Online gambling has been legal in New Jersey since the signing of bill A2578 into law by Gov. Chris Christie on February 26, 2013. That means players within the state borders can legally bet on sports, play at licensed online casinos, and try their hands at online poker and other table card games. Not just that; you can also participate in the lottery, bet on esports, and wager on Daily Fantasy Sports in New Jersey over the internet.
Online gambling in the Garden State falls under the oversight of the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement (DGE), which vets gambling operators, makes sure that online casino games are fair, and monitors any cases of exclusion-list violations. Of course, a lot has changed since the first batch of legal NJ online casinos went live back in 2013. The size, variety, and quality of online casinos and their games have changed almost dramatically over the years.
Despite these great milestones, some people still don’t understand how gambling works in New Jersey, often thinking it’s difficult, confusing, or complex. In this article, we intend to expound on that, so if you’re wondering “how do online casinos work in New Jersey?”, then you have come to the right place.
What we cover
First Things First – The Basics Of Gambling Online In New Jersey
Online gambling in New Jersey can only be done via licensed and regulated gambling sites, all of which have ties, partnerships and contracts with land-based casinos in Atlantic City. While the vast majority of these websites offer a variety of gambling offerings, such as sports betting, slots, table games, online poker, and e-sports, some do specialize in just one form of gambling (more on that below).
Gamblers can play games or place their bets in-browser using software that is built into the website or they can also download a mobile or desktop app and install it on their devices. In either case, the software is the key component of the gambling platform, allowing players to make real money wagers online.
The gaming software can either be developed in-house by the gambling operator or sourced from a leading software provider. In New Jersey, you’ll come across sites powered by software from top developers like IGT, Microgaming, NetEnt, Evolution Gaming, Yggdrasil Gaming, WMS, SG Interactive, Playtech, and GVC Holding, among many, many others.
Before New Jersey players can access these gambling products, they must have an internet-connected device, be that a PC, tablet, or mobile device. The next step is to sign up for a new account with a gambling site of their choice. The registration process should take only a few minutes, but it’s the verification that might take a while.
To be eligible to gamble online in New Jersey, you must be older than 21 years of age and be physically within the borders of the Garden State. You’ll be required to provide a photo ID, which can be your driver’s license, passport, or any other government-issued identification. Proof of address will also be required, so you may be asked to send your latest bank statement or utility bill.
Once your gambling account has been created and verified, you can now upload funds from your bank account or card. New Jersey players have access to a wide range of deposit payment options that include standard credit & debit cards from VISA, MasterCard, Discover, and American Express. You can also use some of the leading e-wallets, with PayPal, Neteller, PaySafeCard, and Skrill being the most popular.
Other payment options available to NJ players include instant e-checks, bank wire transfers, online banking transfers, prepaid cards, PayNearMe, and ACH. The most exciting part is that you can walk up to the cashier section of a partner casino in Atlantic City and make an in-person deposit to your online gambling account.
One important thing to note is that many gambling sites claim to cater to New Jersey players. That’s why you need to check for a valid gambling license from the NJDGE, read credible online reviews, and carefully read terms & conditions before signing up with any gambling site.
Who can gamble online in New Jersey?
State regulators closely monitor and restrict who is eligible to play at licensed gambling sites in New Jersey. Here’s what you need to know about who can legally gamble online:
- Players must be physically within the state borders
- Players must be at least 21 years of age
- Anyone can create and send funds to an online gambling account from anywhere across the globe, but you cannot play until you’re actually physically inside the state
- Players are not required to be residents of the Garden State
You can think of New Jersey gambling sites as a virtual extension of Atlantic City. The state Department of Gambling Enforcement is tasked with enforcing all of the aforementioned requirements. And the regulators are dead serious about verification of the gambler’s location and age prior to allowing them to gamble online.
Most gambling sites in New Jersey use Geo-location plugins and other pieces of sophisticated software to pinpoint the precise location of the player. That’s basically how do online casinos work in New Jersey.
How do online casinos work in New Jersey?
Online casinos are legal and currently one of the most popular forms of internet gambling in New Jersey. There are over 20 (and counting) online casinos licensed and regulated in the Garden State, allowing players to play real money slots, video poker, table games, bingo, scratch cards, and even keno.
The choice of legal sites that offer online casino gambling in New Jersey including international betting brands like Unibet, Betfair, Bet365, 888 Holding, Virgin Casino, BetMGM, DraftKings, and many more. You’ll also find online casinos offered in conjunction with some of the biggest players in Atlantic City. These include Borgata Casino, Tropicana Casino, Golden Nugget Casino, SugarHouse Casino, Party Casino, Wynn Casino, Hard Rock Casino, and Caesars Online Casino.
Whether small or big, these online casinos offer lots of bonuses, free spins, no-deposit free credits, and other promotions to appeal to players in New Jersey. These internet options supplement brick-and-mortar Atlantic City casinos.
