Best NJ Online Casino List
New Jersey offers legal online gambling websites and mobile apps across multiple verticals.
Regulated NJ online casinos and NJ online poker sites first appeared in late 2013 for eligible bettors physically located in the state. As of late 2018, NJ online sports betting is also available — and thriving.
To learn more about NJ’s legal online gambling products, jump to the FAQ.
NJ online gambling promo codes for 2019
NJ online gambling news
That’s the official word from New Jersey gambling regulators. Sources at the NJ Division of Gaming Enforcement (DGE) confirm that the state’s casinos have been... There’s been a lot of will-they-or-won’t-they talk regarding New Jersey’s self-imposed deadline of November 26th for launching real-money gambling online. While we’re only in early... In this week's iGaming Informer: 888's expansion, New Jersey's possible potholes on the road to online gambling launch and all essential stories between. A number of New Jersey’s casinos have failed to be prompt and complete with the regulatory filings required to seek Internet gambling approval from state... bwin.party will be using CAMS to perform its KYC checks. The company already has a Nevada license and will be seeking one in New Jersey.
DGE Confirms: New Jersey Online Gambling Live at 9:00am November 26th
We’ll Know Next Friday if New Jersey Online Gambling Will Be Live By Nov 26th
iGaming Informer: 888 Expands; NJ Brakes; Ghosts of Online Poker Past
Some New Jersey Casinos Dragging Their Feet on Internet Gambling
Bwin.party Selects CAMS to Handle US KYC Checks
Illegal vs. legal online casino gambling in New Jersey
We only endorse play at NJ’s legal, regulated online casinos.
Why? It’s simple:
- Only regulated sites are operating legally in New Jersey.
- Your money is safe at regulated sites. The same isn’t true at offshore sites.
- Regulated online gambling sites have to go through rigorous software testing and maintain meticulous records of play. Offshore sites do not.
- Regulated online gambling sites are required by law to protect your personal information.
Learn more about regulated online gambling in New Jersey at the NJ Division of Gaming Enforcement.
NJ online gambling no deposit bonuses: questions and answers
No deposit / free play bonuses are very common promotions at New Jersey’s online casino and poker sites, second in ubiquity only to the deposit match bonus. But because of the “free” aspect of the promotion, many players often have questions about the logic, fine print or validity of such offers.
Below, you’ll find answers to a handful of the most regularly asked questions about no deposit promotions.
Do I need a promo code to claim offers at NJ online casinos?
Generally speaking, no. If an NJ online casino promo code or bonus code is necessary to claim an offer, we will note the code in the description of that offer. But the majority of these offers are just standard opening bonuses at the casino or poker site and don’t require a special promotional code to claim.
In case you’re wondering, there’s no practical difference between a bonus code and a promo code. It’s just a different way of saying the same thing, and it varies from casino to casino.
So at some NJ online casinos, you’ll be putting in a bonus code. Other casino sites in New Jersey are going to ask you for a promo code. Either way, the point is the same: Bonus and promo codes can get you a better bonus. That means you should try to find one before signing up at one of New Jersey’s legal gambling sites.
Example: The public offer at Golden Nugget online casino is far less than the $20 free and the 100% up to $1500 by using our promo code PLAY20.How can casinos afford to give money away?
No deposit bonuses are a marketing expense, like any other marketing expense. Casinos expect a certain value from each customer they bring through the door. So casinos are willing to spend right up to that value to bring customers through the door.
Casinos don’t really care if they’re spending that money on billboards, a new flashing sign, or customer promotions. All are marketing expenses from the view of the bottom line. And that’s how casinos afford to give money away to new players.
It also helps that the amounts involved tend to be small, and the terms of the offer prohibit players from simply cashing out the money right away.
Who qualifies for no deposit bonuses?
Generally speaking only new customers at a given NJ online casino qualify for the no deposit offer. If a casino has both poker and casino no deposit offers – like Borgata and 888 do – players are typically forced to choose one bonus or the other.
