NJ Online Poker & Casino Sites. Online Poker Legal: Yes. Outlook: New Jersey authorized several forms of online gambling in February of 2013, including Internet poker. The state’s officially-authorized sites have yet to debut, but are expected to open for business at some point in 2014, with all 12 of the state’s land-based casinos seeking to put their brand names on state-authorized. Some players like to stick to a particular poker format, whereas others find interest in try out poker variants. The best online poker sites present you with a range of variants. For New Jersey players, there are more than 270 poker tables. Some poker sites are intended only for residents of New Jersey. The New Jersey online poker scene is one of the best in the US. Not only did it kick off the culture of state-based regulation, but it also attracted many of the leading names in the business. From the WSOP / 888 to PokerStars and Partypoker, New Jersey’s online poker industry is brimming with quality.

You don’t need to look much further than Atlantic City to see that poker is flourishing in the state of New Jersey. What’s even better news is that the pot-pushing, chip-flying action extends beyond the casinos to the virtual felt. The best New Jersey poker sites give players the chance to play cash games, tournaments, and sit and gos without ever getting off the couch.

If you’re looking for the best online poker sites for New Jersey residents, look no further!

Why Are These the Top New Jersey Poker Sites?

• Optimal Player Pools
• Attractive Bonuses
• Quality Customer Service
• Proven Track Records

Optimal Player Pools

Many of the best New Jersey online poker sites have large player pools, and many have smaller player pools. The first option is great for players looking to win big with a major tournament score or to diversify their cash action. The second option is great for poker players looking for tournaments that take a shorter time commitment or for more intimate cash games.

If small is great and large is great, what do you need us for? There’s a third option that’s no good—ghost towns. Poker is not a game designed to be played alone, and it’s pretty dang hard to make any money when you have no competition. All of the real money New Jersey poker sites listed here may have different player pool sizes, but they all have a sufficient number of players to sustain action.

Attractive Bonuses

Are you brand new to playing online poker? If you are, we’ve got some great news! One of the ways New Jersey online poker rooms compete is by offering bonuses, VIP rewards, and retention perks. What this means is that you can get free money and a lot of awesome rewards just for playing real money online poker.

Easy! By clicking the links to the best real money NJ poker sites at the top of the page, you’re automatically set up.

Quality Customer Service

No one likes to wait or get the runaround when they need help. This is true with online poker, whether it’s a small issue like a software question or a bigger issue like a cashout problem. One of the defining characteristics of the top New Jersey poker sites is how good the customer service setup is.

• Do they have extensive FAQs?
• Is the team available 24/7/365?
• Are there live chat or phone support options?
• Are the agents fluent in English?
• Did the company dedicate adequate resources to customer service?

Proven Track Records

Joining the right poker site should start with a look at the past. Does the US poker site have a proven track record of success? Is the site known for taking care of customers the right way? Are there any blemishes on the record that haven’t been addressed? Before we recommend any places to play poker online in New Jersey, we answer these questions in depth. It’s a simple step that goes a long way towards keeping you safe.

Land-Based New Jersey Poker Rooms

Some cities in the world have a natural knack for attracting poker players, gamblers, and excitement seekers. We’re talking about places like Las Vegas, Monte Carlo, and, yes, Atlantic City. While the state may be small, the brick and mortar poker scene is nothing shy of booming. Here are some of the most prominent card rooms in NJ:

• Bally’s
• Borgata
• Caesars Atlantic City
• Golden Nugget
• Hard Rock Atlantic City
• Harrah’s AC
• Ocean Casino Resort
• Resorts Casino Hotel
• Tropicana
• Wild Wild West Casino

How to Stay Safe When Using New Jersey Poker Sites

When you ask people what their goals are when they play poker online in New Jersey for real money, you usually get one of two answers—to have fun or to win. What you never hear anyone say is that they’re looking to stay safe. Why? It’s not because this isn’t important. It’s because most people assume this is a given at all of the New Jersey online casinos with poker, and it’s nothing to worry about.

Unfortunately, the world is not all rainbows and unicorns. There are several things you as a player must do to keep yourself safe. Here are the five most important steps you can take.

Only Play at Reputable New Jersey Online Poker Sites

When you’re deciding where to play online poker in New Jersey, it’s critical that you choose a reputable and trusted option. You can do everything else perfectly safe, but if you aren’t at a reputable site, it might all be for nothing.

