Online Poker NJ – Top Legal New Jersey Real Money Poker Sites in 2024

List of legal NJ poker sites to play real money US poker and laws and regulations that are about to come into force in regards to online poker in USA.

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Last Updated on March 11, 2024 by Avatar Author Adrian Sterne
Fact checked by Dusan Jovanovic

Ever since it legalized online poker in 2013, the Garden State home to over 9 million residents has become one of the leaders in the flourishing US online gambling market and considered the friendliest poker state in the entire U.S. — even more so after entering the 2017 multi-state poker compact.

Namely, the Multi-State Internet Gaming Agreement has started as a two-state alliance between Nevada and Delaware. Later on, it expanded, with the addition of New Jersey. It might become a four-state alliance as well, now that Pennsylvania has legalized iPoker.

Still, so far, this agreement has provided a mechanism for the players from these three states to play casino games against each other online.

List of Licensed New Jersey Poker Rooms List of Licensed New Jersey Poker Rooms

If you are looking for an unforgettable online poker experience without having to jump through hoops to enjoy a few cash games and tournaments, you’ve come to the right place.

We included the best online poker sites in New Jersey that will provide the best experience when it comes to online poker.

My list of the best poker sites which I consider to be the best rooms to play in 2024:
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  • Must be 18+ to participate.
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All of the New Jersey State online poker site bonuses mentioned on this page are subject to change at any time, should any of them be of interest to you please visit the respective Poker sites website for full terms and conditions of any bonus listed.

Each of the reputable online poker rooms we included above boast with generous welcome packages, superior customer support, a wide range of cash games and tournaments, a user-friendly website that is easy to navigate, and a variety of payment methods to easily fund your account.

NJ poker sites image

As previously stated, New Jersey opened the first regulated online poker room in 2013 which means its perfectly legal to enjoy online poker in the state. The New Jersey Legislature legalized online gambling in the state by passing the A2578 bill on February 26, 2013. Senator Ray Lesniak pushed the bill with the reasoning of reviving New Jersey’s ailing economy.

The final version of the bill was sponsored by Vincent Prieto, John J Burzichelli, and Ruben J Ramos. In the Senate, the bill was passed by a vote of 35 to 1, and the members of the Assembly voted for it 68 to 5.

The bill was signed into law by Chris Christie. Ever since, it has been seen as an important stepping stone toward enabling a more competitive environment for Atlantic City. It is also expected to bring financial benefits to NJ.

You also don’t have to be a resident to play online poker in New Jersey, and you merely need to be in the Garden State to gain access to regulated online poker rooms.

You will also be able to play against other online poker players from Delaware and Nevada which will result in larger player pools with more lucrative tournaments. What’s even more impressive is that you can enjoy land-based poker at loads of different casinos situated in New Jersey along with poker at home, in bars, and even charity poker events that are regularly hosted in the Garden State.

Laws & Regulations In New Jersey Laws & Regulations In New Jersey

In New Jersey, you will find that the regulated online poker rooms in the state are licensed and regulated by the government of New Jersey, while offshore online poker sites available to players in New Jersey are licensed and regulated by numerous regulatory bodies to ensure safe, fair, and honest gambling occurs each time you log into your poker account.

Most of the offshore online poker rooms will either be licensed and regulated by the Caribbean, or the Malta Gaming Authority as well as the Kahnawake Gaming Commission. All the poker sites we list for New Jersey residence are licensed and regulated by a reputable regulatory body, and therefore you don’t have to be concerned about losing your deposit or not getting your winnings from the site.

You can also rest assured that each poker session is completely fair and honest, ensuring an enjoyable online poker experience. With a licensed and regulated poker room, you will also be able to claim the best welcome packages and promotions that non-regulated poker rooms are unable to match.

New Jersey Gaming Regulations New Jersey Gaming Regulations

It was in 1976 that the citizens of New Jersey decided that the only way they could completely redevelop and reinvigorate their local area was by approving a proposal to allow legalized land based venues in their locality, and this they did and as such a year later in 1977 the New Jersey Casino Control Act became law and a legal framework for licensing and regulating land based gaming venues throughout New Jersey became a reality.

