Tropicana Online Casino (New Jersey) – Expert Review & Sign-Up Bonuses
Tropicana Online Casino NJ is a production of the popular Tropicana Casino in Atlantic City, NJ. You probably could have guessed that, but Tropicana NJ (whether land-based or online) is a strange beast among American casinos, with more surprises than you would expect. Read on for the details.
- A never-ending series of promotions
- Robust community jackpots
- Lucrative VIP program that rewards volume gaming
- Wide variety of games, including video slots, bingo, and casino games
- Some software and games you won’t find anywhere else.
- Weak standard sign-up promotion
- Limited game selection on the mobile app
- Not many withdrawal options
- No live-dealer games
- No affiliated online poker rooms
- Customer service is just ‘okay’.
Tropicana online casino NJ
There is, of course, a Tropicana in Las Vegas, but despite their similar branding and origins, the two casinos now have different corporate owners. Confusing, huh?
Tropicana NJ is owned by Gaming and Leisure Properties and is also a partner of VirginCasino.com, a New Jersey property under the umbrella of British conglomerate Virgin Enterprises (you know, Richard Branson’s company).
Virgin also owns Gamesys, a popular London-based gaming software company. Whereas UK gamblers know and love Gamesys products, TropicanaCasino.com and VirginCasino.com are the only two US-based online casinos to feature GameSys software. As such, Tropicana’s game offerings are unique among many of its competitors.
The Highlights
When an NJ online casino splashes across its header a bonus promotion of “Up to $100 Cash Back!” you can’t help but feel, well… maybe someone forgot a zero?
$100 isn’t much of a bonus–and certainly not one to scream about in a headline–when competitors are wielding hefty deposit-match bonuses of $1,000 or more (example: Golden Nugget New Jersey).
But no, it’s not a typo. Tropicana Online Casino NJ does offer $20 in free-play money for first-time players (verified by an identity check) who enter the promo code PLAY20 at sign-up. Outside of this, however, the maximum sign-up bonus is indeed $100.
The thing is, however, we need to take a closer look. This is actually not a deposit-match bonus—it’s a “risk-free bet” bonus, which some players might prefer or at least find more valuable.
Deposit-match bonuses require you to deposit your own money, which the casino then matches. Yes, you get more free money, but you have to put more of your own at risk. And it will be at risk because of the wagering requirements you have to satisfy before you can withdraw your bonus cash.
Conversely, a $100 “risk-free betting” bonus works like this: deposit as much as you want, play as much as you want, and if after seven days you’re at a net loss of 90% of your bankroll, Tropicana NJ will refund you up to $100 of those losses.
Of course, if you end up ahead after those seven days, you don’t get anything. But hey, at least you’re winning! There’s no refund for losses after the seven-day promotional period, either, or if you haven’t lost 90% of your deposit.
It’s still entirely possible that some players will do better with the risk-free betting bonus than with a deposit-match bonus, even if the numbers aren’t as big. But maybe that’s a lot of limitations for a measly $100 cash back. Only you can decide.
Is there such a thing as a risk-averse bettor? The idea kind of makes us chuckle. But if you happen to be one, maybe this added little security of the $100 risk free will appeal.
Regardless of whether you find the sign-up bonus underwhelming or scrumptiously scintillating, Tropicana Online Casino NJ makes up for it by running a non-stop series of promotions alongside. You don’t have to be a new player to get massive value out of Tropicana online patronage.
These goodies include seasonal promotions, holiday promotions, birthday bonuses, VIP bonuses, and some interesting tie-ins with the land-based Tropicana Atlantic City.
Other highlights of Tropicana Online include the community jackpot, where you can win up to $10,000 if you’ve played within the last few hours. You don’t even have to win in order to score the jackpot, as long as someone else wins.
Sign-Up Process
The home page of TropicanaCasino.com features a big yellow “Join Now” button on the static header’s upper-left side on both the website and mobile app, giving you easy access to the sign-up page from all positions of the main page.
