Best Legal NJ Online Casinos

Why play at NJ’s online casinos?

1. Better odds

Hands down, the average odds for popular games like blackjack, craps, roulette, and many other popular games are simply better than average online. New Jersey’s online gambling websites know that their competition is just a click away, and that forces them to be very competitive with the rules and paybacks they offer. Use our Payback Pal tool to compare game paybacks at various NJ gambling sites.

2. More games at lower limits

There is virtually no limit to the amount of games an online casino can host. And instead of going from casino to casino on the boardwalk or marina, you can hop from site to site in seconds. Online, you’ll have access to games that few – or no – casinos offer, including unique slots, variants on video poker and blackjack, and roulette games you may have never seen before.

And since it’s online, betting minimums start at pocket change – not $5 or $10 a hand or spin.

3. Safe and legal

Unlike shady offshore gambling sites, the sites we list at PlayNJ are completely legal. They are regulated by the same agency – The Division of Gaming Enforcement – that regulates the casinos in Atlantic City. And all of the online gambling sites we list are operated by, or in partnership with, an Atlantic City casino. Learn more about how legal online gambling came to New Jersey below.

NJ online gambling sites: The how, what and why

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie signed A2578 into law on February 26, 2013. This legalized online poker and casino sites in New Jersey. The bill had broad support in both chambers of the New Jersey Legislature. As a result, it passed the Senate 35-1 and the Assembly 68-5.

There was a 5-day test period that started on November 21, 2013. Online action officially launched on November 26, 2013.

The only companies allowed to operate online gambling in New Jersey are the Atlantic City casino owners.  This translates to the companies behind land-based operations like Caesars, Harrah’s, Resorts, and the Borgata.

New Jersey taxes online gambling revenue at a rate of 15 percent of gross gaming revenue. This is nearly double the 8 percent tax rate imposed on Atlantic City’s gross gaming revenue.

Additionally, Atlantic City casinos are required to reinvest 1.25 percent of their brick-and-mortar and internet gaming revenue into capital projects to create jobs and benefit Atlantic City.

All gaming servers for online casino and poker play must be in Atlantic City to comport with a requirement of the New Jersey Constitution that gambling only take place within Atlantic City. Online casino and poker action is available to anyone that is physically located in New Jersey at the time of play.

There is no residency requirement. Visitors are welcome to play at NJ’s regulated online gambling sites. Additionally, you can set up an account and handle all of the banking related to your account from anywhere in the U.S.

The goals of regulation

Regulation of online gambling achieves three key aims for New Jersey.

The first is to generate tax revenue for the state. Online gambling has already proven quite adept at this goal.

The second is to support New Jersey’s land-based casinos. It’s no secret that revenue from brick-and-mortar gambling in Atlantic City has taken a hit in recent years. Until 2016 Atlantic City casino revenue has fallen every year since 2006. It’s down nearly 50 percent from its peak. But online gambling — restricted to land-based casinos and their partners – provides a source of growth. Most noteworthy is the $500+ million in direct revenue generated to date and the fact that it has given Atlantic City casinos a new way to reach customers.

Perhaps more importantly, online gambling helped propel Atlantic City to its first year of growth in a decade during 2016, reversing a decade-long slide.

Finally, the third aim is to provide consumers with a truly safe and secure online gambling experience. Illegal offshore casinos have stolen millions of dollars from American customers. And players at such sites have no guarantee that games are fair. New Jersey regulations for online casinos guarantee the safety of player funds. Additionally, all games at New Jersey online casino sites are fully tested and vetted by the cutting-edge lab at the DGE.

NJ online casinos in 2017

• Virgin Online Casino
• Golden Nugget
• Betfair NJ
• Tropicana Online
• Caesars Casino Online
• 888 US
• Borgata Online
• Pala Online Casino
• Harrah’s Online Casino
• Party Casino
• SugarHouse Online Casino
• PokerStars NJ Casino
• Resorts Online Casino
• Mohegan Sun Online

More facts about legal online gambling in New Jersey

Get more facts about NJ online gambling with our special feature: NJ Online Gambling By The Numbers.

There you’ll find regularly-updated stats on job creation, total tax revenue, the biggest jackpots and other essential numbers behind the legal online casino and poker industry in New Jersey.

You might also enjoy our infographic – 6 Myths About Regulated Online Gambling In New Jersey – that addresses many of the common misconceptions regarding legal, regulated online poker and casino games in the Garden State. Opponents of regulated online gambling are constantly spreading misinformation about the industry, and our brief graphic helps to separate the fact from the fiction on this topic.

Questions about our relationship with the casinos featured on PlayNJ? Review our advertising disclosure.