New Jersey Gambling Laws: A Comprehensive Guide to Legal Gambling
In 2013, New Jersey became the second US states to legalize online casinos and poker sites. For several years, Nevada and Delaware were the three states to regulate intrastate online gambling.
Over the years, New Jersey surpassed Nevada and other US states in developing the most lucrative online gambling industry in the United States. Borgata, Golden Nugget, Resorts Casino, and Caesars Entertainment in Atlantic City all launched online casinos and cardrooms.
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New Jersey has strict gambling laws, allowing regulated gambling under specific exemptions. Law enforcement targets those who promote or operate illegal gambling activities, but individual players are not prosecuted. Online gaming operators in the state are subject to fines and penalties if they operate outside legal boundaries.
Land-based gambling laws are more lenient for players, who are typically exempt from prosecution if they are not involved in organizing or facilitating the game.
New Jersey Online Casinos
New Jersey’s online casinos generate nearly $300 million annually for Atlantic City casinos, a figure that has grown steadily since its launch. Initial challenges with geolocation and payment issues have been overcome, and SugarHouse Casino is a market leader. New Jersey has become a hub for U.S. online gambling, with nearly $500 million in annual revenue.
New Jersey Online Poker
While not as profitable as online casinos, New Jersey’s online poker market is strong. PokerStars, which entered in 2016, quickly became a dominant player, alongside Borgata Online Poker. Some Atlantic City casinos chose not to offer online poker, limiting the number of sites available.
New Jersey Sportsbooks
New Jersey has legal sportsbooks in Atlantic City casinos and racetracks, partnered with major brands like William Hill, FanDuel, and DraftKings. Mobile sports betting apps for Android and iPhone are also available.
New Jersey Land-Based Casinos
Atlantic City is home to nine casinos, including the popular Borgata, which is favored by poker players. Other casinos include Golden Nugget, Caesars, Harrah’s, Tropicana, and Hard Rock.
New Jersey State Lottery
The state runs a lottery and pari-mutuel wagering at racetracks, alongside charity gambling, where licenses are required.
Latest News
New Jersey played a key role in legalizing sports gambling in the U.S. After years of legal battles, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) in May 2018, allowing states to regulate sports betting.
Famous Gamblers from New Jersey
Atlantic City is home to notable poker players such as Phil Ivey, Tom Dwan, and David Sklansky, who are renowned for their skills in poker and game theory.
Sources for this article
- com: Atlantic City casino guide: Ten great places to play
- com: New Jersey
- New Jersey Legislature
- com: New Jersey wages federal court battle to allow gambling on sports
- NJ.com: Gov. Christie signs internet gambling into law
- NJ.com: With N.J. poised to allow online gambling, internet betting industry flocks to Atlantic City
New Jersey Online Casinos FAQ
Yes. In fact, New Jersey has more legal forms of online gambling than most US states. You can play at regulated online casinos, sportsbooks, and poker sites. You can also wager on the New Jersey State Lottery, including most of the Pick 3 to Pick 6 lotto cards and the Quick Draw (Keno).
New Jersey residents also can play online for real money at casino sites, bookmaker sites, and cardrooms. While the DGE doesn’t regulate these sites, New Jersey officials don’t prosecute residents who play at these sites.
Yes. New Jersey casinos and race tracks all launched their own online poker sites. You’ll find poker brands for Borgata, Caesars/WSOP, Golden Nugget, and Hard Rock. Resorts Casino partnered with PokerStars. New Jersey residents and visitors can play at offshore online cardrooms without prosecution or fines from New Jersey officials.
If you choose to play in the unregulated online casino market, Cafe Casino is a good option. Cafe Casino has over 250 online slots, plus a nice selection of online table games, video poker, Keno, and Bingo. Cafe Casino also offers a $2,500 welcome bonus.
New Jersey residents or visitors who play in the unregulated gaming market could play at Bovada Poker. Bovada has a $1,000 welcome bonus for new depositers. It has a $1.5 million guaranteed prize pool for US players every week.
The best online sportsbook for New Jersey bettors in the unregulated market is Bovada Sports. Bovada offers a $250 welcome bonus to new bettors. The site offers a full range of sports bets for US or international bettors. Bovada is the US successor to the world famous Bodog brand.
Sports bettors also have access to the huge regulated sports betting market. DraftKings, FanDuel, and William Hill also support online sportsbooks and mobile sports betting apps.
To place pari-mutuel wagers, you’ll need to be 18 years old. Amusement games (Dave & Buster’s, Main Event) requires you to be 18. If you play in a land-based casinos, you’ll need to be 21. You can visit the casino if you’re 18, but you won’t be able to play or drink. Social gaming has no age limit, while digital casino gaming has a limit of 18.