Some operators are more restrictive, only allowing one bonus per household address or device.
Is there any limit to how many no deposit bonuses I can get?
A casino usually only allows players to take advantage of a no deposit bonus a single time. But there’s nothing stopping players from taking advantage of no deposit bonuses at various casinos and poker rooms.
Most of NJ’s regulated online casinos and poker sites offer some sort of no deposit bonus. If you claimed them all, you’d be looking at hundreds of dollars in free play.
Can I just cash the bonus out right away?
No. Every online casino site in New Jersey attaches some sort of wagering or withdrawal requirement to prevent bonus abuse.
A typical requirement is that you wager the bonus money “x” number of times before you can cash out. For poker, the site might require you to pay a certain amount of rake before cashing out.
What information do I need to provide to create an online casino account in NJ?
To create an account at a regulated online casino or poker site in NJ, you will need to provide your name, address, and email address. You will also need to confirm your social security number.
You may also have to answer some questions to verify your identity. New Jersey regulations require all of this information.
One of these sites is asking me for my Social Security number. Should I provide it?
Only if you feel comfortable, but you will need to provide it to create a valid account at any New Jersey online casino or poker room.
Regulated online gambling sites are required by law to verify customer identity to prevent money laundering and other criminal abuses.
NJ online casino FAQ
Legal online gambling now over five years old in New Jersey. But players still have a healthy amount of questions about how these casinos work, who’s behind them, and what rules and agencies govern regulated online gambling websites in NJ.
Below we’ve collected answers to the questions readers ask us the most often about New Jersey’s legal online casino sites. Contact us if your question isn’t covered below.
Are you interested in poker? Refer to our extensive NJ online poker review / FAQ.
What do you mean when you say “legal” online casinos? What makes one legal and another illegal?
On Feb. 27, 2013, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie signed a bill that authorized the operation of regulated online casinos in the state.
The NJ Division of Gaming Enforcement gave the go-ahead on Nov. 21, 2013, to approved operators to start offering online casino games and online poker games.
Only land-based casinos in Atlantic City – along with their licensed partners – are eligible to offer legal, regulated online casino and poker in New Jersey. The list of approved casinos (found above) is a relatively brief one, numbering just under a dozen.
Other online casinos may advertise themselves as legal, but they’re frankly not being honest with customers. The only legal online casinos operating in New Jersey are those licensed and approved by the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement.
If you ever have a question about the legality of a specific online casino operating in NJ, contact the DGE: (609) 984-0909 / [email protected].
What are the key distinctions between legal online casinos and illegal ones?
There are any number of distinctions. For example, legal online casinos pay taxes on their revenue to the state, while New Jersey receives no such benefits from illegal casinos based offshore.
But from a consumer perspective, there are three key distinctions between legal and illegal online casinos in New Jersey.
1) Safety of funds
You have no guarantee that your funds are safe at an illegal online casino. It’s often quite difficult to tell what company is ultimately behind the casino. Several online casinos may advertise that other jurisdictions license them, but those licenses don’t make those casinos legal in NJ. And those licenses don’t provide the same protections to consumers.
That’s because NJ regulations require licensed online casinos to hold all player funds in secure accounts that are separate from the normal operational accounts of the company. These and other regulatory protections ensure that you know where your funds are, who is holding them and how to get them back if there’s a problem.
Bottom line: Your money is safer at a legal online casino.
2) Security of personal information
Without regulations to require the casino to safeguard your personal information and the threat of a regulator who has ability to crack down on operators, illegal online casinos have little incentive to protect your data.
That includes the credit card or other banking information you provide to deposit. When you play at an offshore online casino, you simply can’t be sure that your information will be handled securely.
Bottom line: Your information is safer at legal online casinos.
3) Fairness of games
All casino games favor the house.
But at an illegal online casino, you have no idea if the deck is square or if the slot reels have been rigged to prevent some outcomes and encourage others. You also have no guarantee that the casino will pay you if you do go on a lucky run and ring up a big win.