Click the “Join Now” button, and it walks you through a quick, painless sign-up process that only takes minutes to get you playing.
The sign-up window includes three sections, conveniently loading on one window:
- Create Username. From this panel, you create your Tropicana username and password.
- Personal Details. Tropicana Online Casino needs your name, address, and the last four digits of your Social Security Number.
- Contact and Security. Enter your phone number and email address, and agree to the Terms and Conditions. You can also enter a promo code if you are a first-time player (PLAY20 for $20 of no-deposit bonus money) as well as the name of your referral if a friend referred you.
That’s it. Your account is created. You will then be directed to make your first deposit. The minimum first deposit is $10. Once that’s been processed, you’re ready to start playing.
Do remember that there’s no deposit bonus, meaning a larger initial deposit incurs no benefit.
Ease of Use
We’ll say this for Tropicana Online Casino—it’s easy to find your way around. That’s because there isn’t too much here. Again, is it a good point–or a visual damp squib? Do you like to feel almost overwhelmed by choices on each screen, or prefer something more streamlined and minimalist?
At the risk of sounding indecisive again, it depends on what floats your gameplay boat. Not everyone wants crowded esthetics and if simplicity’s king for you, this site should appeal.
The selection of games is also still impressive, so don’t be deceived; it’s just that the website and app are remarkably clean, pared down, and uncluttered compared to most.
The only obvious problem is that there’s no way to search for a specific game. You basically have to scroll through a technicolor rainbow of game tiles to find the game you want. While this allows for the immersive discovery of new games, it doesn’t lend itself to finding the game you want.
Deposit Options
Tropicana Online Casino offers several deposit options. Notably missing, though, is support for PayPal deposits and a few major credit card issuers, but all deposit methods do post more or less immediately, accessible for wagers right away.
- Credit or Debit Card. Tropicana Online Casino allows deposits to be made directly from its platform using Visa or MasterCard credit and debit cards. It would be nice if they accepted American Express and Discover directly, but you have a few other options to use your AMEX or Discover using a mobile wallet.
- ACH. “Automated Clearing House” is a form of digital check payment that allows you to transfer money to your Tropicana NJ bankroll directly from your checking account. An ACH link can be set up directly from the Tropicana Online Casino banking platform.
- Neteller. While the casino doesn’t accept PayPal–the most popular mobile wallet–it does accept Neteller.
- Skrill. Skrill is another mobile wallet you can use to add money to your Tropicana NJ bankroll.
- PayNearMe at 7/Eleven. PayNearMe is a service offered by 7/Eleven convenience stores, allowing you to use cash to pay various bills or fund accounts. Make cash deposits to your Tropicana NJ account from any 7/Eleven in the country using PayNearMe.
- Cash at the Cage. If you make your way to Atlantic City and find yourself at the Tropicana Casino Atlantic City, you can go to the casino cage and make cash deposits into your Tropicana Online Casino NJ account.
IMPORTANT: Because Tropicana Las Vegas and Tropicana NJ have different corporate owners, bankrolls are not transferable between the two brands, despite the similarity in names.
Withdrawal Options
Tropicana Online Casino NJ offers several withdrawal methods, including:
- ACH. The same ACH link you can use to deposit funds into your Tropicana NJ bankroll can be used to withdraw. Withdrawals by ACH take 3-5 business days to process and post.
- Check. Tropicana NJ will mail a check to you within 7-10 days of request.
- Neteller and Skrill. Neteller and Skrill withdrawals require 24-48 hours’ processing time.
- Cash at the Cage. You can immediately withdraw cash from your Tropicana NJ account at the cage in Tropicana Casino Atlantic City.
Popular Games
Bingo
Tropicana Online Casino betrays its gaming software’s British roots by offering 90-Ball Bingo. This form of bingo, played across 3×27 grids and featuring better odds and three chances to win each game, is especially popular in the UK.
“American Bingo,” by contrast–the one familiar in American bingo halls–uses 5×5 grids, longer odds, and boasts bigger potential payouts. It’s also known as “75-Ball Bingo.” Tropicana Online Casino does not offer 75-Ball Bingo.
