Online gambling is by far the fastest-growing gaming sector in New Jersey, and lightning-fast broadband internet technology has made the online casino experience, in many cases, a more comfortable and preferred experience to gambling in a bricks-and-mortar casino.
Given that online casinos are a relatively recent phenomenon, and how online casino no deposit bonuses work with combination with the range of other online casino promotions are a still a mystery to many, here at Play-Newjersey.com we give you information on which online casinos are the most trusted and what to do when you find an online casino you like.
We provide quality, up-to-date and thorough information on the following;
- The most reliable, unbiased and independent online casino reviews from our complete NJ online casino list.
- Online Casino Laws, including when online casinos became legal in New Jersey and what makes an online casino legal in New Jersey.
- How online casinos work and online casino sign up bonus explained.
- Online Casino Games (including Online Casino Blackjack, Online Casino Slots and Online Casino with real dealers and much more)
- Online Casino Sports Betting
Online Casino Reviews
There are many online casinos available to New Jersey’s online players and without exception they all offer tempting bonuses to attract new players. However, is a large sign up bonus what makes an online casino great? Partly, yes, but there’s more to it than that.
At Play-Newjersey.com, we believe that for a casino to be considered great, it can’t be simply about the “Free money” on offer. Before you choose where to play, first take the time to learn about the various aspects of casino gambling, what makes online casinos different. This will help you get a better idea of what your casino needs to offer you.
For example, it makes no sense for you to join an online casino that specializes in Live Dealer Casino play, and offers a free bonus for Live Dealer gameplay only, if you prefer to play online slots.
At Play-Newjersey.com, we break it all down with our;
- In depth casino reviews.
- Detailed guides for popular and less mainstream casino games.
- Most importantly, we provide an easy to understand explanation of how each online casino sign up bonus works and check if it is the right personal choice for you.
When did NJ Online Casinos in New Jersey Become Legal
Online Casinos first became legal for play for the State of New Jersey’s residents and visitors in 2013.
The Online Casino Industry in New Jersey underwent an extensive legalization process back in 2013 and the Garden State’s first online casinos opened for business later that year;
- February 26 – Governor Christie signed the Online Casino Legalization Bill 2578.
- July 1- All 12 Atlantic City Casinos applied for online casino licenses.
- Only land-based casinos are eligible to receive an Internet Gaming Permit (IGP). An IGP is a necessary precursor to operating a legal online casino site in New Jersey.
- November 21 – 7 online casinos and 6 poker sites opened for business with a soft launch for testing.
- November 26 – Official New Jersey Legal Online Casino Launch.
Since then, New Jersey’s online casinos are continually perfecting the online gambling experience for their customers.
To that end, many of New Jersey’s online casinos have added online sports betting as a value-added product for their clients since online sports books began legal operation in New Jersey in June 2018.
How Do Online Casinos Work?
Registering and playing with an online casino in New Jersey is a straightforward process and you can get started quickly by following these simple steps;
- Be physically located in New Jersey in order to register with an online casino and play online casino games.
- Residency in the Garden State is not required to register with an online casino and you can deposit and cash out from anywhere – however, you must be physically located in New Jersey when you play online and place your bets. New Jersey’s online casinos are protected by cutting-edge geolocation technology.
- Choose your preferred New Jersey online casino to suit you from our selection of independently reviewed online casinos.
- Register with your chosen online casino and deposit money into your account (many online casinos offer sign-up or ‘welcome’ bonuses) – we provide up-to-date welcome bonus information in our online casino reviews.
- Log-in to your account and familiarize yourself with the different online casino games available.
- You’ll notice different online casino games available. If you’re not familiar with any of them, consult our “What Casino Games are Legal” section below for a concise explanation of the most popular online casino games.
NJ Online Casinos
Only New Jersey’s land-based casinos are eligible to receive an Internet Gaming Permit (IGP). An IGP is a necessary gateway to operating a legal online casino site in New Jersey, meaning that any online casino registered in New Jersey must be operated in partnership with a land-based casino.
Since 2013 when New Jersey began its online casino industry, 19 different online casinos have begun operation. Our panel of independent online casino researchers and reviewers have selected the very best of them for your convenience below.
In addition, 7 different legal online poker sites are available in New Jersey in addition to the Garden State’s 13 (and growing) legal online sportsbooks.
NJ Online Casino Laws
Legal and licensed online casinos in New Jersey were instituted for full legal play by New Jersey bettors since February 26 2013 when Governor Chris Christie signed New Jersey State Assembly Bill A2578.
New Jersey’s A2578 allows online casino operators to offer online slots, blackjack, craps, roulette, poker and video poker and numerous other casino games, and the laws allows room for future games to be added.
What makes an Online Casino site Legal to Operate in NJ?
