New Jersey online casinos
Online casinos are 100% legal in the state of New Jersey and many of the world’s biggest gambling sites have approval to operate here. After playing a huge role in reshaping US gambling laws, New Jersey is now a market leader in US online casinos, with thriving gaming sites available to residents and visitors. We take a look at the rules and regulations surrounding NJ gambling sites and the best online casinos for residents of this state.
Explore Borgata's NJ online casino and win real money playing online casino games and slots today! Join now to get $20 free and a 100% match for your first deposit up to $600. World's Leading Casino Live the action in an online Casino that delivers you the same thrills of its real-life counterpart, straight into your home and hand! You can play a variety of online casino games, from roulette to slot machines and even casino game with live dealers.
Online casino gambling laws in New Jersey
New Jersey is one of the few US states to have a legalised and regulated the online casino gambling industry.
Due to the Department of Justice (DoJ) declaring the Wire Act 1964, which bans interstate transmissions of wire communications relating to sporting events or contests, does not apply to other forms of gambling, US States have been free to legalise online gambling.
New Jersey became the first state to regulate online casinos, with former Governor Chris Christie passing a bill legalising online slots, table games, poker and other casino games in 2013.
After working out the details of the regulatory framework, the NJ Division of Gaming Enforcement (DGE) gave the green light to online casino operators to launch on November 21, 2018.
Under the legislation, players located within the state’s borders, regardless if they are a resident or not, can play at the online casinos available. However, under the legislation, only operators with a physical presence in New Jersey can operate online gaming sites.
Atlantic City casinos are the only gambling operators with land-based operations, but these venues have teamed up with some of the biggest gaming companies in the world, like 888, to bring the best online gaming sites to NJ players.
Players do have to be 21 or over and within state borders to play.
There is a list of licensed and approved online casinos available in NJ, which we detail below.
Best NJ online casinos
There are five licensed online gambling operators in NJ and each run several casino sites and poker rooms. They are powered by a variety of popular software providers and have teamed up with big gaming companies to provide a range of services.
Borgata Hotel Casino and Spa online casinos
Borgata casino runs four online casinos, three poker rooms and one bingo site. It’s main site, Borgatacasino.com, was one of the first to go live when Christie legalised online casino gambling.
The software is run by GVC Holdings after the company purchased the original developer, bwin.party.
The casino operator has also teamed up with partypoker, Pala Casino, Pala Bingo, and Pala Poker to offer a range of websites under the Borgata online gaming license, including;
- www.Borgatacasino.com
- www.palacasino.com
- www.scorescasino.com
- www.playmgmcasino.com
- www.playmgmpoker.com
- www.Borgatapoker.com
- www.NJ.Partypoker.com
- www.palabingousa.com
Caesars Interactive Entertainment NJ online casinos
We all know the Caesars casino located in Vegas (thanks to the Hangover film), but the company has a branch in NJ too. The online company, known as Caesars Interactive, runs two online casinos and has teamed up with two of the biggest brands in the world, 888 and WSOP, to offer two poker and two casino sites.
Caesars uses The Stars Group’s (formerly Amaya) casino software, with the following sites available;
- www.CaesarsCasino.com
- www.HarrahsCasino.com
- www.WSOP.com
- us.888.com
- us.888poker.com
- us.888casino.com
Golden Nugget Atlantic City online casinos
Golden Nugget uses NYX online casino software for it main site, which launched in December 2013, after making the transition from Bally’s Technology in 2015. Along with NYX games, you will find IGT and SHFL Entertainment games here too. The online casino also became the first in NJ to offer live games.
Golden Nugget also teamed up with online gambling conglomerate Betfair to offer an online casino, as well as Sugar House casino to provide a gambling site that lets you bet on virtual sports.
- nj-casino.goldennuggetcasino.com
- www.betfaircasino.com
- www.playsugarhouse.com
Resorts Casino Hotel NJ gambling sites
Resorts Hotel in NJ runs two online casinos powered by SNG Interactive, which is a joint venture between NYX Gaming Group Ltd. and Sportech PLC software developers.
The online casino operator teamed up with one of the biggest online poker brands in the world, PokerStars, to offer their software to NJ players. Players can access all of the online poker offerings, including cash games and tournaments via the NJ PokerStars site.
The Resorts also became the first operator to offer online daily fantasy sports betting in New Jersey, available at their casino sites, including;
- www.resortscasino.com
- www.mohegansuncasino.com
- www.pokerstarsnj.com
Tropicana Casino and Resort online casinos in NJ
Tropicana Casino is the only operator to offer Gamesys online games at its two New Jersey licensed casinos. Tropicana originally only ran one online casino, however when Gamesy acquired Virgin Casino (formerly a UK and Ireland online casino) the pair agreed to adopt the casino under the online gambling partnership arrangement.
Tropicana runs the following online casinos:
- www.tropicanacasino.com
- www.virgincasino.com
NJ online casino deposit options
Unlike other American casino players, New Jersey players can make online casino deposits and withdrawals with a variety of payment methods, including PayPal. The online web wallet company bans gambling transactions in the US to comply with legislation, however, it changed its policies to suit NJ laws.
You can also make a deposit with Visa, MasterCard, ACH, bank transfers, personal checks and cash at the casino. Some online casinos, like the Golden Nugget, accept prepaid options too.
Often the online casino will also have some kind of arrangement with their land-based counterpart where players can charge their balance via the cage in the casino, where you would normally exchanged your real money for chips.