How do you find these safe real money New Jersey poker sites? You’re right where you need to be. Our team specializes in knowing how to get under the hood and diagnose which sites to trust and which to avoid.

Avoid Off-Book Deals

Anything you can do through the official channels at trusted New Jersey poker sites is a-okay. However, there may be times where you’re tempted to engage in dealings with third-party companies or with other players you meet at the tables. These might be things like selling a tournament ticket, transferring money for a faster cashout, or brokering a deal at the final table of a tournament.

We can’t stress this enough. These deals are never a good idea. While it could seem more convenient, almost every scam story online starts with an off-book deal.

Avoid Playing From Shared Devices

Most people know they shouldn’t do things like log into their email or bank accounts from a shared computer (one that is public or not theirs). However, there seems to be a disconnect in the fact that this guidance should extend to your poker accounts.

To stay safe when you use online New Jersey poker sites, stick to your personal devices. Even if you trust the device owner, you never know if they’ve kept their antivirus or system software up to date.

Never Let Anyone Use Your Account Except You

It may seem like no big deal to let one of your friends or family members play a few hands-on your account. The problem is that all New Jersey poker websites take this seriously. The terms of service always state that it’s one player to an account. Even though it might not seem like a big deal to you, it’s important to each poker room to protect the integrity of the game.

Before you gloss over this, here’s something else to consider. Over the past few years, hundreds of online poker accounts have been shut down because of someone other than the registered user playing on the account. And they don’t just discourage you from abusing your privileges. They actually shut down accounts, seize the funds, and you’re likely banned for life.

Bottom line—don’t let anyone other than you use your real money gambling account.

Ask Questions

Our catch-all tip for keeping yourself safe at real money New Jersey poker sites is to ask questions. Something seems off? Ask. You don’t think something is on the up and up? Ask. Each of the top NJ online poker sites we’ve recommended has extensive customer service teams for a reason. Use these teams to get clarification before you do anything you’re unsure of. This will protect you from unwanted mistakes.

Tips for Playing Poker Online in New Jersey

• Use the play money tables. Play money tables are a great way to have fun without any financial risk. But did you know these tables can also be an asset to players who want to play for real money? Play money tables allow you to test out the software before you make a deposit. Additionally, these tables let you learn how the software works to avoid mistakes at the real money tables. No matter what your end goals are, take a few minutes and use the play money tables to your advantage.
• Get an account at multiple NJ poker sites. Each of the best New Jersey poker sites we recommend carries different strengths and weaknesses. What this means is that in order to get everything you want and maximize your experience, you may need to join multiple sites. Here’s the good news, it costs $0 extra to join a second or third site. Additionally, you can play at multiple sites at the exact same time with no problems.
• Don’t get blinded by flashy bonuses. We are huge fans of the bonuses you can get when you choose to play poker online in New Jersey. With that being said, you need to be careful not to get carried away when selecting sites. If the bonus comes from a reputable source, go for it! However, if the bonus seems too good to be true and comes from a New Jersey poker room you’ve never heard of—stay away. All the free money in the world is worthless if you can’t keep your information safe.

New Jersey Poker Sites FAQ

Is Online Poker Legal in New Jersey?

The laws surrounding US poker sites are constantly changing, and this is no different in the state of New Jersey. The good news? Just take a look at Atlantic City to get an idea of how the state views gambling and poker. This favorable view spills over into the state’s view of online poker as well. If you’d like to see a full breakdown of the online poker laws in the state, check out our NJ legal guide now.

Best New Jersey Poker Sites

How Do You Determine the Best New Jersey Online Poker Sites?

Our rankings are crafted with the help of an expert team of industry insiders, players, and tech experts. The team looks at hundreds of different criteria to determine which NJ poker sites are the best. Some of the factors they look at include safety, security, user-friendliness, player pool quality, and bonuses.

How Long Does It Take to Get Signed up to Play Poker Online in New Jersey?

Generally, it only takes about five minutes max to get signed up for New Jersey poker sites. You just need to create an account, fill out some basic information, and make your first real-money deposit.

Is Online Poker Better Than Live Poker?

