players.

Harrah’s is powered by a modified version of the 888 Dragonfly software. It is operated by Caesars Interactive Entertainment.

Harrah’s Online Casino promo code

Get started playing at Harrah’s today!

The following two promotions are available to new Harrah’s Casino NJ players:

$10 free, no deposit required

Register your first account and receive a free $10, to be wagered on any of Harrah’s casino games, including blackjack, roulette and slot machines. No deposit is required.

The bonus will be credited to your account automatically upon successfully registering and activating a real money account. Please note that claiming another registration bonus, by using a special bonus code, for example, will make you ineligible for the no-deposit bonus.

This bonus comes with one of the best wagering requirements in the industry – a 2x playthrough. This means withdrawing the bonus is as easy as placing $20 worth of bets at any of the slot games. The bonus expires seven days after being credited, so make sure to meet the wagering requirements soon after registration.

While the bonus amount is relatively low by market standards, the low wagering requirement more than makes up for the deficiency.

100% deposit match bonus, up to $300

Make a deposit with Harrah’s online casino and have that deposit matched, dollar for dollar, up to a maximum of $300. Only your first-ever deposit is eligible.

The bonus will be released into your account in $10 chunks, with each chunk requiring 10 Tier Credits. These credits are part of Harrah’s loyalty program, which we discuss in more detail below.

In short, you will receive 1 Tier Credit per $20 wagered at the online casino, keeping in mind that different games contribute a different percentage towards wagering requirements. (See the next section for details).

This means that, in order to release a single $10 chunk of your bonus, you’ll need to place $200 worth of  slots bets, translating to a 20x wagering requirement. While this is neither particularly high nor low, the separation of the bonus into smaller chunks makes it that much easier to clear for less-active gamblers.

Each bonus chunk will be credited to your cashier within 72 hours of meeting the Tier Credit requirements.

Get your bonus signup for Harrah’s now

Game contribution towards wagering requirements

In order to cash out a casino bonus, you typically need to wager the bonus amount a certain number of times. Depending on the game you play, a different portion of your wagers will be counted towards that clearance requirement. Here’s a breakdown of wager contributions for Harrah’s Casino NJ:

• 100 percent contribution for slots, video slots and dice
• 20 percent for roulette and triple card poker
• 10 percent for blackjack and video poker games

Let’s take a look at an example:

You create a free account with Harrah’s and receive your $10 free welcome bonus, which is subject to a 2x wagering requirement. After ten to 20 minutes of play, you end up placing the following wagers in total:

• $12 playing slots
• $10 playing roulette
• $10 playing blackjack

That makes for $32 in total wagers. Given our bonus carries a wagering requirement of $20, is this enough to cash out the bonus? Unfortunately not, because different games contribute differently towards meeting bonus withdrawal thresholds.

Here’s how we calculate our actual wagering contributions in this example:

• Slots contribute 100 percent, and 100 percent of $12 is $12.
• Roulette contributes 20 percent, and 20 percent of $10 is $2.
• Blackjack contributes 10 percent, and 10 percent of $10 is $1.

The total contributed is therefore 12 + 2 + 1 = $15. Just $5 more and we’ll be able to withdraw our $10 bonus. We can achieve this by placing $5 worth of slots wagers, or $25 worth of bets playing video poker, and so on.

Harrah’s Casino overview

Harrah’s online casino is operated by Caesars Interactive Entertainment, the online gambling arm of Caeasars Entertainment Corporation. As such, it was among the very first few casinos – along with 888 Casino and Caesars Online Casino – to offer legal online games in New Jersey.

Harrah’s operates under NJ Division of Gaming Enforcement license number NJIGP 15-007, awarded in November 2013 to the alliance formed by Caesars Interactive Entertainment, 888 and Bally’s Atlantic City.

The casino offers decent welcome bonuses, with clearing requirements particularly well-suited to beginner and casual gamblers. Exciting daily bonuses are available as well, with wagering requirements and limitations clearly stated on the website.