To offer legal online casino play in New Jersey, an online casino must adhere to the following (among other things):
- Hold a valid Internet Gaming Permit (issued by the by the states regulatory authority – see section below ‘How to Identify Licensed Online Casino Operators in NJ’ for further information).
- Submit all online casino games and systems for audit to the state authority.
- Guarantee that only online players physically located within the state of New Jersey at the time of play can access online casino games.
- Guarantee that only players 21 and older can access online casino games.
- Organize a 15 percent tax on gross gaming revenues paid to the state of New Jersey.
- Organize the payment of a range of additional taxes and fees (e.g., responsible gambling, licensing fees etc).
- Arrange complete financial auditing of incoming and outgoing funds.
- A full text of the regulations governing online gambling in New Jersey is available here.
How to Identify Licensed Online Casino Operators in NJ
The Garden State’s online casinos are administered and regulated by the New Jersey’s Division of Gaming Enforcement (DGE), the same body which governs the state’s land-based casinos and online sportsbooks.
In order to be licensed by the state, and online casino must pass a strict investigative process, which includes thorough background checks of key personnel. All legal and licensed New Jersey online casinos carry the logo of the DGE (similar to below), often complete with a live link, for total player security.
What Casino Games are Legal?
The online casino game offering in New Jersey is constantly evolving as the online casinos seek to keep it fresh and provide the latest and greatest games for the state’s online players. Online casinos continually add new game variants to entice players to sign up or switch brands.
Today, New Jersey’s online casinos offer every imaginable game under the sun (see below for the most popular online casino games in New Jersey) and keep on adding new games every week to meet the changing demands, tastes, and interest levels of New Jersey’s online players.
Blackjack
Blackjack is the most popular of all the online casino table games in New Jersey. Often referred to simply as “21”, blackjack is available at all of New Jersey’s online casinos and is offered in several variations to give online players a fresh take on the classic game;
- Classic Blackjack.
- Live Dealer Blackjack.
- Side Bet Blackjack.
- Any Blackjack.
- Blackjack Micro Limit and;
- Multi-player Blackjack.
Slots
The vast majority of all games available on New Jersey online gambling sites are Online Slots. From Classic 3 reel ‘old school’ slots to the latest movie-tie-in machines with 243 paylines or more, online slots for New Jersey’s players offer one of the best opportunities in online casinos to turn a relatively small investment into a sizable win. This is most true for progressive slots. Progressive slots at New Jersey online casino sites can at times award life-changing payouts of $1 million or more.
Slots are the easiest online casino game to play, perfect for occasional players to high rollers. On many occasions, you can even play for free, to familiarize yourself with the machines before playing for real money. Many scoff at online slots, but with no complex strategy to learn and large possible wins, they are one of the most relaxing forms of online casino entertainment available.
Roulette
The game of Online Roulette uses the same basic and easy-to-understand principles as land-based Roulette and has two main types online;
- European Roulette: Features a wheel consisting of pockets numbered 1 to 36, plus a single zero pocket.
- American Roulette: This version has both a 0 and a 00 slot. Two zero pockets give players slightly worse winning odds compared with European Roulette.
The simplicity of Online Roulette (choose where the ball will settle; number, color or odd/evens etc) make it an extremely popular online casino game. With these basic rules, all New Jersey online players have an opportunity to get in on the winning action.
Online Casino Bonuses
New Jersey online casinos frequently offer no deposit casino bonuses for first time players. This type of bonus is usually simply a sign-up bonus and frequently requires no deposit to activate the bonus.
Most online casinos also offer a bonus attached to your first deposit. More often than not, you will be required to use bonus codes or promo codes when you sign up to qualify for free play and deposit bonuses.
There is more to the sign up or welcome bonus than the casino simply giving you some extra money to play with. Not all bonuses are equal. Two bonuses identical in value, may be bound by different rules and regulations. It is important that you know about the wagering requirements and which games contribute to it before accepting any bonus money. See our Online Casino Reviews for explanations of each casino’s sign-up bonus requirements.
Online casino mobile apps
Not long ago, mobile online casino could not offer an equal experience to the laptop and desktop versions in New Jersey. There once was significantly fewer available games on mobile apps.
Today, online casinos, online poker sites or online sportsbooks are increasingly designed as ‘mobile-first’, whereby all features of the site are designed by the site’s developers to work best on smartphones and other mobile devices. Now, more features are generally offered on mobile than desk-top versions.
The convenience of being able to access your favorite games on a device that is almost always with you at all times is of huge appeal to online players. Apps are usually available for download at the Apple or Google Store.
Remember, you will need to be physically located in New Jersey to play. If you cross the New Jersey state line while playing, your gaming session most likely be terminated instantly as the mobile-first system is protected by geolocation technology.