Legal gambling has some problems at the federal level in the United States, and the number of states where legal gambling services are available is very limited. Most states have only legalized sports betting or land-based casinos and have not made any regulations about online casino sites. New Jersey is a remarkable state in this respect because it has made casino sites legal: NJ casino online sites can provide services freely by obtaining a license.
In other words, the answer to the question, can you gamble online in New Jersey is yes. So, what is the reason for this? Why does this state have even more liberal gambling laws than Nevada? In order to answer this question, we need to briefly touch on the history of New Jersey gambling.
Timeline of Casinos in NJ: Legalisation
Legal gambling has some problems at the federal level in the United States, and the number of states where legal gambling services are available is very limited. Most states have only legalized sports betting or land-based casinos and have not made any regulations about online casino sites. New Jersey is a remarkable state in this respect because it has made casino sites legal: NJ casino online sites can provide services freely by obtaining a license.
In other words, the answer to the question, can you gamble online in New Jersey is yes. So, what is the reason for this? Why does this state have even more liberal gambling laws than Nevada? In order to answer this question, we need to briefly touch on the history of New Jersey gambling.
Until 1748: The Age of Free Gambling
Way before casinos New Jersey were a thing, people were gambling whenever and wherever they could. Historical records show that even on Columbus' ships, gambling was a common hobby. Many historians even consider blackjack to be a game invented by the Spanish sailors on these ships. Gambling was quite common among early immigrants and was not considered a bad habit at that time. Until the early 1700s, you could find different forms of gambling in all states, including New Jersey. Historical records show that sports betting, especially horse racing betting, is the most common form of gambling. Poker had yet to be invented, but people were playing card games too, and Vingt-Un, the ancestor of modern blackjack, was one of the most popular games.
Best Online Casinos in NJ
Since we told you everything you need to know about the history of gambling in New Jersey, we can start talking about the best online casinos New Jersey. The NJ online casinos list contains lots of names, but only a couple of them are worth your time and money. To help you out, we prepared a list of the best NJ online casino sites, and instead of choosing a single site, we picked multiple websites for our New Jersey online casino list: At least one of these casino online New Jersey sites will be the right choice for you. You can see our list below with short NJ online casino reviews for every name on it. Lastly, know that these are all legal online casino NJ sites: they are licensed by the New Jersey Casino Control Commission.
Golden Nugget
Golden Nugget casino is owned and operated by the land-based casino with the same name. Its year of establishment is 2013. This NJ casino has won the EGR North America’s “operator of the year” award four times in a row. There are more than 1.000 games you can play in different categories, including slots, table games, live dealer games, video poker, and scratch cards. The website also offers sports betting services too. There are more than two dozen game providers, including Ainsworth, Bally, BTG, Konami, NetEnt, IGT, and Nextgen Gaming. You can make deposits & withdrawals with credit cards (including AMEX), PayPal, bank transfer, and 7-Eleven Cash Transfer. You can also make a deposit at the actual Golden Nugget online casino and use your balance at the online site too.
DraftKings Casino
This casino is actually owned by the Resorts Casino Hotel, DraftKings is just the operator. Launched in 2019, it offers 466 games in total and lots of promotions that award free credits. In addition to casino games, you can try your luck in sports betting and fantasy sports too. DraftKings casino offers the games of SG Digital and IGT, but the majority of its collection consists of games developed in-house. For example, it makes its own live streams for the live casino section instead of working with a provider. You can use credit cards (VISA/MasterCard/AMEX), PayPal, e-check, and special prepaid cards of DraftKings (Play+).
Sugar House Casino
Launched in 2018, Sugar House casino NJ is owned and operated by the Rivers Casino. You can play around 800 games, and 500 of them are online slots. The welcome bonus is quite impressive because it comes with a 1x wagering. To give you an idea, this rate is at least 20x at international casino sites. Like most of the casinos New Jersey, it offers the games of Netent, IGT, and Scientific Gaming. You can also use sports betting and live sports betting services. Its loyalty program is called “iRush Rewards”, and you can win up to 100 USD in casino credits every day. Sugar House casino accepts VISA, MasterCard, Discover, PayPal, wire transfer, 7-Eleven Cash Transfer, and Play+ prepaid cards.
Borgata Casino
Established in 2013, Borgata is the online casino of the famous Borgata Resort, and in addition to casino games, it offers sports betting too. The loyalty program is shared between the land-based and online services. You can win “Borgata Bucks” with every wager you make and spend them in the land-based casino or vice versa. There are more than 1.000 games you can play, including virtual sports. Borgata casino works with several game providers, including Netent, IGT, Scientific Gaming, Ainsworth, and WMS. Games in the live casino section are provided by Ezugi and Evolution Gaming. Borgata online casino is also a part of the Party Poker US Network, so you can join several tournaments from the website. You can make payments with Skrill, PayPal, online banking, Play+ prepaid cards, and debit cards.