The answer to this question is that it depends. Each poker format has its own pros and cons. If you like staring your opponents in the face and focusing on one table, you’ll probably like live poker better. If you like convenience and the ability to multi-table, you’ll probably like online poker best. The best news is that you’re more than welcome to play both formats! We’ve even seen players sitting at live poker tables playing online on their phone or tablet.

Why is Real Money Online Poker Becoming so Popular in New Jersey?

As mentioned, you don’t need to look any further than the popularity of the game in Atlantic City to see how the small state of NJ looks at the game of poker. As a past home of the U.S. Poker Championship and several WSOP Circuit stops, it’s clear that poker’s popularity is on the rise.

As more people begin embracing the convenience of technology, we expect the popularity of New Jersey gambling sites with poker to continue to rise. The biggest gains should be in the online scene but will be felt across the board at brick and mortar locations.

Get Started Playing Online Poker Now!

If you’re like us, all of this poker talk has you excited to get into the action. What’s great is that with New Jersey poker sites, you can get the cards in the air for real money right now! Head on over to one of the recommended sites now and get things started.

New Jersey is a certified poker destination for players not only from the East Coast, but from across the US and around the world. While it may lack a bit of the glitz of Las Vegas, New Jersey remains a significant part of the poker universe.

Online poker has also caught on in the Garden State, so it’s not surprising that we consistently receive questions from our members in New Jersey concerning how poker works online, the process for signing up, which poker sites are in NJ and the legal issues involved in online poker.

Those are all questions we’ll address here in one place with our Guide to New Jersey and Online Poker.

Overview of New Jersey Gambling From 2013 – 2019

No state in the US has had more changes to its gambling laws than New Jersey in the past five years. New Jersey had its rollout for online casinos and poker sites, followed by daily fantasy sports (DFS) contests and sports betting.

In addition, New Jersey became the only state since Black Friday to award a gaming license to PokerStars. Pala Poker launched its inaugural site there. And New Jersey became the third state to enter the multi-state online poker liquidity network, joining Nevada and Delaware to share online poker player pools for tournaments and cash games.

Several bills were passed to help Atlantic City avoid bankruptcy or otherwise help the casino industry there. And a lobbying group continues to fight for the approval of land-based casinos in the northern reaches of the state, near New York City, to which Atlantic City enthusiasts are directly opposed. Meanwhile, the consistently growing revenue from online gaming and sports betting boosts the monthly and yearly revenue of the land-based casinos in Atlantic City, improving the overall numbers and showing a complementary relationship between the traditional and virtual gambling worlds.

The Road to Regulation

In November 2013, the rollout for licensed and legal online gambling in New Jersey happened. Eventually, five different partnerships emerged, with a number of ancillary companies involved. The five partnerships currently are: Borgata and PartyPoker, Golden Nugget and Betfair, Tropicana and Virgin Casino, Caesars Interactive and 888 Holdings, and Resorts Digital Gaming and PokerStars. Since then, more companies have obtained licenses and additional partnerships have emerged.

A month prior to the rollout in 2013, the Division of Gaming Enforcement suspended the review of PokerStars’ license application for further investigation due to the company’s role in Black Friday and the subsequent indictment of several executives. However, when Amaya Gaming in Quebec bought Rational Group, PokerStars’ parent company, and when Amaya CEO David Baazov left the company under investigation for insider trading, the New Jersey regulator reexamined PokerStars’ application. In September 2015, the investigation concluded with PokerStars officially reentering the US market to offer online poker and internet casino games, with sites launching in March 2016.

During that investigation, Borgata emerged as the leader in the online casino market. Caesars Interactive’s various websites combined to make Caesars the number two operator, and the two continued to dominate until PokerStars entered the market and proved that its partner, Resorts Casino, would be a serious competitor.

Improving the Numbers at New Jersey Poker Sites

The initial numbers in the online casino and poker market were disappointing, especially at first. The geolocation software did not work properly, so many gamblers on the borders of New Jersey could not play because their devices showed they were in Pennsylvania or New York State. Also, credit card payments were often declined. Visa payments only succeeded about 43% of the time, while MasterCard payments worked about 70% of the time. This caused significant confusion and frustration with new registrants, helping to slow down signups.