Being one of the most recognizable casino brands in the US, by playing at Harrah’s you are entrusting your money to veterans of the industry.

In accordance with New Jersey gambling regulations, you must be physically present in NJ to play at Harrah’s online casino. This restriction only applies to real money, with play money games available to gamblers worldwide.

The casino runs on 888’s battle-hardened Dragonfish platform.

Harrah’s desktop software

Desktop players can join the casino games straight from the browser and without downloading any software. The browser-based platform works both on Mac and Windows machines, and is compatible with Safari, Google Chrome and Firefox, as long as Flash-support is enabled.

Simply log into your account on Harrah’s front page and the online casino lobby will open in a new browser window.

The app is slow to load compared to other casinos, with an average wait time of 15 seconds on our internet connection. It doesn’t get much faster after loading, either, with both the cashier and other sections of the lobby taking a while to load and feeling a little clunky, albeit fully functional.

The slots section of the casino is well-structured and user-friendly. Games can be viewed in grid or list view, with the latter showing the number of paylines and jackpot size, if any, per game.

Filtering by payline (9-20, 25+) and by jackpot is also available. Hovering over a game will reveal all pertinent information, including min and max bets, number of paylines, and the availability of bonus rounds and free spins.

Other features

You can drag and drop games into the “My Favorites” section, making them easier to access in the future. Up to four games can be added.

Similar functionality and detail is available in all other sections of the casino.

You can choose to disable or enable lobby sound effects, toggle between full-screen and regular view, and browse through the most popular and most recently played games.

You can access the play money section of the lobby by clicking the “Go to Play Money” button in the bottom-right corner.

We accidentally closed the browser window while in the middle of a blackjack hand and, after restarting the lobby, were pleasantly surprised to see a notification window asking if we’d like to resume the last game we were playing. It’s a very nice qualify-of-life feature.

Games are unfortunately slow to load, with an average time of 20 seconds. Some games took as much as 40 seconds to load.

Harrah’s mobile software

According to Harrah’s website, its mobile app is “guaranteed to bring the glitz and glam of Atlantic City to your iOS device.” Is that true?

For starters, note that the mobile casino version is only available for iPhone and iPad devices. Android users must make do with the browser-based platform.

The iOS version of the app took around ten seconds to load on our iPhone 6. Compared to the browser version, the mobile app felt quite responsive. Unfortunately, that’s about the only good thing to be said about the app.

The mobile app game offering is extremely small, with only eight slots and two table games. Additionally, accessing certain menu features, such as account settings, redirected us to the browser-based version of the application, which was a big waste of time.

Coupled with the less-than-ideal visual appeal of the interface, this makes us feel the mobile app was added just for the sake of adding one.

The only real upside to using the mobile app is the availability of play money games, which isn’t true for some other New Jersey online casinos.

Who can play at Harrah’s Casino NJ

To play for real money, you will need to be physically located within the borders of New Jersey and be at least 21 years old.

A social security number will be required during the registration process, and having a wifi-enabled device is also mandatory for the casino to accurately verify your location. If your desktop computer has no wifi connection, you will need to purchase an adapter.

Play money games are available through both the browser and mobile versions of the casino and can be accessed from any location.

Registering an account at Harrah’s Casino NJ

To register an account, navigate to the casino’s website or open up the mobile app, and hit the “Open account” button.

Fill out the form by providing your name, date of birth, e-mail, address, and password. Finish up by verifying your identity, as follows:

• If you’re a US citizen, you will need to provide your full social security number.
• If you’re not a US citizen, you’ll be asked for your passport number.

Non-US citizens will additionally be asked, in an e-mail sent after registration, to supply a photocopy or scan of their passports. Failing to do this will result in restrictions being applied to your account, although you’ll still be able to participate in play money games.

Don’t forget to click the activation link included in your welcome e-mail.