At New Jersey’s legal online casinos, games are subject to the same testing and oversight as the slot machines on the floor at the Borgata or Golden Nugget. If you’re the lucky few to hit an online jackpot in NJ, the casino will pay you just like they would on an actual casino floor in Atlantic City.
Bottom line: You have no idea whether illegal online casinos offer fair games.
How online gambling sites regulated in New Jersey
Who is responsible for oversight of online gambling in NJ?
Oversight of regulated online gambling in New Jersey is the responsibility of the NJ Division of Gaming Enforcement or the DGE. Learn more about what the DGE does here.
The DGE is also responsible for regulating the multi-billion dollar land-based gambling industry in New Jersey, an industry centered in Atlantic City.
Appropriately, that’s also the city the DGE (located at 1300 Atlantic Avenue Atlantic City, NJ 08401) calls home.
Who can get a license?
There are two levels of licensing related to regulated online gambling in New Jersey:
- Internet Gaming Permits: This is the top level of online gambling licensure. You cannot operate a legal online casino in New Jersey without that online casino being attached to an IGP permit. And only licensed land-based casinos in NJ are eligible to even apply for an IGP.
- Casino Service Industry Enterprise License: This is the level of licensure directly below IGP’s. You’d need this license to serve as a platform provider, game provider, or similar function in the market.
How do licenses work?
Here’s an example of how it works in practice.
- A land-based casino like the Tropicana applies for an IGP.
- They then can choose to develop their platform and content in-house or work with external partners. In Tropicana’s case, they chose to partner with Gamesys, who operate several licensed gambling sites in other regulated markets like the United Kingdom.
- If a casino chooses an external partner, that partner is required to apply for CSIE approval.
- Once all of the approvals are secured, the casino can legally offer online gambling to consumers under several distinct brands – up to five under New Jersey regulations.
For their part, Tropicana and Gamesys currently offer two brands:
- Tropicana Casino
- Virgin Casino
What rules govern the operation of an online casino in NJ?
You can find the merged regulations covering legal online gambling in New Jersey here.
In addition to the regulations specifically dealing with online casinos, all of the legal gambling websites in New Jersey are subject to the general regulations governing the gambling industry in the state.
What do I do if I have a dispute with a regulated online New Jersey casino?
The NJ DGE has a process by which consumers can open a formal dispute with a licensed online casino.
- Customers must first contact the casino with their issue.
- Customers can then file a dispute form with the DGE.
- The DGE will assist with any questions you may have when completing the form.
What kind of protections are in place for problem gambling?
If you have questions about problem gambling, please visit the National Council on Problem Gambling.
Different online casinos in NJ offer deposit limits and other mechanisms to limit your online gambling activity.
New Jersey regulators provide an online self-exclusion form that players can use to quickly block access to all of New Jersey’s regulated online casinos. You do not have to admit to having a gambling problem to utilize the self-exclusion form, which takes under a minute to complete.
Access the self-exclusion form here.
NJ online casino gameplay FAQs
What games are available at NJ’s online casinos?
The game selection at NJ’s legal online casinos is in many ways quite similar to the game selection on the floor of an Atlantic City Casino. In all, there are hundreds of games spread across the regulated online gambling sites in NJ, including:
- Table games: Classic casino offerings such as blackjack, roulette, craps, and baccarat, in both digital form and via the Live Dealer format (more on this below).
- Slots: A mix of branded titles from providers like IGT and High 5 along with proprietary titles from suppliers like Amaya. Progressives and standard games available.
- Video poker: Over a dozen unique variants are available at NJ online casinos, including casino standards like Jacks or Better and Deuces Wild.
One thing that is different about the online gaming experience is the stakes involved. You can play many games for pennies to quarters (and not the penny games that end up being a few dollars a slot pull – actual pennies). That includes games like Blackjack where the minimum bet in a land-based casino would usually be at least $5.
What are live dealer games, and how can I play them?
Live Dealer is the latest game variant to reach the NJ online casino market, having debuted in August 2016. At its core, the format is an attempt to bridge the gap between online and live gambling.