The Division of Gaming Enforcement (DGE) has been working under the Casino Control Act to ensure the integrity of the casino gaming industry in New Jersey. The goal of the DGE is to create an environment for a legitimate and viable industry. The DGE supervises and is responsible for the following:

  • Assessment of license applicants
  • Confirming the honesty, integrity, and good character of casino owners, operators, vendors, and employees
  • Corroborating the fairness of casino games
  • Monitoring for violations from the exclusion list
  • Ensuring the information systems’ integrity

This Act then permitted both new and existing companies based in New Jersey to apply for a gambling license for venues in the State, and the hope at this time that be opening up gaming venues, namely casinos, then the tourist industry and therefore the local community would benefit from a major boost thanks to increase taxes being raised and more jobs being created in the new gambling industry and other companies would benefit from an increase in footfall.

However one thing that this Act also ensured was that hotel and convention centres could apply for gambling licenses and as such the New Jersey State would then keep its traditional hospitality and holiday and vacation reputation but attract a new type of clientèle who are prepared to wager when vacationing or in the area of business.

One of the most important aspects of this new gambling Act was that there was to be a very strict regulatory procedure in place which would ensure that all customers using such license premises could be completely confident they are always receiving fair and honest casino games, whilst at the same time carefully vetting and continually monitoring everyone holding a New Jersey State Gambling License.

This including a very comprehensive set of checks and double checks backed up by law enforcement and a full supervisory role for those working in the New Jersey Gambling Commission. Should any person have a problem with any business licensed by the Commission then they are given access to a complaints procedure and any and all complaints are investigated thoroughly and the result made known in an open fashion, so as to ensure completely transparency of the Commission and its workings.

The New Jersey Gambling Commission has, since its inception, succeeded in its goal and continues to grow, with the recent developments in regards to licensing online poker sites there are not that many worldwide licensing jurisdictions as qualified or as respected as this one, and it is ideally placed to embrace this new environment, and should continue with its good work of providing legal, licensed and trustworthy venues at which citizens and visitors to New Jersey can trust.

New Jersey Online Poker Licensing New Jersey Online Poker Licensing

There have been so far around 37 applications received for online poker site licences by the New Jersey Gaming Commission and as is to be expected a lot of these applications came from companies and casinos already operating under a gambling license from this licensing authority. Naturally, brick-and-mortar casinos that worked toward this goal have had to apply for an online permit.

The expenses of the application process and actual gambling license have amounted to around half a million US dollars. Taxes and other fees are not included.

Below we take a look at some of these applicants, many of whom have teamed up with established online poker sites, the aim of these land based companies teaming up with these online poker sites is simple, they will have a ready-made product and as such will not have to invest large sums of money designing, testing and then releasing their own unique and exclusive poker platforms!

  • The Caesars Entertainment Corp who own Bally’s Casino, Harrah’s Resort, and the Showboat Casino have chosen to join up with thee 888 Holding Group who own and operate their own online poker site that being 888 Poker.
  • The Bwin Party Group who own and operate the Party Poker site is joining forces with the Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa in the hope that their application will pass the licensing procedure without any problems.
  • The Pokerstars site have chosen to team up with the Resorts Casino Hotel, this was the second choice for Pokerstars for they originally put in a bid to buy out the Atlantic Club, however their offer was rejected and as such they chose to partner with the Resorts Casino Hotel instead.
  • One company who have opted to go it alone is the Golden Nugget Casino and as such they will be using the Bally Technologies platform as the one they will be utilizing for their online poker offerings, subject of course to them being granted a license to operate their own online poker site.
  • The Ultimate Gaming Company has opted to partner with the Trump Taj Mahal Casino Resort and thanks to the former named company already having been granted a Nevada online gambling license it should be a fairly straight forward application for these companies having already had a vigorous vetting procedure performed in Nevada for their online gaming platform and products.
  • BetFair who are very well known for their award winning betting exchange platform have chosen to join up with the Trump Plaza Hotel and Casino, this is apparently just a rumour, however our sources are quite reliable and time will tell if this is in fact a true partnership of these two companies!
  • Another very well known online gaming related company is GameSys and they have opt to join up with the Tropicana Casino and Resort, and as such they will have a ready-made poker product that is ready to go live once it have been vetted, tested and licensed.
  • Another company eager to get a New Jersey State License for their online poker product is 2UP Gaming PLC, they have been hunting around for a land based casino to buy in Atlantic City and at this moment in time we have not heard of them securing such a venue.
  • One final company we know of that have showed an interest in obtaining one of these New Jersey poker licensed is Ainsworth Game Technology, they are famed for their land based slot machine manufacturing company, and are hoping they obtain such a license and are able to launch their own standalone online poker site.