If you’re visiting from across the pond, want to expand your bingo acumen, or you just prefer British bingo, Tropicana Online NJ has you covered.
Other plus points are that hosts are available for live chat and queries during gameplay, and every game features an opportunity to win a Super Jackpot.
Blackjack
One of the most heavily-played casino table games both online and land-based, blackjack exists in a variety of forms. Just as bingo varies internationally, blackjack comes with a regional slant; this means Vegas blackjack uses different rules than Atlantic City blackjack, and which rules come into play can dramatically affect the odds.
Tropicana Online Casino NJ offers five different blackjack games, all of them designed by Gamesys, the British software company that enjoys wide distribution in Europe but limited distribution in America. In fact, only the Tropicana and Virgin NJ online casinos feature it.
Importantly, all five blackjack games at Tropicana Online Casino NJ feature a demo mode, allowing you to acclimatize to the rules and gameplay before betting real money.
Atlantic City Blackjack
Interestingly (hilariously, even), the rules of this blackjack game are not identical to the blackjack played on AC Boardwalk casinos, despite its name. Are you confused yet? It does pay to take time checking out each game before launching in.
The rules here are as follows:
- Eight-deck shoe
- Late surrender
- Double down after splits and on any two cards
- Any pair except Aces can be split up to three times
- Aces can be split only once, one card going to each Ace
- Dealer stands on a soft 17.
House Edge: 0.36%
Single-Deck Blackjack
Gamesys single-deck blackjack features the following gameplay rules:
- No dealer hole
- No surrender
- Dealer stands on a soft 17
- Double-down on 9, 10, or 11
- Can’t double down after splits
- No resplitting of pairs.
House Edge: 0.26%
Multi-Hand Blackjack
The higher house edge comes from the fact that this game is played with five decks. A player can play up to five hands. All other rules are the same as single-deck blackjack.
House Edge: 0.72%
Vegas Downtown Blackjack
The Gamesys Vegas Downtown Blackjack is played with the following conditions:
- Dealer hits on a soft 17
- Two decks
- Double down after splits or on any two cards
- Any pair except Aces can be split up to three times
- Aces can be split only once, one card going to each Ace.
House Edge: 0.39%
Vegas Strip Blackjack
The Gamesys Vegas Strip Blackjack is played with the following conditions:
- Dealer hits on a soft 17
- Four decks
- Double down after splits or on any two cards
- Any pair except Aces can be split up to three times
- Aces can be split only once, one card going to each Ace.
House Edge: 0.36%
Community Jackpot
The Community Jackpot is one of the big selling points of the Tropicana NJ Online Casino.
A community jackpot, if won, is shared among all players who have vied for it within a specified time period.
Here’s how it works at Tropicana Online:
- Bet real money on any online game at TropicanaCasino.com.
- Look for a special key icon that will appear in the toolbar above the game, indicating you’ve unlocked a chance at the jackpot.
- Click on the key to see if you win.
If you don’t win on the key strike, you still have a chance of winning a piece of the jackpot, even if you log off.
If a community jackpot is won, everyone who’s clicked the key in the last 60 minutes gets a share of the jackpot.
The Community Jackpot comes in four possible sizes:
- Green: $500
- Bronze: $1,000
- Silver: $5,000
- Gold: $10,000.
Not a bad incentive to keep playing — multiple chances at a tasty slice of $10,000.
Free Games
Tropicana Online Casino NJ offers two free games, each with the opportunity to win free spins:
- Search for the Phoenix. Players select tiles on a 9×10 grid to reveal a phoenix mosaic. Skull symbols count as a miss. Players get six picks per play.
- Tiki’s Catch of the Day. Designed by West Pier Studio, Tiki’s Catch of the Day lets you collect symbols from an animated island backdrop, with prizes for collecting a matched set.
Slots
Tropicana Online Casino NJ currently hosts 200 video slots. This may sound like a lot, but it actually lags behind the offerings of its competitors.