The playing devices used to determine game outcomes are real, the dealers are real, but all wagering happens digitally. And just like digitized table games, Live Dealer can be played from any home computer or Android/iOS-powered mobile device.
Casinos stream Live Dealer games in real-time from a live casino studio setting. This game type opens the door for players to chat live with dealers (and other players), and even tip them immediately following a favorable result.
Which NJ online casinos offer Live Dealer casino games?
The first online casino in New Jersey to offer Live Dealer games was the Golden Nugget. The casino remains a leader in the format today.
To partake in Live Dealer games at Golden Nugget, simply navigate to the Golden Nugget Casino lobby, click the “Live Dealer” tab and choose a table. If a seat is open, hop right in, and place a wager just as you would at any other online table game.
A number of other online casino sites in New Jersey have added Live Dealer over the last few years. The current list of casinos with Live Dealer games follows below:
- 888
- Bet America
- Betfair
- Borgata
- DraftKings
- Hard Rock
- Mohegan Sun
- PartyCasino
- playMGM
- PokerStars
- Resorts
- SugarHouse
The kinds of live dealer games you can play vary from casino to casino. Here is a list of the games that are generally available:
- 2 Hand Casino Hold’em
- 3 Card Brag
- American Blackjack
- American Roulette
- Auto Roulette
- Baccarat
- Baccarat Dragon Jackpot
- Blackjack
- Blackjack $15-$2K
- Blackjack $50 – $2k
- Blackjack $50-$2K
- Caribbean Stud Poker
- Casino Floor Roulette
- Casino Hold’em
- Dragon Bonus Baccarat
- Dragon Tiger
- Dream Catcher
- Dual Play Roulette
- Free Bet Blackjack
- High Limit Blackjack
- Infinite Blackjack
- Lightning Dice
- Lightning Roulette
- Monopoly
- No Commission Baccarat
- PokerStars Roulette
- Roulette
- Roulette Multi View
- Roulette Static View
- Side Bet City
- Slingshot Roulette
- Stars Texas Hold’em
- Stars Tricia
- Super Sic Bo
- Texas Hold’em Bonus Poker
- Three Card Poker
- UFC Blackjack
- UFC Roulette
- Ultimate Texas Hold’em
- Unlimited 21 Blackjack Auto Split
- Unlimited Blackjack
How is an online slot machine different from the slots I play at the casino?
More connects than separates the two. For example:
- Many of the same popular titles at land-based casinos are available online. For example, Caesars offers familiar titles like Quick Hit Platinum, Davinci Diamonds, Hot Shot, and Monopoly at their online casino.
- The same well-known game manufacturers – like ShuffleMaster (SHFL) and IGT – power many of the online games available at NJ’s legal online casinos just as they do on the floors of Atlantic City’s terrestrial casinos.
- Modern slot machines at physical casinos are generally all-digital – the physical reels of the classic one-armed bandit are quickly becoming a thing of the past. In those situations, the online version of the slot and the casino version of the slot are basically identical (save the physical cabinet housing the game).
- Both online and live slot games go through a similar testing process at the DGE’s Technical Services Bureau. For more insight into how regulators test games before being approved for online play, see this feature from OPR.
Do NJ’s online casinos offer mobile play?
Most major online casinos in New Jersey’s regulated market offer a mobile-friendly product. See our table comparing the legal online casinos in NJ for more information.
Does anyone actually win at these games?
Everyone knows that in the casino, the house always wins over the long run. The same applies at online casinos – all of the games are built to favor the house, and no player can beat the casino over time.
So the question is more about whether or not the online games are fair in that they provide the product they advertise. For example, do their big progressive slots and other large-ticket jackpot games ever payout?
Two examples – including a $1.3 million winner at Harrah’s and a $1.5 million winner at Betfair – make it clear that players have no reason to doubt the credibility of NJ’s legal online gambling sites.
Can I earn comps at online casinos in NJ?
Do rewards programs cross over into land-based rewards?
