December 1, 2020
Get to Know Online Gambling in New Jersey
Get to Know Online Gambling in New Jersey
Like every state, New Jersey has its own laws and regulations when it comes to online gambling. Knowing these laws can help you find accredited online casinos so that you can gamble legally and responsibly.
This is an in-depth guide to the regulations in online gambling in New Jersey, how to start gambling legally, and the options you have in terms of casinos and games to play.
First, we need to define online gambling a little bit.
Online Gambling: The New Las Vegas
The internet seems almost tailor-made to house casinos. There are thousands of games available all over the world for you to compete in huge, coveted jackpots. Whether you live in New Jersey or elsewhere, you must research the laws and regulations in your area to determine if gambling is legal in your state or country.
Just because these casinos may seem like computer games, the fact that they cost and pay out in real money makes them a form of gambling. You don’t want to get into trouble with the law for online gambling, and it would be just as bad to win a multi-million dollar jackpot and not be able to withdraw it because your state doesn’t allow online casinos. So check before you play!
In general though, online gambling is as easy as having a credit card, making a real deposit into an online casino, and playing to your heart’s (or your bank account’s) content. Online slot machines are the most popular since they provide people the chance to win big jackpots with no strategy or experience. There are also poker games, blackjack, and all kinds of variations of casino games available online.
The “progressive” jackpots are the real draw for a lot of online gambling. These are the pots interlinked between players within a casino’s website. As people gamble, each bet factors incrementally into the global jackpot, which “progresses” or continually increases as more people play without winning the grand prize.
These prizes can become millions of dollars in size, so they’re the most coveted aspect of online gambling — in New Jersey or otherwise. The ability to compete against gamblers around the globe right from your computer is a tantalizing offer, one that online slot machines like Mega Moolah have capitalized on for millions in profit every year.
Now that you’re a little more familiar with the landscape of online gambling, we need to talk about how to get started in New Jersey specifically.
How To Get Started
Whether you plan on playing the slot machines or the table games like poker, there are a few basic rules to follow when you want to get started gambling online in New Jersey.
Budget
This is the first thing you need to decide before you even think about gambling, and we mean this seriously. Gambling can hurt you and your finances if you don’t have a clear amount decided beforehand of what you plan on spending.
Plan to lose everything that you budget. Don’t gamble out of desperation, for instance, playing until you’re broke because you need money for your mortgage. This stressful situation has a very good chance of making your life worse by reducing your financial options and increasing the pressure on you. Again, budget only what you can afford to lose.
A responsible budget set aside for online gambling can allow you to take advantage of the thrill of the games offered by online New Jersey casinos, many of which are fun to play even if you don’t win anything.
On that note, if you enjoy gambling and don’t need the incentive of prizes, most online casinos offer a free version of their games to play for virtual money that has no real-world value. This is not only fun for those who just like playing, but it also offers new players a chance to test out different machines and get used to the mechanics of the game.
Be warned though: Even winning $20 million on the global jackpot, a once in a lifetime spin, is worthless if you’re in free mode. If you’re serious about these games, you may not want to take that chance.
Once you want to get started though, many of the top New Jersey online casinos have offers for new players to incentivize them to start playing for real. You can get as much as $30 of real play for free by signing up with popular casinos like Virgin Online Casino and Golden Nugget.
All you have to do is make a deposit to get started.
Choosing Your Casino
Now that you’re sure you have enough money and are in the right state of mind to gamble, you’ve checked the regulations in your area, and know that you want to start playing with real money, you’re probably wondering how to choose the right casino for you.
Here’s a short guide to some of the most popular casinos online in New Jersey that are offering table and slot games for people who sign up. We’ll go over their prices and deals first and then make a short guide for you on how to compare the features of these and other companies to suit your needs.
Golden Nugget Casino
First up is the Golden Nugget Casino, often considered the top choice in New Jersey online gambling, winning the state’s “Casino Operator of the Year” for the last four years.
The Golden Nugget Casino has over 600 games for you to choose from, so you can be sure that you’ll never be bored of the endless opportunities for gambling thrills that they offer. The site’s table games even feature live dealers who are part of Golden Nugget’s premium customer service team based in Atlantic City.
You can play up to $1,500 free on deposit, get a free $10 credit as soon as you sign up, and have tons of promotions and offers to take advantage of every week when you play at Golden Nugget.
Virgin Casino
This casino is run by the same Virgin that owns the airline. It has exclusive slot machines and coveted progressive jackpots for you to compete for in its online casino.