If you’re familiar with sports betting or fantasy sports, then you’re halfway to knowing how do online casinos work in New Jersey. For starters, you’ll have to choose how to play; you can either play instant-play games right in your browser or download a software client.
If you decide to download the software client, you’ll have to boot it on and log in using your username & password. Although there are several different types of casino software clients, they usually look, feel, and work almost the same way. There’s a menu for navigating to different sections and a search function.
After you log in, you’ll see sections for banking, promotions, games, your account, and customer support. The games link takes you to a lobby where you can choose from a library of games offered by the casino. Of course, you can use the search bar to find a game by name or other keywords.
If you opt to play instant-play games, all that you have to do is visit the casino’s website and sign in using your username & password. All of the features discussed above will be accessible via a desktop or mobile browser. Whether you choose instant-play or download clients, the general experience is more or less the same. Most casinos offer both downloadable and instant-play games while others offer one option.
The games lobby is where online casinos really come into their own. The games are usually placed into category categories, namely slots, progressive jackpots, table games, bingo games, video poker, and other specialty offerings. In the slots section, for example, you can pick from a selection of classic slots, video slots, progressive slots, and other exciting titles from big providers like NetEnt, Microgaming, and GVC.
The most popular table games include several variants of blackjack, roulette, craps, and baccarat. New Jersey players who love video poker can take their pick from classics like Texas Hold’em, Deuces Wild, Aces & Faces, Jacks or Better, and Bonus Poker – just to name a few.
Funds are usually transferable from one category to the next, providing players with greater choice and flexibility. All that a player has to do is sign into their preferred online casino and enjoy hundreds of games, including little-known ones like keno, faro, and scratch cards. All of these games usually have familiar gameplay, allowing players to adjust their stakes and manage their bankrolls.
Whenever you need help, you typically can reach customer support via email, phone, live chat, or social media. Deposits and withdrawals can be made using bank cards, wire transfers, e-wallets, and instant e-checks (ACH), plus in-person options like PayNearMe and Cash at the Casino’s Cage. Players can take advantage of casino bonuses, loyalty reward programs, tournaments, and other promotions.
How sports betting works in New Jersey
If you already know how online casinos work in New Jersey, understanding how sports betting works will be a cinch. After all, betting on sports is probably the simplest and most family form of online gambling. Players can bet on sports via a web browser or use a mobile application.
In either case, placing your bet on your favorite sports in New Jersey should be really easy and hassle-free. The good news is that you can use the same gambling account for sports betting and playing online casino games, as well as online poker, e-sports, and daily fantasy.
Typically, a sports betting platform will feature a side menu that lists all of the different sports that you can bet on. While most New Jersey players love to wager on college basketball, Super Bowl, and football, you’ll have access to a wide range of sports betting markets that include NFL, tennis, horse racing, greyhound racing, cricket, rugby union, snooker, golf, ice hockey, MMA, UFC, boxing, volleyball, Formula 1, NASCAR, and virtual sports.
When you click on a particular sports event that you want to wager on, this will bring up a whole page packed with all of the available markets for that match. For instance, when you click on a Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Kansa City Chiefs game, you will see a list of markets that include Points Spread, Money Line, and Total Points, just to mention a few betting options.
These betting markets usually vary from sport to sport, but the lines and odds for each game are clearly displayed. You can simply click on a particular line and choose your stake amount before submitting your betting slip. Note that odds and lines do change regulars as bookmakers constantly adjust them based on a variety of factors like injuries, weather, etc. Some changes to odds are made automatically by the software engine, while others are made in the back-end of the platform.
You can wager anything from 10 up to $5 million, which is considered the sports betting ceiling by the state of New Jersey. Once your sports wager has been confirmed, the amount staked will be subtracted from the betting account balance. If the bet-slip wins, your winnings will be credited to your account and reflected on your balance, as well.
That’s pretty much all there’s to how gambling works in New Jersey when it comes to sports betting. Some of the biggest sportsbooks for NEW JERSEY players include PointsBet, BetMGM Sportsbook, DraftKings, Fanduel Sportsbook, SugarHouse Casino, Bet365 Sportsbook NJ, 888 Sport, and FoxBet.
It’s also worth noting that betting on college events and teams from New Jersey is forbidden even if the game is being played outside of the state. That’s the cardinal rule of sports betting in the Garden State.
How does online poker work in New Jersey?
New Jersey is currently only one of the 5 states that allow players within the state borders to enjoy legal online poker. You will be able to get all the internet poker action you need at any of the half dozen online poker sites licensed and regulated by the DGE, including Borgata Online Poker, PokerStars New Jersey, 888 Poker, Party Poker, BetMGM Poker, and WSOP.