You will automatically receive your welcome “no deposit” bonus and, if physically located within New Jersey, be able to participate in real money action instantly. Don’t forget to enable wifi detection on your phone or desktop computer while playing. Otherwise, Harrah’s won’t be able to verify your presence in NJ.

Joining the games is as easy as logging into your account through the website or mobile app. No software download is required.

Harrah’s online casino game availability

The casino’s game offering is relatively small. However, the quality is right up there with the best providers. The full browser-based version of the app currently includes the following:

• 50 slot games
• Four roulette games
• One blackjack game
• One video poker game

The games are easy to find and filter, though unfortunately slow to load, with most taking over 20 seconds, and some twice as long, to open.

Let’s take a closer look at the available games.

Check out all of Harrah’s online casino games

Harrah’s slot games

The casino offers 50 real money slot games. Most, though not all, can be played with play money as well. While 50 may not sound like a lot, the variety and quality are top-notch.

Games as simple as Casino Reels, with only nine paylines, are available, all the way up to Raging Rhino with its 4,096 winning combinations. Games with 15, 20, 25, 30, 40, 100 and 192 paylines are available as well.

Minimum bets can be as low as a penny in the Reel’em In – Big Bass Bucks and the Super Jackpot Party, and go as high as $800 in Zeus III. Multiple games with maximum bets in the $200-$300 range are available as well, including hits such as Ultimate Universe and The Royals: Go Camping!

Games featuring bonus rounds are available as well, including Easter Bunnies and City Life 2. And if you’re up for some free spins, Queen of the Wild and Steampunk Nation will meet that need.

Some other popular titles include:

• Kronos
• Cafe de Paris
• Invaders From the Planet Moolah
• Snack Time
• Alice and the Mad Tea Party
• Black Knight
• Sea of Tranquility
• Nemo’s Voyage
• OMG Kittens!

Multiple progressive jackpot slot games are available as well, including standbys such as Irish Riches, as well as the lesser-known Dino Jackpot Stampede. Other jackpot titles include:

• Steampunk Nation
• Pirates Millions
• Saved By The Bells
• The Royals: Go Camping!
• Snack Time
• Casino Reels
• Ultimate Universe

As you can see, the selection is varied enough to provide tons of excitement to both beginner and veteran gamblers.

Harrah’s Casino roulette games

Four varieties of roulette are available:

1. Roulette: Your typical American roulette. Includes a zero and double zero. Minimum/maximum bets per spot are $1/$100, and max total bet is $300.
2. High-limit roulette: Same as regular roulette, but with much higher betting limits: min/max per spot of $5/$600, and max total of $2,000.
3. High limit European roulette: This variant does not include the double-zero. Min bet $5, max. bet per spot $600, and max total bet is $2,000.
4. High Limit French roulette: does not include double-zero field and offers the La Partage rule. Min/max bets per spot of $5/$600 and total max of $2,000.

If return on investment is one of your primary concerns, stick to the French variant. Not only does it offer better odds compared to American roulette on account of lacking a double-zero, it also offers better ROI than European roulette thanks to the La Partage rule. That guarantees you a 50 percent refund on your even bets if the ball lands on zero.

Harrah’s Casino blackjack offering

Classic Blackjack is the only variant currently available. Min and max bets are $1 and $15,000, respectively.

The game is played with six decks. Up to five hands can be played at the same time. Turbo mode can be enabled to significantly speed up the card-dealing process. Some rule highlights:

• Dealer will hit a soft 17
• Splitting is allowed
• Doubling your bet on any two cards and after a split are allowed

The above rules translate to a house edge of roughly 0.67%.

No multiplayer mode or side betting action is currently available.

Harrah’s Casino video poker

This one is interesting. While the casino website lists “Jacks or Better” as an available game, we were not able to find it inside the lobby. As a result, we are unable to comment on the house edge and quality of the game. We will re-check the lobby periodically and update this section if and when video poker games become accessible.