While the deposit options available at New Jersey online casinos are not as numerous as gambling sites, for instance, based in the UK, there are still plenty of payment methods available, including:
- Instant eChecks
- Skrill
- Paypal
- Mastercard
- Stars Transfer
- PayNearMe
- Resorts Cage
- PokerStars Play + Card
- Visa
Mobile online casinos
All of the casinos in New Jersey have a mobile app for iOS and Android devices, which means you can play at online gambling sites on the go, as long as you’re inside the state’s borders. Basically New Jersey mobile casinos are just stripped backed version of the desktop websites, which means you can play close to a full range of slots and table games on your handheld device.
You can guarantee if you are planning on playing casino games on your mobile phone, you will be impressed with some of the bigger companies like 888, Pokerstars and William Hill, who already had the infrastructure to launch gambling sites in the US, given their imprint in the rest of the world.
The lights are still on inside Atlantic City casinos.
However, casino operators and state government officials around the country continue to grapple with the COVID-19 pandemic. The number of good options for mitigation seems to dwindle with each passing day. New Jersey casinos are by no means an exception to this new rule.
Although Atlantic City properties remain open with restrictions, it’s uncertain how much longer that will be the case. Relevant trends in the Garden State are going in the wrong direction.
The latest on Atlantic City casinos and COVID-19
NJ Gov. Phil Murphy has been upfront with his constituents on a daily basis about the worsening numbers in the state.
NEW JERSEY #COVID19 UPDATE:
➡️4,320 new positive cases
➡️293,744 cumulative total cases
➡️34 new confirmed deaths
➡️14,877 total deaths
The second wave is here. We MUST flatten this curve together. Wear a mask. Social distance. Wash your hands.https://t.co/JW1q8awGh7pic.twitter.com/konGYeQWK8
— Governor Phil Murphy (@GovMurphy) November 19, 2020
On Tuesday, Murphy signed a new executive order that lowered gathering limits for both indoor and outdoor venues. As of Nov. 23, New Jerseyians may only gather in groups of up to 10 indoors. For outdoor gatherings, the limit is 150 people. In both cases, the state expects proper social distancing and wearing of face masks.
As Atlantic City casinos are a significant source of tax revenue for the state and fuel the economy in the area, Murphy naturally had to address their fate. His main position is that data shows the casinos have been acting responsibly throughout the pandemic.
“We believe, based on the evidence that we have, that they’ve been able to responsibly manage their casino floors,” Murphy said during a briefing with other state officials on Wednesday. “Whether it’s through (personal protective equipment), whether it’s through dividers, capacity management, temperature checks, review of symptoms checks with people who go onto the floor, which is happening in all the casinos … there is not any evidence that there is either bad management of the floor or that there is a big outbreak coming from participating on the floor.”
Murphy did not elaborate on what evidence he drew that conclusion from. The most likely candidate is contact tracing for positive cases, which identifies the sources of transmission if done correctly.
The question is whether casinos can maintain their current status if trends continue to worsen. Casino operators seem determined to do all they can to maintain the reputation they have earned.
Casino industry not curtailing business
So far, none of the AC casinos have announced any major plans to further reduce their hours or offerings. A statement from the Casino Association of New Jersey mentions one adjustment, however:
“The Casino Association of New Jersey (CANJ) understands the administration’s concerns, and that is why the industry has taken extraordinary measures to safely welcome back thousands of hardworking employees and valued guests, while also helping to minimize the exposure of Atlantic City casino property guests, our employees and our local community to the COVID-19 virus.
“We will continue to work to give our guests the exciting experience they have come to expect from our first-class properties:
- Casino floor and gaming operations will remain open, uninterrupted, 24/7.
- Indoor dining outlets will remain open, closing between the hours of 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. ET, effective this Thursday, Nov. 12.
“As we see a rise in cases across New Jersey, we are focused on the health and safety of our employees, guests and fellow residents and will continue to work with AtlantiCare, our regional health care provider, as well as local and state officials, to refine and update our protocols as local and state mandates evolve. We remain dedicated to complying with, or exceeding, local or state-imposed mandates, restrictions and occupancy limits to try to maintain a healthy environment.”
Casino closings in other states
Despite those best efforts, Murphy’s hesitancy to close casinos for a second time this year may soon make him an outlier. Earlier today, Rivers Casino in neighboring Philadelphia closed.
The well-being of our Team Members, guests & the community is our top priority. We will be temporarily closed effective Fri, Nov. 20, to follow @PHLPublicHealth’s order to close public venues. We appreciate your support!
.
Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER. pic.twitter.com/HEPtOdWvXg
— Rivers Casino Philadelphia (@riverscasinophl) November 19, 2020
The City of Philadelphia announced “Safer at Home” restrictions that will be in place through Jan. 1, 2021. The list also includes:
- Indoor dining
- Theaters and museums
- Libraries
- Gyms and indoor exercise classes
For now, Rivers Philadelphia is the only Keystone State casino impacted. The other gaming halls are outside the city limits.
Borgata Play In Browser
Other states are taking a similar approach. In Michigan, all three Detroit casinos are closed for three weeks. Illinois has ordered casinos within its borders to close, too.
Additionally, Massachusetts has limited hours for its casinos.
As of now, Atlantic City casinos are still open for gambling.
Borgata Online Casino New Jersey Casinos
Murphy might take smaller steps, like shutting down indoor dining, before closing AC casinos altogether. If there’s not a marked improvement in COVID-19 numbers soon, he may have few other choices.