Guide to Gambling in New Jersey

When it comes to gambling in brick-and-mortar casinos, New Jersey is one of the leading US states. Not only is it home to the much-adored and visited Atlantic City, but it also features more options to gamble in land-based casinos than any other state in the country. 

On the Atlantic City boardwalk sits a conglomerate of some of the world’s most prestigious casinos, including Caesars, Ocean Casino Resort, and Tropicana, to name a few. Each one collectively sees millions of people walk through the doors every year, but the high-profile gaming establishments aren’t the only feature of this glorious city. New Jersey gamblers also have a number of racetracks to wager on pari-mutuel events, as well as a state lottery, and several poker rooms at their disposal. Both visitors and residents also have dozens of options to choose from when it comes to sports betting and online casino sites.

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New Jersey Gambling Laws

New Jersey has always had a pretty liberal attitude towards gambling, and the history here dates a long way back. It’s one of the states where the constitutional laws have a number of grey areas and loopholes, and as a result, it’s become one of the least restrictive places to gamble in the US.

The first laws came into effect when Atlantic City opened its first land-based casino in 1978, and since then it’s undergone a considerable expansion to allow many other forms of gambling. 

In 2011, politician Raymond Lesniak helped to bring in a new legislative bill that would permit over 21s to gamble online legally. However, the condition of the new bill stipulated that all online casino operators must run their servers and market their sites within Atlantic City only. Governor Chris Christie rejected the bill to say that not every New Jersey wager placed should count as a bet placed in Atlantic City.

After a few changes were proposed, the new bill was officially approved in 2013. The legislation was amended to allow businesses in Atlantic City to promote online gambling under New Jersey, which meant gamblers could use their facilities and services provided the casinos were only operating within the state border. Even though approving the new bill meant that all online gambling sites were subject to a 10-year trial period, signing the new online gambling regulations was probably one of the best moves that New Jersey lawmakers could have made at the time.

The state’s online casino industry has created more than 6,500 jobs and generated a massive $2 billion in revenue between 2013 and 2018 – showing just how much it’s contributed to the economy.

Deposit Options at New Jersey Gambling Sites

When it comes to making deposits and withdrawals at New Jersey casino sites, players have a full variety of easy and convenient options available to them. After registering with an NJ online casino, you’ll be able to make instant payments into your bankroll using a variety of banking methods, including debit and credit cards like Visa and Mastercard, wire transfers, bank transfers, bank checks, and in some cases, crypto payments may be accepted.  With just a few clicks from your mouse or taps on your mobile device, you’ll be able to deposit money safely and securely without any transaction fees on the casino’s side. In terms of withdrawing your winnings, you simply need to submit your withdrawal request to the casino accounts team, who will verify your identity before processing your order. Naturally, some banking methods have longer waiting times than others, but you shouldn’t have to wait any longer than 5-10 working days.

New Jersey Casions

New Jersey may be one of the world’s hottest gambling destinations, but land-based casino gambling is only permitted in the perimeters of Atlantic City. This is a law that goes back to the 1970s, when the first few brick-and-mortar casinos were legally permitted to open. The good news is, there are now 12 fully-fledged casinos that players can choose from to get their dose of slots and table game action in the Garden State. Each one offers a top collection of games in addition to shows and entertainment, accommodation, and other amenities that make for a great night out or perfect weekend getaway.  There are thousands of slots machines in Atlantic City, and they come in many unique varieties complete with phenomenal jackpots to play for. If you’re someone who prefers to hit the felt tables, you’ll be able to try your hand at games like blackjack, roulette, craps, baccarat, and play for stakes in some high profile poker rooms and clubhouses.  Many casino establishments also run regular promotional campaigns too, so if you happen to be in Atlantic City at the time one is active, you could well bag yourself some free cash, chips, or a room upgrade. For more information, check out our detailed reviews on New Jersey’s top brick-and-mortar casino establishments.

New Jersey Poker

Online poker is perfectly legal in New Jersey as it comes under online casino gaming. The only condition is that players must play at licensed casino sites within the border. Poker in NJ casinos is also permitted and players can find multiple variations of the game including popular varieties like Texas Hold’em, Omaha, and Caribbean Stud.  Apart from the world-famous Borgata Casino, which holds 85 tables, Atlantic City casinos have around 25 poker tables each in their establishments, and you can play for as little as $1-2$.  Home poker games are also allowed in New Jersey, but there are conditions. Unless the game is held for nonprofit purposes, anyone caught organizing or promoting a game is no longer considered a player and may be penalized under the following Section 2C:37-2 of the NJ Penal Code: “a person is guilty of maintaining a gambling resort if he accepts or receives money or other property pursuant to an agreement or understanding with any person whereby he participates or will participate in the proceeds of such gambling activity.”  In other words, you are allowed to play for money if you run a home poker game, but if you charge other players a buy-in or fee, the law will look at you as someone operating casino games for profit without a license.