This varies by casino, but more and more of the online casinos in New Jersey’s regulated market are attempting to build bridges between their live casino and their online product.
Many rewards programs at online casinos allow you to earn points that players can use in the land-based rewards program.
For example, Caesars’ online casino allows players to earn Caesars Rewards points for online play just as you would at any of Caesars’ land-based properties. Your Caesars Rewards account for the online casino is the same as the account you use at the live casinos. That means you can also use the points you earn at the online casino for land-based comps.
At a minimum, any legal online casino in NJ will offer a rewards program that players can use for cashback and other rewards within the online casino system.
Can I earn free rooms at casinos by playing at online casinos?
Promotions at online casinos are constantly evolving. It’s certainly not uncommon to see a promotion that involves some sort of comped room or entertainment at one of the Atlantic City casinos that operate online sites.
A big part of the long-term plan for online gambling in New Jersey is that it will support the land-based casino industry. How? The idea is that online gambling will give more customers more reasons to interact with the casino.
And online gambling should help land-based casinos better understand what it is their customers want through increased opportunities for consumer feedback and interaction.
View a list of opening bonuses at NJ online casinos.
New Jersey legal casino sites: Economic impact on New Jersey
Do these sites pay taxes?
Yes. Regulated NJ online casinos do pay taxes to the state of New Jersey, unlike offshore casinos who pay no tax. The tax rate on gross gaming revenue (basically the casino win) is 17.5%.
In 2014, the first full year of regulated online gambling in New Jersey, the state’s legal online casinos paid over $18 million in taxes. In 2015 they paid over $22 million in taxes and in 2016 legal online casinos paid taxes totaling more than $29 million to the state of New Jersey.
How much revenue do regulated online gambling websites make?
The amounts vary by operator and change from month to month. But the average for the first year was for poker and casino combined to generate about $10-$12 million per month in revenue total across all of the state’s regulated online casinos.
You can find complete NJ online gambling historical revenue data at PlayNJ.com in tabular form.
Now that New Jersey has won its sports betting case, will it be able to offer online sports betting?
New Jersey passed a law in 2014 that would legalize Nevada-style sports betting in the state. It was the second attempt at legalizing sports gambling at tracks at Atlantic City casinos. The sports leagues prevailed after they challenged the 2012 attempt in federal court. The case was then heard en banc in the Federal Court of Appeals before the Supreme Court heard it of the United States in December 2017.
SCOTUS publicized its decision on the case on May 14, 2018, striking down PASPA and handing NJ a major victory.
Brief profiles of New Jersey’s legal online casinos
Borgata Casino
Borgata’s online casino is an extension of the land-based Borgata property in Atlantic City. Bwin.party’s casino software powers the casino. Borgata also offers an online poker product that shares a platform and player pool with PartyPoker NJ.
MGM Resorts own Borgata. As regulated online gambling continues to spread in the United States, MGM’s nationwide network of casinos could provide opportunities for the company to expand its online casino and poker presence.
Caesars Casino
CaesarsCasino.com is the online casino arm of Caesars Atlantic City. The primary software engine for Caesars online was launched by Amaya. Now, however, Caesars uses NYX, which has since been taken over by Scientific Games. Caesars offers an online poker product in New Jersey under the Caesars-owned World Series of Poker brand.
Caesars is also active in the Nevada online poker market via the WSOP NV brand but does not operate in Delaware. The company is expected to be at the forefront of the next wave of markets to open up, especially Pennsylvania.
DraftKings Casino
Daily fantasy sports giant DraftKings has become a full-scale gambling company. In addition to DraftKings Sportsbook, the company now offers casino-style online gambling under its brand in New Jersey.
DraftKings partnered with Resorts Atlantic City for its NJ online gambling operations.
FanDuel Casino
FanDuel partnered with Betfair and the Golden Nugget. The company originally partnered with Trump Plaza, but that partnership ceased when Trump closed the doors of their land-based operation.