Many of these slots also disappear from the mobile version, making them impossible to play on the go.
Most of these games are five-reel, multi-payline slots, rich in immersive graphics and animation but only two feature progressive jackpots—Diamond Bonanza and Wonderland. Most feature side bets, bonus rounds, and extra goodies.
Tropicana does offer several video slots exclusive to its platform, including:
- Agatha Christie’s Mystery Wilds
- Bubbly Wild.
- Diamond Bonanza
- Fortune Temple
- Guardians of Fire and Ice
- Frederic & Francois … In It for the Money
- Jalapeno Racers
- Jin’s Jungle
- Million Dollar Money Drop
- Queen of the Tree Folk
- Sapphire Sorceress
- Scratchcard Shop
- Secrets of the Phoenix
- Spinning Dragons
- The Godfather
- Tiki Totems
- Treasure from the Gods
- Winstones Resort Casino
- Wonderland
- Wonders of the Deep
- Zen Garden.
Tropicana rounds out its selection of exclusive offerings with several popular titles, particularly those from video slot giant IGT. Players will probably recognize Cleopatra, Star Trek, Ghostbusters, and Da Vinci Diamonds.
You will also find popular Williams Interactive slots such as Raging Rhino, Spartacus, and the Zeus titles, and NetEnt hits Starburst and Gonzo’s Quest.
Table Games
Tropicana Online NJ offers a decent selection of video table games with an appealing animated interface, but betting on them amounts to taking a punt on the outcome of a random number generator.
Available games include:
Baccarat
Tropicana offers one video version of James Bond’s favorite card games, where you can bet with the dealer or bet with the player to your heart’s content.
Roulette
Roulette lovers will find a number of options to satisfy their spin fever, including:
- Single-Zero Roulette
- High-Stakes Single-Zero Roulette
- American Roulette
- European Roulette
- French Roulette.
Craps
The one video craps game on Tropicana Online Casino NJ allows you to bet on the throw of the digital dice.
Keno
Two versions of Keno are available on Tropicana Online NJ, including Fortune Teller Keno, a lottery-esque game allowing you to bet on numbers from 1 to 80.
Video Poker
Tropicana Online Casino NJ has no built-in or separate/affiliated online poker rooms or apps—meaning you can’t use your Tropicana NJ account to play Hold’em against other players.
Some players will miss this feature. For those who don’t mind as much, the Tropicana platform does offer several video poker options, including:
- Bonus Poker
- Double Bonus Poker
- Double Double Bonus Poker
- Five Play Draw Poker
- Let it Ride.
- Jacks or Better.
- Pai Gow Poker.
- Triple Play Draw Poker.
If you adhere to solid playing strategy, Tropicana video poker tends to pay out 99% or better, a pretty favorable set of odds. In multi-line Deuces Wild, the house edge can be as low as 0.3%.
Loyalty Program
Tropicana Online Casino NJ used to offer a loyalty currency called Trop Points.
In November of 2019, however, Trop Points were discontinued and any points accrued were converted into bonus cash, so you can no longer earn more Trop Points for gameplay.
It is unclear what, if anything, will replace Trop Points now, but for the time being it has not affected land-based bonus points or VIP/loyalty programs.
Tropicana NJ offers several loyalty programs, the benefits of which are transferable and easy to combine with gameplay at the Tropicana land-based casino in Atlantic City …
Trop Advantage
You can get a Trop Advantage card at the land-based Tropicana AC, entitling you to earn “comp dollars” for gameplay. The more you play, the higher Trop Advantage status you achieve and the more perks you enjoy. Somehow, though, ‘Trop Advantage’ does not sound too seductive; maybe in future, this casino might come up with a more alluring name.
For now, Trop Advantage has five levels:
- Green
- Coffee
- Gold
- Platinum
- Black.
Trop Advantage comp dollars mostly apply to gameplay and redemption at the land-based casino, but you can combine online rewards dollars with your comp dollars, and these can then be spent on practically anything you can buy at the Tropicana AC. Some of the restaurants even offer 2-for-1 value for your comp dollars.