However, as the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement and the online gaming operators found their footing and improved technology to fix problems, the industry began to thrive. Geolocation was working near perfect, and responsible gaming measures worked so well that there wasn’t one single case of underage gambling in the first four years and counting. Payment processing improved quickly, and the initial problems fell by the wayside.

As of August 2017, the New Jersey online poker market had peaked and started losing ground over the previous year, despite new companies entering the market like Pala Poker. Though Pala was still gaining its footing in 2017, PokerStars and the WSOP-888 shared network were neck-and-neck for the leadership position in New Jersey, with PartyPoker-Borgata trailing behind by about 10%. New Jersey online gambling on the whole remained very lucrative, however. The industry surpassed $100 million in tax revenue in January 2017, and online gambling became an integral part of the overall gambling numbers for New Jersey each month, with online numbers showing so much profit as to keep the land-based casino revenue from dipping into negative territory.

By August 2018, the overall online gambling market in New Jersey neared $875 million in gross gaming revenue since the sites launched in 2013. The online poker market had been losing ground on a monthly basis, showing year-on-year decreases each month in 2017 and 2018, an almost continuous downswing. Meanwhile, the online casino games climbed each month, showing as much as 20% year-on-year increases each month in 2018. The online market as a whole was being carried by the online casino games, though poker did make its contribution and put the combined numbers on a path to reaching $1 billion by the end of 2018.

In fact, that is what happened. The final 2018 financials for New Jersey’s internet gaming market put revenue over $1 billion. The total internet gaming win for 2018 was $298,700,903, which was a 21.6% increase over the previous year.

Online poker, on the other hand, had a rough 2018 with a significant downswing in participation and revenue. New Jersey poker sites reported $21,393,296 in 2018 revenue, but that number was down 11.8% from the previous year.

As 2019 hit its halfway point, internet gaming as a whole was still soaring, seeing massive monthly increases in revenue. The first six months of 2019 showed a 55.2% increase year-over-year with $256,775,046 in total revenue. Online poker wasn’t able to reverse the downward trend entirely but began to shave its losses. Though poker still has more down months than ones with increases, the half-year revenue of $12,720,082 was only down 2.1% from 2018.

Is Betting on Sports Legal in New Jersey?

Yes. After many years of court battles that resulted in New Jersey taking its case all the way to the United States Supreme Court, the state earned the right to offer sports betting, as well as the right of every state in America to do so.

In 2011, the people of New Jersey voted in favor a referendum that allowed licensed and regulated sportsbooks in the state. That led to attempts in 2012 to legalize and regulate sportsbooks in the casinos and racetracks of New Jersey. When it appeared this might happen, a coalition of the American sports associations filed a joint lawsuit against New Jersey. The group of associations included the National Football League (NFL), Major League Baseball (MLB), National Basketball Association (NBA), National Hockey League (NHL), and National College Athletics Association (NCAA). They argued that New Jersey was violating the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) of 1992.

The PASPA law was pushed by the NFL in 1992 because they wanted to ban sports betting at the federal level in all 50 states. Nevada had been operating sportsbooks for year, so they lobbied Congress to avoid having their money-generating bookmakers outlawed. The sports leagues argued successfully that sports betting would undermine their sports, so Congress made a compromise. Those states with legal sports betting would be grandfathered in to the law. This ended up being four states: Nevada, Oregon, Montana, and Delaware. The latter three states had sports lotteries — less than full sportsbooks — but their forms of gambling were protected in those states.

The Lawsuits That Followed

The case of New Jersey Governor Chris Christie vs. NCAA went to the court of U.S. District Judge Michael Shipp in Trenton, who ruled in favor of the sports leagues. New Jersey appealed to the Third Circuit Court of Appeals in Philadelphia, which confirmed Shipp’s ruling. New Jersey appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court, which declined to hear the case.

After numerous rounds with appeals courts, which continuously ruled against New Jersey, the US Supreme Court agreed in June 2017 to hear the case. Arguments were presented to the Supreme Court Justices in December 2017, and most analysts said the attorneys for New Jersey presented the best case. The key argument in the case was the states’ rights issue, but the decision left up to the justices was the fate of PASPA.