New Jersey Sports Betting

New Jersey was one of the first US states to legalize sports betting, but only after a 10-year battle. The people put up a big fight to legalize the activity, and in June of 2012, their voices were finally heard when Governor at the time, Chris Christie, signed a new legislative bill to allow sports betting within state lines. However, problems soon started after lawsuits were filed against the state by the NCAA, the NBA, the NFL, which claimed that permitting sports betting in NJ defied PASPA laws. When the Supreme Court took over and dissolved the archaic Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act in 2018, New Jersey instantly jumped at the opportunity to legalize sports betting, and today it has one of the most established markets in the country.  Players can choose from more than a dozen legal sportsbooks all offering generous bonus packages and betting options on a range of sports and key events. Some of the state's most successful bookmakers include BetMGM, FanDuel, PointsBet, and DraftKings.

New Jersey Daily Fantasy Sports

Like many other states, 2017 saw New Jersey consider a bill to legalize daily fantasy sports subject to regulated paid entry. It was finally agreed when Governor Chris Christie legalized the bill a few months later to give players protected rights to assemble their own fantasy teams in a safe gambling environment. The laws are now overseen by the Division of Consumer Affairs, which regulates fantasy sports betting operators and delegates permits.

New Jersey Lotteries

While the state lottery is perfectly legal to wager on in New Jersey, online lotteries are a bit complicated. The New Jersey Lottery Commission are not able to sell tickets, even for popular games like the Powerball and Mega Millions. However, in 2017, the Lotto Courier Bill was passed to authorize lottery courier services to sell tickets online legally. They were also given permission to accept credit and debit card payments, purchase tickets on behalf of customers, and redeem winning tickets on behalf of customers.  Even though this complicates things for lottery enterprises, online lotteries are likely to become properly regulated without restrictions in the near future. New Jersey has already legalized online gambling, so in theory, online lotteries should soon follow suit.

New Jersey Esports

Even though it wasn’t officially legal at the time, Borgata became the first Atlantic City casino to accept the first legal eSports wager in 2018. But, as eSports betting has exploded in popularity in recent years, New Jersey jumped on the bandwagon and legalized it in 2021. All participants must be at least 18 to wager and can only place bets with state-licensed operators.

New Jersey Bingo

There are several licensed bingo halls where players can head to in New Jersey. Up until 2015, online bingo was completely forbidden, but that all changed when the New Jersey Control Commission began to issue the first bingo licenses to online operators.  New Jersey residents can now partake in multiple bingo variants including 9 Ball Games Bingo, 80 Ball Games Bingo, and 75 Ball Games Bingo. Many sites such as Tropicana, Pala, and Virgin all offer no deposit bonuses and free spins bonuses to use on these games.

Other Forms of Gambling Available

Other permitted forms of gambling in NJ include amusement and charitable games like raffles, bingo, and casino nights that are run by nonprofit organizations like churches, fraternities, fundraising events, etc., These types of games are all regulated by the New Jersey Legalized Games of Chance Control Commission. Social gambling is also permitted in the state. These games include family poker games, workplace casino nights, and other events where the organizer does not take a fee from the money earned. It is illegal for any person or entity who does not have a license to operate these games for profit purposes. This law also applies to bar owners and any venue which holds a license to sell alcohol. Horse racing and off-track betting are also permitted in New Jersey. There are three racetracks and seven off-track betting parlors in the Garden State, all of which are regulated by the New Jersey Racing Commission.

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Land-Based Casinos in New Jersey

As already mentioned, if you want to gamble at brick-and-mortar casinos in New Jersey, you can only do so in Atlantic City. Most of the establishments are located on the boardwalk, but there are others outside of this vicinity, including the state’s largest gambling hub, Borgata Casino, located on Borgata Way.  The fact that most of New Jersey’s casinos are all in the central area is great for gamblers, as they don’t need to travel far to experience a mini-style Vegas. All of Atlantic City’s casinos house hundreds of exciting casino games, from slots and blackjack to roulette and poker, there’s definitely something for everyone in these places. That being said, we’ve listed the most prestigious casinos so you know exactly where to have the best time.

Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa

Borgata is a swanky, high energy casino hotel with lots to offer players, families, and couples in terms of relaxation and entertainment. It’s home to the largest poker room in Atlantic City, and WSOP events are regularly held there every year.  The 161-thousand-square-foot gaming floor features hundreds of slot machines and 180 exciting table games like blackjack, roulette, craps, and other exciting variants to play. There is also a 100-seat sportsbook area where punters can bet on tournaments, athletic events, and live games.

Golden Nugget Atlantic City

Formerly owned by Trump Entertainment, the Golden Nugget is a casino, hotel, and marina all in one. The complex doesn’t fall short on glitz and glamor and the atmosphere is akin to the gambling joints in Las Vegas. Even though the casino is notably smaller than the majority of casinos in Atlantic City, it has plenty of great gambling options to offer.  The gaming space holds more than 1,500 slot machines and progressive jackpot games like Missippi Stud, Let it Ride, Ultimate Texas Hold’em, Three-Card Poker, and Pai Gow, along with blackjack, craps, mini-baccarat, and roulette. The Golden Nugget also features a 9-table non-stop poker room that holds competitions every Wednesday from 10AM-12AM.

Hard Rock Hotel & Casino

Another former Trump-establishment-gone-wrong is the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino. After going bankrupt, it was bought out by the Seminole Tribe of Florida in 2017, then reopened its doors as a newly converted venue in 2018.  The much-needed makeover and expansion now see it house 2,115 slots, 150 table games with a separate area for Asian-style table games like Pai Gow, Asian Poker, Baccarat, and others, plus an on-site sportsbook, and dedicated online casino. Hard Rock also has a Cards Reward program where you can earn comp points for free slots and table games, plus a $10 parking coupon.

Harrah’s Resort

Harrah’s Casino is also on the small side compared to the other 11 gambling establishments in the city, however, it makes up for it with its lavish decor and stunning aquarium. Owned and operated by Caesars Entertainment, the casino floor holds 1,800 slots and video poker machines, a decent selection of table games, and a poker room that holds regular tournaments.  There is also a sportsbook that allows punters to bet on their favorite live games and sporting events, and an online WSOP portal where online players can compete without needing to leave the comfort of their homes – they just need some serious poker playing skills for the chance to win a bracelet!

Native American Casinos in New Jersey

At this moment in time, there are no official Indian casinos in the state of New Jersey but Resorts Casino Hotel is tribal-owned, as is the Hard Rock. Resorts Casino opened on the boardwalk in 1978 and was the first legal tribal casino that wasn’t physically located in Nevada. After being refurbished in 2011, it was taken over by the Mohegan Tribal Gaming Authority of Connecticut. Still standing today, the venue has been featured on multiple TV shows including HBO’s highly-acclaimed Boardwalk Empire.

Don’t worry if you were hoping to gamble at an Indian casino during your stay in New Jersey because you’ll find a bunch of them just over the border. In Connecticut, you’ll find the world’s largest tribe casino, Foxwoods Resort Casino along with Mohegan Sun. New York is also home to 16 federally-recognized racinos and tribal gaming establishments including Akwesasne Mohawk Casino, Del Lago Resort & Casino Tyre, plus Batavia Downs.

We’ll keep you updated if any new Indian casinos pop up in New Jersey any time soon, but for now, you’ve got a myriad of other great gaming options at your disposal just on the boardwalk itself. Check out our reviews of NJ’s top gambling establishments and start planning your big trip to the Garden State today!

New Jersey logoWhen it comes to gambling in brick-and-mortar casinos, New Jersey is one of the leading US states. Not only is it home to the much-adored and visited Atlantic City, but it also features more options to gamble in land-based casinos than any other state in the country.  On the Atlantic City boardwalk sits a conglomerate of some of the world’s most prestigious casinos, including Caesars, Ocean Casino Resort, and Tropicana, to name a few. Each one collectively sees millions of people walk through the doors every year, but the high-profile gaming establishments aren’t the only feature of this glorious city. New Jersey gamblers also have a number of racetracks to wager on pari-mutuel events, as well as a state lottery, and several poker rooms at their disposal. Both visitors and residents also have dozens of options to choose from when it comes to sports betting and online casino sites.

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