Virgin Casino
Virgin casino is owned and operated by Tropicana Casino and Resort. It’s established in 2014. The platform provider of the website is GameSys (*). In addition to online casino games, it also offers an online bingo network and separate promotions for this network. Speaking of bonuses, you can start playing with a risk-free cashback bonus worth 100 USD. You can play around 500 games in total, most of which belong to Netent and IGT. You can also win V-Points with every wager you make – this is the exclusive loyalty program of the Virgin casino NJ that awards birthday gifts and several perks to every member. You can use VISA, MasterCard, Skrill, e-checks, and wire transfers for payments. The “Cash at the Casino” feature is also available, meaning you can make a deposit at the actual casino and use your balance on the online site.
(*) GameSys is a London-based company and the legal owner of the “Virgin” brand.
Caesars Casino
As can be guessed by the name, this NJ casino, launched in 2013, is owned and operated by the Caesars Atlantic City Casino. There are a little more than 700 games you can play. While most of them are slots, there are Slingo, video poker, blackjack, and roulette games too. More importantly, there is a separate section for high roller players: it contains games with increased bet and payout limits. The games are provided by nearly a dozen providers, including High5, Everi, IGT, Netent, and SG Gaming. You can pay with credit cards (including AMEX and Discover), PayPal, e-check, Play+, and online banking. There are two important features you should know: first, Caesars Casino is an official partner of WSOP (World Series of Poker), and you can join this exclusive poker network with your casino membership. Second, you automatically join the Caesars Rewards loyalty program when you become a member and exchange your points between online & offline gaming. These points can also be used to claim cashback bonuses.
FanDuel Casino
FanDuel, established in 2013, is among the top NJ online casino sites, but its legal situation is somewhat complex. The brand's land-based partner is Meadowlands Racetrack, but this partnership ensures that it can only offer online sportsbook services (the racetrack licenses cannot be used for an online casino NJ). However, Flutter, which owns the FanDuel brand, also owns the Betfair brand and is one of the partners of Golden Nugget NJ casino. Flutter tried to open an online casino using the Golden Nugget license with the Betfair brand, but this brand was not well known in the US, so they decided to use the FanDuel instead. In other words, FanDuel casino is actually a Betfair casino, and all services (including games) are provided by Betfair except for its name.
This means that it offers a very high-quality service due to its experience in the European market. You can play around 700 games in different categories, and these include slots, jackpots, blackjack, roulette, and live casino games. You can find games from Netent, IGT, SG Gaming, and Evolution Gaming. New members are offered a risk-free cashback bonus of 1,000 USD for the first 24 hours. For payments, you can use PayPal, VISA, MasterCard, and e-check.
Unibet Casino
Opened in 2019, this casino is owned by the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino but managed by Unibet, a European-based company. Unibet NJ casino is a brand of the Kindred Group, and there are more than a dozen online casinos belonging to this group, so they know what they are doing. This casino is important to the company as it is their first investment in the US market and therefore aims to provide the best possible experience. Netent, IGT, Bally, and Konami games are available on the site: you can play around 800 games in total. You can use an e-check, credit card, wire transfer, PayPal, and Play+ prepaid cards for deposits and withdrawals. There is also a method called “cash cage”: it is possible to use the money you deposited in the safe of the physical casino on the online site.
BetMGM Casino
BetMGM and Borgata are brands owned by MGM Resorts, and therefore both online casino sites are exactly the same. Nothing is different except the name of the brand in the upper left corner and the loyalty program: even the design of the sites is the same. BetMGM casino was opened in 2020. You can play around 1,000 games and get your share of the jackpots that are paid out every day with the loyalty program called “Lion's Share”. You can play Netent, IGT, Scientific Gaming, Ainsworth, and WMS games, and you can use Skrill, PayPal, online banking, Play+ prepaid cards, and debit cards for payments. BetMGM is also part of the Party Poker network, meaning members can participate directly in poker tournaments. If you have trouble deciding between Borgata and BetMGM, choose the casino you visit physically because the loyalty program can be used for both online and offline gambling.
Methodology of Reviewing Online Casinos in NJ
Instead of choosing a single site as the best online NJ casino, we preferred to choose the best online casinos in New Jersey. We know that every player has different needs and expectations. Therefore, there is no single best online casino NJ that would be a great option for everyone. But by browsing all New Jersey online casinos, it's possible to pick out a plethora of options to suit all tastes: that's what we did in this guide. But how did we prepare our NJ casino online list and pick the names in it? Simply put, how did we find the answer to the “what is the best online casino in NJ” question?