On May 14, 2018, the US Supreme Court finally announced its decision in the case that was then named Murphy vs. NCAA, due to a change in the governorship. In a 7-2 ruling, the court ruled in favor of New Jersey, essentially overturning PASPA as unconstitutional. PASPA was ruled to violate the anti-commandeering doctrine of the US Constitution by barring states from authorizing sports betting, which “unequivocally dictates what a state legislature may and may not do.” One justice called PASPA a “direct affront to state sovereignty.” He added that Congress does have the option to regulate sports betting on the federal level, but in its absence, states may act on their own.

Governor Phil Murphy signed the official bill on June 11, 2018, to legalize sports betting via AB.4111. Land-based casino and racetracks were given the right to in-person launch sports betting per licensing requirements and state regulations, Monmouth Park opened its sports betting windows three days later, with Governor Murphy placing a World Cup bet to kick things off, and Borgata and opened its sportsbook minutes later. By the end of the first month of legalized sports betting, the state took in $3.5 million in revenue from the total of $16 million in wagers placed.

Soon after, online sports betting sites launched for New Jersey bettors, and many operators also launched mobile apps. More than a half dozen soon became available, including offerings from 888, BetStars, DraftKings, and FanDuel. Sites from MGM and others were in the works to be launched by the end of 2018.

PILOT Bill for Atlantic City Casinos

In 2015, a PILOT bill was passed to help Atlantic City standardize their annual tax burden. PILOT stands for “Payment in Lieu of Taxes”, and it set the tax rate for the combined Atlantic City casinos at $120 million a year for the next 15 years. The idea was to avoid costly annual legal battles the state of New Jersey and the AC casinos have over tax rates. Each year, the state assesses taxes, only to have the casinos file tax appeals. The lawyers win, but both sides waste a lot of money on legal fees.

The bill gives casino operators a chance to project costs years in advance, which is a help in itself. However, if one or more Atlantic City casinos closes, it would push more of a burden on the remaining casinos. At the same time, if new casinos appeared in Atlantic City, the casinos might pay a smaller percentage in taxes.

The 2014 Atlantic City Casino Closures

Since it was mentioned, let’s quickly discuss the wave of casino closures in Atlantic City in 2014. To begin 2014, the city had 12 brick-and-mortar casinos. Almost immediately, the Atlantic Club closed its doors. The closure actually was brought about by Caesars Entertainment and Tropicana Casino, which partnered to buy the Atlantic Club in a bankruptcy option, then close their former competitor. Caesars Entertainment received Atlantic Club’s player database, while Tropicana received the casino’s gaming equipment at a discount.

Caesars Entertainment decided to close the Showboat in late August 2014. The Showboat was profitable, but Caesars wanted to consolidate its customer base in its remaining three AC casinos: Caesar’s Atlantic City, Bally’s, and Harrah’s. The following month, the Trump Plaza closed its doors. Trump Plaza had been in enough disrepair that Donald Trump wanted his name taken off the property in August 2014, fearing it would tarnish his image.

The Trump Taj Mahal entered bankruptcy in October 2014. At the time, Carl Icahn was the biggest creditor of Trump Entertainment Resorts, which owned the Trump Taj Mahal. Icahn was owed $290 million and was clearly in a position to take control of the Taj. In October 2014, the famed activist investor and Tropicana Casino owner filed a motion to have the Tropicana’s worker’s union, the Local 54 of Unite-HERE, lose its health and pension benefits. A judge ruled in Icahn’s favor. Meanwhile, Icahn was taking control of the casino in the bankruptcy process. In December 2014, he loaned an additional $20 million to the Taj in order to keep it afloat through much of 2015, but soon after took control of the entire casino. Donald Trump and his daughter, Ivanka, praised Icahn as a family friend who would turn the casino around. The damage had been done, however, and the casino finally closed for good in October 2016.

Revel Casino had trouble before its doors opened in April 2012. The building is the most expensive skyscraper in Atlantic City history at $2.4 billion. Revel Casino was envisioned before the global recession, and the investor Morgan Stanley realized it was a bad idea to open such a grand casino in the prevailing economic climate of 2012. It opened anyway, on April 2, 2012, and the casino was in business for 29 months, undergoing two bankruptcies along the way. When no bidders emerged after the second one, in September 2014, it closed its doors. In the following years, several buyers emerged but failed to follow through with the purchase, until Polo North Country Club bought it in April 2015 for $82 million to open it as a resort with a new TEN casino, That never happened, but in June 2018, the property opened as Ocean Resort Casino. Top ↑