VIP Loyalty Program
If your gameplay qualifies you for Tropicana NJ’s invitation-only VIP loyalty program, then rejoice: you’re in for a treat!
Tropicana Online Casino NJ offers one of the most luxurious and lucrative VIP programs among any of its competitors. This is where Tropicana Online really shines.
VIP players have access to all (and more) of the following benefits:
- A 5-days-a-week VIP concierge
- Playtime-based bonuses
- Birthday bonuses and gifts
- VIP-only promotions
- Gameplay advisors.
In the upper echelons of the VIP program, you may gain access to:
- Complementary fine dining rewards
- VIP tickets to sporting events and shows
- Weekend, comped getaways to Tropicana AC
- VIP treatment from a dedicated account manager.
Tropicana Online Casino Website
Tropicana Online Casino NJ features a mostly green-themed site that even reads more like a “website” than a gaming app. This isn’t a bad thing, because it’s easy to find the basic categories you’re looking for.
Simple menu navigation from the front page can take you to slots, casino games, bingo, free games, promotions, and the blog.
Once you’ve navigated to the sub-page you want, the games are organized in a pleasing graphic grid of icons, like a mobile app home screen.
A collapsing tool menu on the left takes you to Help & FAQ, a mute button, and your Trop Points.
All in all, Tropicana Online Casino NJ makes a good impression by being user-friendly and easy to navigate. Other online casinos feel a lot more crowded, but the Tropicana website feels lightweight and easy to maneuver.
Tropicana Online Casino Mobile App
Yes, you can take the Tropicana with you in your pocket. Tropicana Online Casino NJ offers a mobile app for both iOS and Android operating systems—meaning it will install on your compatible iPhone, iPad, and Android smartphone or tablet.
You can get the mobile app from the Apple App Store, but because of its policies on online gambling, the Android app is not available for download from the Google Play store.
The mobile app offers a serviceable, user-friendly version of the website, with all functions easy to find in touchscreen mode. The casino loses very little functionality or ease of use from its transition to mobile.
What it does lose, unfortunately, is 80% of the game titles, the current Tropicana NJ mobile app featuring fewer than one fifth of the games featured on the online casino. This may be enough to keep you busy, but it’s a big dropoff compared to competitors, who only sacrifice around half (or fewer) of their titles in the transition to mobile.
Maybe it’s the British Gamesys software upon which the app is built that causes this fall-away; only VirginCasino.com and TropicanaCasino.com use it in the United States, and it might not yet be ready for the US mobile market.
Anyway, suffice it to say this is a lot of games to sacrifice on the altar of portability and it will leave many players disappointed.
Contact Information
Toll-Free Customer Support Line: (844) 737-7615
Live chat support is available here.
An email contact form can be found here.
Here is the main customer support page, and VIP inquiries can be directed to (201) 885-5371 or vip@tropicanacasino.com
The Verdict
Among New Jersey online casinos, Tropicana is something of a strange beast. It’s an instantly recognizable and reputable brand … yet not related to the Vegas casino of the same name. So, we start off on a confused footing, a theme that only seems to carry on as we examine other areas of the casino.
We then find the site and app are built on a British software platform that it shares in common with VirginCasino.com and no others.
Then, it wields a broad selection of games, and yet somehow it doesn’t stack up to competitors’ offerings. The mobile app takes it further down a slippery slope, featuring one of the most dismal games selections of any NJ online casino.
The welcome bonus may be appealing, or it may be underwhelming … it’s hard to know. On the upside, once you’re in, the ongoing bonuses, loyalty program, and land-based tie-ins will keep you hooked.
Now we come to the live dealer excitement… to find that there isn’t any. That’s just not how Tropicana Online rolls (no pun intended) as the game offerings seem to be organized more around Gamesys than Tropicana AC.
It’s hard not to feel like this is a “specialty” online casino—one that players will either love or hate. But who said everybody has to like you? This easy-to-use website and app is at least worthy of the Tropicana name and it also enjoys a good reputation.