Harrah’s Casino NJ loyalty rewards

Harrah’s loyalty Total Rewards program lets you collect Tier Credits and Reward Credits.

Because the reward program is shared between Harrah’s online casino and Caesars’ brick-and-mortar venues, you will have to create a free account over at www.totalrewards.com and link it to your Harrah’s online casino account, in order to participate in the program.

Below is an overview of the differences between Tier Credits and Reward Credits:

Tier Credits

These are accumulated over the course of the year and will determine your tier status for that specific year.

There are four tiers (Gold, Platinum, Diamond and Seven Stars), each with its own set of benefits. Unfortunately, these benefits can only be realized in Caesars’ land-based establishments, and are therefore of little value to online-focused gamblers. Benefits include complimentary dinners, free room upgrades, access to diamond lounges and various discounts.

You get Tier Credits according to the following schedule:

For online casino wagers

One Tier Credit per $20 wagered, according to the “Game contribution towards wagering requirements” section further up this article.

For Caesars brick-and-mortar casino wagers

• One Tier Credit per $5 wagered at most slot games.
• One Tier Credit per $10 wagered at video poker games.
• Tier Credits can also be earned playing blackjack and roulette, with the exact amount determined by your average bets and time spent at the table.

To the online gambler, acquiring Tier Credits is most valuable as a way of fulfilling the wagering requirements of bonuses offered by the online casino.

Tier Credits reset at the beginning of every year.

Reward Credits

You will receive one Reward Credit for every Tier Credit earned. The advantage of Reward Credits is that you can convert them directly to cash, receiving $1 per 100 Reward Credits.

Here’s an example for online casino players.

You wager a total of $20,000 playing the slots at Harrah’s online casino. Because slot machines contribute 100 percent towards wagering requirements, and because 1 Tier Credit is awarded per $20 wagered, you will receive 1,000 Tier Credits.

And since you also get one Reward Credit per Tier Credit earned, an extra 1,000 Reward Credits will be added to your account. The 1,000 Rewards Credits can now be redeemed for $10 in bonus cash.

Overall, if you play online exclusively and do not plan a visit to Caesars land-based establishments, you’ll find Harrah’s Loyalty program pretty much useless for cash-back generation.

Sign up now and get $10 free or a 100% match up to $300

Harrah’s Casino NJ promotions

For starters, you get $10 free for registering a new account, in addition to a 100 percent match on your first deposit up to $300. (See above for more detail.)

In addition to the above, Harrah’s offers daily bonuses:

Bonus Mondays

Make a deposit between $30 and $99 on a Monday and receive a 10 percent bonus, up to $10. If the deposit is between $100 and $300, the bonus increases to 15 percent, up to a maximum of $45. Subject to a 20x wagering requirement. Use bonus code MONDAY while depositing to become eligible.

Win-Win Tuesday

Make a minimum deposit of $25 on a Tuesday using promo code TUESDAY and receive back 10 percent of any losses on that same Tuesday, up to a total of $1,000. Money received from this promotion must be wagered five times before withdrawal.

Bonus Spins Wednesdays

Deposit $30 or more on a Wednesday using bonus code WEDNESDAY and receive free bonus spins. The number of spins received will depend on deposit size: $30 to $99 will award ten bonus spins, while deposits of $100 and over will earn you 20 spins. Winnings acquired from using your free spins are subject to a 20x wagering requirement, which must be met within seven days.

Lucky Thursdays

Make a Thursday deposit of $30 or more using promo code THURSDAY and receive a $5 bonus (for deposits up to $99) or a $15 bonus (for deposits of $100 and over). Bonus funds can only be used to play roulette and classic blackjack. Subject to a 20x wagering requirement.

Spins Fridays

Deposit $30 or more on a Friday using code FRIDAY and receive one bonus spin for every ten spins made on that same day. Winnings from bonus spins must be wagered 20 times within seven days to become eligible for withdrawal.