For this work, we used our years of experience in the iGaming industry and our criteria that emerged as a result of this experience. These criteria guided us when choosing the best online casino New Jersey and determined what we should pay attention to. Below, we list and briefly explain all of the criteria we use when evaluating NJ online casino real money sites.
- Security and Trust: As might be expected, the first thing we paid attention to when creating the list of all NJ online casinos was safety and reliability. There are no unlicensed sites on our NJ casino list, so there is no question of legality. That's why we focused directly on security and the reputation of casino New Jersey sites. We checked whether every page on their website was SSL protected and checked user comments from different sources, including forums, to make sure there were no reputation issues.
- Bonuses: Promotions are one of the distinguishing features of online gambling, and when used correctly, they can give the player a real advantage. That's why we've personally tested all casinos online New Jersey bonuses to see if they really work. Due to legal restrictions, even top online casinos NJ can't be as generous with bonuses as international operators – so you really need to scrutinize all available offers. That's what we did and only included sites that offer useful and advantageous bonuses in the list of online casinos NJ.
- Reasonable Terms & Conditions: You know that when reading a contract, you have to pay special attention to the parts written in “lowercase”, right? We did the same: when evaluating all online casinos in NJ, we started by reading the terms and conditions of use and made sure that there were no adverse player provisions. In this context, we have paid particular attention to wagering terms and account cancellation conditions.
- VIP & Loyalty Rewards: We've made sure that every NJ casino site we recommend has a loyalty program that anyone can join and offers exclusive VIP bonuses for high roller players. We call it smart gambling: an advantageous loyalty program allows even low roller players to unlock very advantageous bonuses. High roller players, on the other hand, deserve special treatment and should therefore be able to participate in a separate VIP program.
- Banking: When reviewing banking options, we paid attention to more than one thing. First, we made sure you have multiple options for deposits and withdrawals: not everyone has to pay with a credit card. Some players may want to use wire transfers, electronic wallets, or even checks. Secondly, we looked at how quickly transactions were completed and particularly prioritized casino New jersey sites that can complete payouts as quickly as possible (less than 24 hours). Likewise, we also test the payout rates to find the best online casino payouts NJ.
- Games: For a pleasant online gambling experience, the game collection must be satisfactory in terms of both quantity and quality. You should also be able to get smooth and fluid gameplay. This is why we try all the games in the list of new jersey online casinos to make sure of two things: first that you can play the latest and most popular games from top-tier suppliers. Two, these games work on all devices.
- Mobile App: You can be sure that an online casino in New Jersey also has a mobile app: almost every casino offers this option. However, the mobile experience should be as smooth and satisfying as the desktop experience. That's why we test mobile apps for at least a week and make sure they offer exactly the same experience in terms of performance & features.
- Support: A pleasant gambling experience is also a problem-free experience, and for this to be possible, the support must work professionally and quickly. That's why we contact casino support with different scenarios and test how fast & professional they are. If you have a problem, we make sure that it will be resolved within a maximum of 24 hours. We also prioritize casinos that offer phone support.
Why Choose NJ Casinos?
Playing at a site on the list of online casinos in New Jersey has some advantages: first of all, you can be sure of a legal, safe, and hassle-free experience. You can also be assured that you'll get the same experience on every device and play whenever you want. Here are the advantages of NJ casino sites:
- Convenience. New Jersey is a large state, and unless you live near Atlantic City, you may have to go on a long trip to play casino games. Online NJ casinos eliminate this problem: you can play online from anywhere, anytime. Your nearest casino in New Jersey is in your living room: play on your computer or mobile phone. Remember that you will be able to use more bonuses, too - you can double your first deposit or win some of your losses back.
- Privacy & Security. All New Jersey online casinos take the necessary precautions to protect the security and privacy of their members. With SSL encryption, you can be sure that your financial information will always be safe. All of the United States' strict privacy laws apply to New Jersey casino sites, so your personal information stays safe too.
- Safety & Legality. All NJ online casinos must be licensed: This is the most important thing that makes them legal and safe. Playing at sites licensed by the New Jersey Casino Control Commission is no different than playing at land-based casinos and provides you with the same security and legality. In addition to all this, NJ online casino sites have to prove that their games are fair by an independent test in order to get a license, so you don't have to worry about fairness too.