From blackjack and roulette to a menagerie of unique slot machines, Virgin Casino offers a huge variety of machines for you to get your gambling thrills with. This casino also offers $30 of credit free upon signup and up to $100 cash back on your first deposit to entice you to choose Virgin as your online casino of choice.
Caesars Casino
Like all of the casinos on our list, Caesars is completely legal and safe to conduct transactions with. Progressive jackpots, slot machines, video poker games, and other table games are available in huge varieties on the Caesars website.
They’re all based on the real games featured at the 40 luxury resorts and casinos owned and operated by Caesars around the world, so you know you’re getting a tried and true gambling experience when you play Caesars.
As a new player, you can get 100% cashback on a $300 deposit and a $25 free credit when you sign up. The real incentive, though, is to play with Caesars, renowned for gambling excellence the world over and now available right from your home computer.
Tropicana Online Casino
The Tropicana Online Casino is an extension of the luxurious real casino in Atlantic City, which has been servicing players with quality gambling experiences for decades and continues to do so with its online version.
Tropicana’s famous slot machines like “Secrets of the Phoenix,” “DaVinci Diamonds,” and “Cleopatra” are now available in online versions so you can play games that you’ve only seen in movies right from your own home.
In addition to the slots, Tropicana also offers a variety of table games like single deck and multi-hand blackjack as well as roulette.
Tropicana assures its customers that all transactions are completely safe. It offers $25 of free credit on signup (with no deposit required) and a loss rebate up to $100.
Gambler’s Guide
These are just a few of the top online casinos available in New Jersey. Since there are many more, we created this short guide to help you compare the most common features so you know what to look for and what to stay clear of.
It’s your money on the line, after all!
Safety
Safety is a huge priority when it comes to choosing a casino. In the case of an online gambling establishment, safety includes not only the casino’s accreditation but also its transaction security, both of which will require a little research on your part.
First, you need to make sure that the casino you choose is 100% accredited, legal, and licensed. The best way to do this is simply to choose one of the ones we listed or go with other top-ranking casinos. Beware of deals that seem too good, like cashback offers that are significantly higher than those we mentioned. You don’t want to get scammed.
Thankfully, there isn’t a lot of difference between most New Jersey gambling sites in terms of transaction security and accreditation. This is because of the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement and the strict rules and precautions that it applies to all gambling sites within its purview for your explicit protection.
Still, it helps to be aware of which sites are legitimate, just to be safe.
Value
This is something that will be slightly different for everyone, but different casinos may have different value to you at different times. They often release weekly promotions and signup bonuses like rebates and free credit, so it pays (literally) to keep track of those offers.
Since the games and offers frequently change, there’s no real winner for which casino is the best for everyone. You just need to do a little research and experimentation into their offers to find the one that works best for you.
Variety
This will be a sticking point for many gamblers, including those who are experienced in a lot of games and those who want to try out a variety of new games to see what they’re like.
There’s a huge gap between the number and variety of games on some New Jersey online casinos compared to others. That list is topped by the Golden Nugget Casino, which offers more than 600 games — more than anyone would ever need. At the bottom of the list are some casinos that have only a small rotating variety of slots and poker variations.
If variety is your pleasure, check out the selection before you make a deposit. Or, to be safe, you could just head over to Golden Nugget in the first place.
Casino Rewards
This is for experienced gamblers who want to integrate their brick-and-mortar gambling experience with their online play. If you have a casino rewards program with a specific gambling house, then you want your rewards to accrue when you play online, as well, so you can keep earning points and getting your benefits.
New Jersey online casinos do offer the same rewards programs as their real counterparts in Atlantic City and elsewhere. However, not all of them offer the same level of rewards or have fully integrated the program to their entire site.
This is why it’s important to ask ahead of time how the rewards program works for your casino of choice and whether you need to upgrade or switch companies. If you plan on playing a lot of online gambling, these rewards could be a big deal, and you want them to carry over if possible.
The Takeaway
Most — if not all — online casinos in New Jersey are accredited, legal, and secure. There’s a well-established foundation, both legally and industrially, to finding some great thrills gambling online at the companies listed in this guide and many others, as well.
Use this information to make the most informed decision possible when choosing your online casino. Remember to gamble responsibly within your means and to choose your budget, your casino, and your games wisely.
If you do, there’s nothing quite like the thrill of competing for a huge jackpot in slots or playing with accredited Atlantic City dealers from the comfort of your own home.