Like 888, FanDuel Casino cut its teeth in the international market, where it offers a variety of products. The company is best known for its sports exchange product, which is considered by many to be one of the most innovative – and profitable – sports betting products in the industry.
FanDuel Casino also operates many advance deposit wagering sites in the U.S. that allow players to place online bets on horse races legally.
Golden Nugget Casino
Golden Nugget’s online casino is an extension of their land-based property in Atlantic City. The company also offers land-based gambling in Nevada but has yet to launch a real-money online gambling product in that state (and has no apparent plans to do so).
Hard Rock Casino
Hard Rock Atlantic City launched its physical and online casino in the summer of 2018. Built on the skeleton of the old Trump Taj Mahal, it’s a serious foray into the online market for Hard Rock international.
The online casino is still a work in progress, and more game types are sure to be added.
Harrah’s Casino
Harrah’s is operated by Caesars and features some of the same games and features as the online casino at CaesarsCasino.
But the two casinos do use separate platforms, so players should not make the mistake of believing that having an account at one is the same as having an account at both.
Each casino offers unique promotions, unique games, and separate opening bonuses.
MGM online casino
MGM owns the Borgata and now is fully invested in the online gambling industry. The company offers both an online casino and an online poker product, as well as an online sportsbook.
Mohegan Sun
Mohegan Sun is an online casino that operates under the Resorts interactive gaming license. It offers a wide variety of slots, video poker, blackjack, and roulette. All players receive a free slot spin daily. No deposit is required. The first deposit bonus is 100% up to $1,000. The wagering requirement is 20 times for slots and 100 times for all other games.
Ocean Resort Casino
The newest NJ online casino — and actual casino — launched in the summer of 2018. Powered by GAN, Ocean Resort is being aggressive out of the box, including a $125 no-deposit bonus. It’s obviously entering the market quite late in the game
The physical resort is the former Revel, a property built for more than $2 billion but quickly shuttered because of high costs.
Pala Casino NJ
Pala Casino NJ operates in partnership with the Borgata. But unlike the Borgata, Pala does not share technology or players with bwin.party. Instead, Pala operates on a proprietary gaming platform.
Pala Interactive is an arm of the Pala tribal gambling operation in California.
PartyPoker Casino
PartyPoker Casino is powered by the bwin.party software platform and operates under the IGP of the Borgata. The Party Casino and the Borgata online casino are more or less identical products. The same is true for PartyPoker NJ’s poker product, which shares both platform and player pool with Borgata Poker online.
Resorts Casino
Resorts Atlantic City’s online casino is an offshoot of the company’s land-based Boardwalk property.
Resorts offers online poker via its partner PokerStars.
Tropicana Casino
Tropicana’s online casino operates under the license of the land-based Tropicana hotel and casino in Atlantic City. Gamesys, a major player in the international online gambling industry with a long track record of B2B successes, powers the casino.
Tropicana offers only casino games. The company has declined to enter New Jersey’s online poker market and has no plans to launch poker in the foreseeable future.
Unibet Casino
Kindred Group is poised to attack the US online gambling market, having ported its Unibet product over from Europe. The group’s online casino went live in June 2019, and an online sports betting platform is in the works.
Virgin Casino
Virgin operates via a partnership with the Tropicana. Like Trop, Virgin is powered under the hood by the Gamesys casino platform. Gamesys also licenses and operates the Virgin brand for online gambling in other regulated markets in the UK and Europe.
The online casino products for Virgin and Tropicana are quite similar. While Virgin operates a social poker game, the brand does not offer a real-money product in New Jersey and does not appear to have any plans to do so.
888 Casino
888 operates in partnership with Caesars in New Jersey. In addition to offering online casino games in New Jersey, 888 operates an online poker site that partially shares liquidity with WSOP NJ.
888 also operates in Delaware’s regulated market, offering both casino and poker, and has plans to enter the Nevada poker market shortly. The majority of 888’s business is in the international market, where 888 is one of the largest online poker sites and does an eight-figure business in online casino and sports annually.