Slots Saturdays

Deposit $30 or more on a Saturday using promo code SATURDAY and receive a $5 bonus (for deposits up to $99) or a $10 bonus (deposits of $100 and over), available for use at a select number of video slot games. The bonus is subject to a 20x playthrough within seven days.

Extra Points Sundays

Make a Sunday deposit of at least $30 using promo code SUNDAY, play video slots on that same day, and receive double the Tier Credits you normally would, plus an extra 50 Tier Credits if you earn 100 Credits or more. Example: If you earn 150 Credits, you’ll receive an extra 150 + 50 more for a total of 350.

Restrictions on bonuses

First-time deposits are not eligible for any of the above daily promotions. All bonuses will be credited to your account within 72 hours of meeting the requirements and will expire within seven days if unused.

Bonus spins from the Wednesday and Friday promotions can only be used to play the following video slots: Adventures in Orbit, Euro Reels, Knights & Maidens, City Life and Freaky Fruit. Each bonus spin will be worth 5 x $0.05.

Harrah’s Casino NJ online banking

The casino offers the same proven payment processing methods employed by other casinos.

Deposits

• ACH Bank transfers
• Mastercard / Visa
• PayPal
• Neteller
• Casino cage
• PayNearMe
• Online bank transfer

All of the above payment methods are almost instant. ACH transfers and credit card payments are particularly good for their simplicity and lack of fees. PayPal is also a great alternative as long as you have a verified account.

The casino cage option lets you deposit directly at Caesars Atlantic City. With PayNearMe you can fund your account at any local 7-Eleven store.

Be careful of Neteller, which carries hefty transaction fees.

Withdrawals

• ACH bank transfer
• Check
• PayPal
• Neteller
• Casino cage

PayPal and Neteller withdrawals require three to four business days to process. ACH bank transfers require three to five days, while checks are the slowest method, with a wait time of eight business days within the US and up to 18 business days for other countries.

By far the fastest and, unfortunately, least convenient, way of withdrawing your money is the casino cage option. Initiate the cash-out request from your cashier and have your money waiting for you at Caesars Atlantic City land-based casino 24 hours later.

Responsible gambling

Harrah’s Casino NJ provides a safe and healthy gambling environment:

1. The casino makes certain all new players are 21 or older. They do this by requiring a valid SSN at account registration.
2. Players can set a daily playing time limit, with a pop-up notification automatically showing in the lobby once you hit limit.
3. You can change your daily, weekly and monthly deposit limits. Any limit decrease will be effective immediately, while a limit increase will only take effect 30 days after the change is made.
4. You can enable a net loss limit for a daily, weekly or monthly period. A net loss is the difference between your winnings and losses during a given period. Example: You set a daily loss limit of $50. A while later, you find yourself with a total of $300 in winnings and $360 in losses during a single day, making for a net loss of -$60. Because the amount exceeds your preset limit of $50, you cannot place any additional real money wagers until the end of the day.
5. Cooling-off and self-exclusion protocols can be activated when necessary, banning you from the casino for a period ranging in length from a few days to multiple years.

Harrah’s customer support

Harrah’s online casino offers the following support channels:

1. FAQ section. We found it to be informative on some topics, but lackluster in others. The layout and presentation of the FAQ page felt dated, and there is no easy way to access it directly from the website’s main menu. The link to the FAQ is buried on the “Contact Us” page.
2. E-mail support. Can be reached at [email protected]. The site answers simple questions very quickly, sometimes in as little as an hour. For more complex questions, however, you might have to wait between 12 and 24 hours.
3. Toll-free phone support. Available at 1-855-218-6230. The staff is knowledgeable and very quick to answer.

There was no live chat option available at the time of this writing.

Overall, e-mail is probably the best option for simple questions, while more elaborate problems are best over the phone. Always check the FAQ first, but don’t expect much.

Start playing at Harrah’s today