The North Jersey Casino Referendum

The biggest issue facing New Jersey gambling in 2016 was the North Jersey casino referendum. The issue of whether to build two casinos in the northern end of New Jersey was going to be on the November ballot. Over the years, the states of Pennsylvania and New York had built a significant number of casinos. Also, New York has approved video lottery terminals (VLTs), while Pennsylvania placed slot machines in their racetracks. Atlantic City’s gaming revenues dwindled from $5.4 billion in 2006 to less than $2.4 billion in 2016. Some New Jersey leaders wanted to build casinos in North Jersey as a solution, but the voters, decided against it. In November 2016, the New Jersey casino expansion amendment was soundly defeated with more than 77% of the citizenry voting against it.

Which Are the Best Poker Sites for NJ Players?

When you start out with online poker, it’s tempting to just sign up at the first room you come across. After all, who wants to go to all of the trouble of comparing room after room when you just want to play poker?

That’s why we’ve simplified the process with this list of the top New Jersey online poker sites. All of the sites on our list receive the highest ratings for operating safely, rewarding players generously and maintaining software that provides a smooth, safe online poker experience. Ignition Poker is our number one online poker site, but there are many other poker rooms to choose from. Top ↑

New Jersey FAQ

Which companies hold online gaming licenses in New Jersey?

As of July 2018, the following companies hold online gaming licenses:

• Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa for BorgataCasino.com, BorgataPoker.com, NJ.PartyCasino.com, NJ.PartyPoker.com, PalaBingoUSA.com, PalaCasino.com, PalaPoker.com, PlayMGMCasino.com, PlayMGMPoker.com, ScoresCasino.com
• Caesars Interactive Entertainment for Boardwalk Regency Corp. for CaesarsCasino.com, HarrahsCasino.com, WSOP.com, US.888.com, US.888Poker.com, US.888Casino.com
• Golden Nugget Atlantic City for GoldenNuggetCasino.com, NJ-Casino.GoldenNuggetCasino.com, BetfairCasino.com, PlaySugarHouse.com
• Hard Rock Hotel & Casino for HardRockCasino.com
• Ocean Resort Casino for OceanOnlineCasino.com
• Resorts Casino Hotel Atlantic City for ResortsCasino.com, MoheganSunCasino.com, PokerStarsNJ.com
• Tropicana Casino Resort Atlantic City for TropicanaCasino.com, VirginCasino.com

What games are available?

Online poker, which is referred to as peer-to-peer gaming, is available in the form of cash games and tournaments. Most sites offer Hold’em and Omaha games, though there are no limits as to the games that can be offered.

Online casinos offer video poker, bingo, keno, and online slots. There are also numerous table games, like blackjack, baccarat, and roulette, that are offered as traditional internet games and in the new live-dealer format. Most games that are offered in land-based casinos can be offered online.

What are the taxes, licensing fees, etc.?

The initial permit to obtain an online gaming license in NJ requires a deposit of $100,000, which can then be applied to the $300,000 due for the first year of service upon the issuance of the license. Applications for renewals require $100,000 as a deposit, which can be applied toward the total of $150,000 due for a one-year renewal permit upon its issuance.

Each online gaming operator pays an annual fee of $250,000 that is dedicated to a responsible internet gaming fund to be allocated to the Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey and other compulsive gambling treatment programs in New Jersey.

Operators must pay a 15% tax on gross internet gaming revenues to the Casino Revenue Fund.

Watch our poker news section for daily updates on regulation and other important topics for US online poker players.

What About Playing Poker Online?

Unlike neighboring state New York, poker players in New Jersey aren’t restricted from signing up at most online poker rooms. The rule of thumb for New Jersey online poker players: if a site accepts US players, then you can be pretty confident New Jersey residents will also be allowed to create an account.

New Jersey Gambling Websites

Is Online Poker Legal in New Jersey?