“Offline” Partnerships of All NJ Online Casinos
Almost all the countries that have legalized gambling in Europe have separated land-based casino licenses from online casino licenses. In other words, if you meet the requirements, it is possible to just get an online casino license and offer all your services through a website. In countries with a more conservative approach to legal gambling, this distinction does not exist: online casino licenses are tied to land-based casino licenses and cannot be obtained separately. This means that only licensed land-based casinos can open a website.
This practice also applies to New Jersey. If you look at new online casinos NJ, you will see that each is affiliated with a physical casino in the state. Let's give a simple example: DraftKings casino, one of the sites we recommend, is actually the website of Resorts Casino Hotel. DraftKings is only the “manager”: the real owner of the site is Resorts Casino Hotel.
This applies to all New Jersey online casinos. The New Jersey Casino Control Commission only allows businesses with land-based casino licenses to open online casinos. These businesses can give the management of their website to another brand. This is exactly what happens in New Jersey: the majority of the NJ casino sites you play on are actually owned by a brick-and-mortar casino in Atlantic City but managed by a big brand like FanDuel, DraftKings, Betsson, etc.
But don't think this is a necessity: some NJ casinos prefer to control their site themselves rather than hiring a third party. For example, Borgata and Golden Nugget are brands that set up and manage their own sites. If we make a general assessment, we can say that casinos that have contracted third parties to manage their sites offer more diverse and satisfying content, but sometimes the opposite is true. We recommend visiting all NJ casino sites mentioned in this guide to decide.
Real Money and Free Casino Games in NJ Explained
You are now ready to play in New Jersey online casinos, but we haven't touched on the most important thing yet: the games. NJ casinos, especially new online casinos, offer hundreds of games to play, and they are divided into different categories within themselves. You also need to learn what to expect from casino games, as each offers a different experience (and a chance to win). While which game you play is a personal choice, to assist you, we briefly mention the types of games you can find at online New Jersey casinos below. Remember that (with one exception) you can try all these games free of charge too.
Online Casino Slots in NJ
Slots are the most popular games in any casino, and most importantly, they were invented in the United States. That's why we recommend trying the slots first as soon as you find the best online casino in NJ, especially if you're just getting started. These games are divided into subcategories within themselves, but the general purpose is always the same: placing identical symbols next to each other on a payline. Some games have a constantly increasing jackpot, which can sometimes reach millions. Slot games require no experience: beginners and professional gamblers have the same chance of winning. Even if you've never played them before, you can learn everything you need to know in a maximum of 5 minutes. Slots offer satisfying payouts with a fun experience and do not require the use of a strategy. You can find them on all casino sites but especially on new online casinos NJ.
Table Games
This is actually the general name of a very broad category that covers nearly a dozen games. The most common of these are poker, blackjack, and roulette. Keno, baccarat, and craps are also considered table games. These are mostly games that require skill as well as luck and have the highest RTP (return to player) values. If you know what you're doing, you can reduce the house edge even more.
- Blackjack: Your goal is to reach 21 points or beat the dealer. Blackjack has an RTP of close to 99% by default, and with optimal gameplay, it is possible to increase this even further.
- Roulette: A game with three basic variants - American, European, and French. The American variant was invented in the United States but should not be preferred due to the higher house edge. European or French variants should be preferred for playing roulette.
- Poker: Another casino game invented in the United States and has an incredible variety in itself. Stud and community are two basic variants. If you're just getting started, try stud variants like 5-card poker. If you are confident, you can play community variants like Texas Holdem.
Of course, there are also table games that you can play apart from these, but if you are a beginner, these should be the games you should start with. They are very common, easy to learn, and different variants can be found easily. Once you gain enough experience, you can start trying games with slightly more complex rules like craps and baccarat.
Live Dealer
These are table games where you play against a real dealer. You join a live stream and play in real time: you even have tablemates. You can think of these games as Twitch streams where the commands you give can be seen by the streamer. You can join a broadcast and try your luck with any device that can connect to the internet. The closest thing to an authentic casino experience is live dealer games, and they also offer a social experience: You can chat with the dealer and your tablemates. In addition to table games, you can also try your luck at game shows like Monopoly and Wheel of Fortune. However, unlike digital RNG games, it is not possible to try live casino games for free. You can find lots of games that can be played against real dealers at live casino online NJ sites. Since they offer a very different experience than playing RNG games, we highly recommend trying live dealer titles.
Video Poker
Video poker games are like poker combined with slot machines. These are essentially a variant of classic 5-card poker, but their gameplay resembles slots. In each spin, you get five cards and try to form a valid poker hand with them. It is possible to change the cards you do not want. Video poker games are simple and fun, but more importantly, they have high RTP values. Some games have RTP rates almost as high as blackjack.