As far as how gambling works goes, online poker is perhaps the most complicated. Still, enthusiastic players can learn the mechanics, rules, and everything else you need to know before starting to play poker online. Just like online casinos, online poker sites provide players with a choice to either play games in-browser on the instant-play platform or download the site’s software client and install it on their devices.
While instant-play platforms have made major inroads over the past decade, downloadable software clients still deliver more functionality and a better gaming experience. No matter which route you take, you will end up on the lobby screen, which is pretty much the same across all online poker sites.
The lobby is where you’ll find all of the poker games offered by a particular site. Most popular titles include Omaha, Texas Hold’em, Hi-Lo, and Five Card Draw. You can also participate in online poker tournaments and series, plus a huge range of cash games happening throughout the day. For advanced players, there are many poker variants like Snap fast-fold games, Jackpot Sit-&-Go, and Blast.
At the poker site’s lobby, you should be able to use search function or filters, so you can see only games that meet your playing style and budget. For instance, you could use a filter that shows only short-hand Texas Hold’em No Limit games with minimum stakes under $2. Or perhaps you may want to view all sit-and-go tournaments with an entry fee below $50. Or maybe you just want to catch a glimpse of all scheduled tournaments for the day.
When you enter a particular poker tournament, the predetermined entry fee is subtracted from your account immediately. Similarly, the buy-in amount at any cash table you joint will be deducted from your balance. The gameplay is almost similar for both online poker tournaments and games.
The gaming interface of the poker table is where the action happens. Everyone at the table has a designated avatar. The rules for playing online poker are very much similar to what you’d expect at a land-based casino. You can call, fold, double down, and whatnot. Cards are usually dealt out randomly and automatically thanks to a random number generator built into the poker gaming software.
How daily fantasy sports (DFS) works in New Jersey
Because betting on Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS) is legal in all of its various forms in New Jersey, you will find top-tier operators in the state. FanDuel and DraftKings lead the pack, offering one of the best fantasy betting experiences in the US. Traditionally casino-oriented players like Caesars have also entered the DFS scene.
As the gambling mecca of the North East US, New Jersey has made leaps over other states with the state’s DFS wagering opportunities having opened up markets on college football action. There are of course betting options on MLB, NBA, soccer, and NFL. Players can also make parimutuel bets and pick on NCAA football action.
Daily fantasy sports contests offered by gambling sites in New Jersey will be instantly familiar to people who have participated in conventional fantasy sports leagues. The fundamental idea behind DFS is that the player can generate a fantasy team or teams by drafting players from real sports teams.
The teams and players are given points depending on how they perform in real-life matches. Unlike real-life sports leagues, however, DFS contests are shorter and usually don’t last the entire season. Results are typically calculated based on a single round of matches.
As with sports wagering, players are not required to download any software client to play the DFS contest. However, you can use a mobile DFS application. Otherwise, you can do everything right on the website using your chosen web browser. Before you do, you’ll need to sign up for an account with your preferred Daily Fantasy Sports site in New Jersey and make a deposit of funds.
You can choose to enter one or several of the different contents, which are similar in structure and point-scoring to sit-n-go poker tournaments. The buy-in or entry fee collected from each player count goes to the prize pool.
For instance, if you pick an NBA–based contest, you will be required to pay the appropriate entry fee and then create a lineup comprising real players from the NBA. On the DFS dashboard, you will see positions that need to be filled on one side, and available NBA players on the other side.
Each contest has drafting rules like being able to pick only active players. The lineups may also be subjected to a salary cap given that each available player is assigned a theoretical salary value that changes depending on on-court performance. Some contests, for instance, will put in place a $40-million salary cap for any given lineup.
Once you have created a lineup, you can then submit your fantasy team, finalizing your wager. All points earned will be determined automatically based on the criteria set by the DFS site. Factors like match performance, score, injuries, and so on will also count towards point-scoring. The prize pool will then be split among team owners based on the points earned.
What are the benefits of online gambling in New Jersey?
Now that you know how gambling works in Jersey, you may be wondering what makes it so attractive. Here’s why gambling online offers a much more superior experience to playing at a brick-and-mortar casino in Atlantic City.
Enjoy a wider range of games — Games variety is where gambling sites in NJ bring the A-game. You can take your pick from a vast selection of slots, video poker, and table games. Some sites even offer poker rooms, bingo, and sportsbooks.
Lucrative bonuses — Gambling sites offer some of the most lucrative bonus offers, especially to new customers. New Jersey online casinos offer hundreds of dollars in free spins, free cash, and bonus cash, just for enjoying your favorite games. This way, you can also boost your bankroll and enhance your online gambling experience.
Superior security — All online gambling operators in New Jersey are licensed by the DGE and use the strictest security protocols to protect your personal data and funds.
Better range of payment options — You can deposit cash at the casino cage or use PayNearMe at any participating 7/Eleven store. Or use all of the many standard payment methods, including VISA, MasterCard, AMEX, Discover, PayPal, and much more.