Two things we always have to get out of the way before talking about online poker and the law. The first is that this page does not offer legal advice, and you should not treat it as any sort of substitute for legal advice. The second is that knowing your state law is always a good idea, so we strongly suggest you bookmark the New Jersey State Statutes online. Top ↑

The simple answer to the question of online poker legality in New Jersey is YES. The legislature passed the bill in 2013, it was signed by Governor Chris Christie, and the law became effective on October 21, 2013. The final version of A.2578 amended the Casino Control Act. The details of the law are explained in the New Jersey Administrative Code, Title 13, Chapter 69O, with the most pertinent section as follows:

Pursuant to the 1976 amendment to the New Jersey State Constitution and the express authorization to the Legislature to determine the type of gambling games that may be conducted in casinos under regulation and control by the State, the Legislature hereby declares that in furtherance of the goals of the Casino Control Act and in recognition that the technologies necessary to support Internet gaming can be prescribed and implemented in a manner that ensures all such gambling activity occurs within casinos located in Atlantic City, it is appropriate that the Casino Control Act be amended and supplemented to authorize licensed casino operators to conduct such games within the casino premises with all wagering to be conducted solely within the casinos. (New section) Any authorized game or authorized gambling game, as defined in section 5 of P.L.1977, c.110 (C.5:12-5), that is authorized to be played in a casino may, with the approval of the division, be offered through Internet gaming.

Online poker, slots, table games like blackjack, and other casino games are now available online via a number of partnerships between online gaming operators and land-based casinos in Atlantic City.

As for poker, specifically, there are numerous online poker providers available to New Jersey players as of mid-2018, with the following four licensed by the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement: PokerStars, WSOP/888poker, PartyPoker/Borgata, and Pala Poker. These sites are offered to any legal-aged player located within the state’s borders (residency is not required).

New Jersey Gambling Facts

Many assume that the story of gambling in New Jersey begins and ends with Atlantic City, but there’s a longer tale behind the casinos on the boardwalk, which have only been open since 1978. Over a century before an Atlantic City casino took its first bet, New Jersey residents were risking their paychecks on horse races at Monmouth Park. That industry was shut down by the law at the turn of the century, and regulated gambling didn’t return in earnest until 1970 when the state approved a lottery. Top ↑

Current Regulated Gambling Options in New Jersey

Today, that lottery sits aside one of the largest collections of commercial casinos found anywhere on the globe. Atlantic City made it an even dozen in 2012 with the opening of Revel. Outside of Atlantic City you’ll find other regulated gaming activity like parimutuel wagering at tracks and OTBs, charitable gambling events and social gambling (as permitted within the law), as well as newly-regulated online poker and casino games, daily fantasy sports (DFS) contests, and sports betting, both live and online.

Current Regulated Online Gambling Options in New Jersey

Online gambling, including poker, slots, and casino table games, was legalized by the state legislature in 2013, and Governor Chris Christie subsequently signed it into law. The industry will initially be allowed to run for a ten-year period for evaluation, as the land-based Atlantic City casinos partner with various online gambling operators to grow the new industry. Players are required to be located within the state’s borders, which is tracked by geolocation systems developed for New Jersey online gambling. The first online casinos virtually opened in November 2013. Nearly four years into the “experiment,” all parties involved agree that the industry is growing and increasingly successful. Many say it has already become an essential part of the growth of Atlantic City.

New Jersey Gambling Research

CityofAtlanticCity.org . The official website of the city provides information about the casinos that drive Atlantic City, along with a detailed picture of the region beyond the casinos.

Division of Gaming Enforcement . Complete set of resources regarding land-based casino gambling in new Jersey. Financial records, self-exclusion information, game testing and all other relevant information can be found at the DGE’s homepage.

GamblingAndTheLaw.com . Site of gambling law expert I Nelson Rose, who frequently writes about New Jersey’s push into online gambling and sports betting.

New Jersey’s Place in Poker History

While Las Vegas may be the ultimate poker destination, Atlantic City is arguably just as iconic for a certain generation of poker players. It is, of course, the casinos of Atlantic City – not Vegas – that provided the backdrop for Rounders, what many consider the definitive modern poker movie.

New Jersey is also the original home of the man many consider to be the absolute best in the game: Phil Ivey, who got his start in the card rooms of Atlantic City. The 2017 World Series of Poker Main Event champion, Scott Blumstein, hailed from New Jersey, even crediting the new online poker industry with much of his knowledge of the game. His play on the legal internet poker sites in New Jersey prepared him for the 2017 WSOP and led to his Main Event victory worth $8.15 million. Top ↑

Sources & Citations For This Article on New Jersey Online Poker