From Land-Based Casinos to Online Casinos From Land-Based Casinos to Online Casinos

If you are interested in learning how a brick-and-mortar casino can start operating an online gambling website, we will break it down for you.

Before anything happens, the casino needs to obtain a transactional waiver from the DGE. This waiver is necessary if the casino wants to offer its services to the general public.

However, this permit is temporary because it only allows the website to have a practice run, also known as a soft launch, which allows a limited number of players to access the site during limited hours of the day. This temporary launch allows regulators to peruse the website further and determine if it is a safe space for potential consumers and if it follows the law.

If the DGE approves the site, it can open its doors to the public by receiving its final authorization.

Players Players

If you are not sure about the current laws pertaining to online gambling in New Jersey, there are a few things you should note before creating an online casino account. Online gambling is tightly monitored and regulated by NJ regulators, so pay attention to the following:

  • Players aged 21 and over are welcome to join and gamble for real money
  • Players are not required to be official residents of New Jersey
  • Players need to be physically within the borders of New Jersey in order to play
  • Players can create an account and fund it from anywhere in the world but are not permitted to play until inside the state

Do not try to manipulate the system, as you are likely to fail. The operators are quite serious and strict when it comes to following the above-mentioned rules. The players’ age and location will be verified before they are allowed to gamble on the website. The operators are able to check the location by using geolocation software. Furthermore, they can verify the players’ identity by cross checking the details used on the website with public databases.

Geo Location and NJ Online Poker Play Geo Location and NJ Online Poker Play

It will go without saying that all companies who are successful in applying for and being granted a license to operate their respective online poker sites in the State of New Jersey will be obliged to have in place several features of their operations that ensure players can only access their poker offerings from within the States boundaries.

This has led to a Nevada based company called Geo Comply applying for a license to offer their geo location product to licensed New Jersey State poker sites. It is also expected that there will be several applications from companies offering player verification services and software products that will ensure no underage players can sign up and play whilst also ensuring players who have opted to self exclude are not given access to any licensed poker site

New Jersey Technical Services Bureau New Jersey Technical Services Bureau

You may be wondering how the New Jersey Gambling Commission can ensure that the casino games, and soon to be the online poker game that they have licensed are proven to be fair, random and true. Well this is all done via the New Jersey Technical Services Bureau which is tasked with testing all of the operating systems for gaming machines licensed by the Commission.

By having a stand along section of the Commission whose sole purpose is to continually check, double check and verify that any game licensed by the Commission is fair and above board this is how they can be confident that players of any gambling game licensed are receiving a game as it is described and works, plays and pay exactly as it should.

The New Jersey State Technical Service Bureau have a very informative website where you will find full information of how they work along with their complaints and investigation procedures along with information on how they operate to ensure fair gaming for all licensed premises.

New Jersey Gambling Division Complaints Procedure New Jersey Gambling Division Complaints Procedure

Should anyone have a complaint against any venue, company or business holding a New Jersey State gambling license then they are invited to contact the Gaming Enforcement Division immediately with details of their complaint.

You can do this by writing to them, telephoning them, emailing them to visiting their offices which are currently located at: 1300 Atlantic Ave, 2nd Floor, Atlantic City, NJ 08401.

The Gambling Act also has in place a strict code of conduct for anyone wishing to self exclude themselves from any licensed venue and this will require that person to visit the offices of the self exclusion program which is located at the Arcade Building, Entrance B, Tennessee Ave. and Boardwalk Atlantic City, N.J. 08401. A second office is also open and this is located at 140 E. Front Street Trenton, NJ.

Varieties of Online Poker in New Jersey Varieties of Online Poker in New Jersey

Online poker players in New Jersey can indulge in a phenomenal range of poker variants. The state of New Jersey has over 270 poker tables across nine different poker rooms, and that doesn’t even include the offshore poker sites that are available to its residents as well. The online poker scene in the Garden State offers an even bigger variety when it comes to poker variants thanks to several reputable online poker rooms that can be accessed by online poker players in New Jersey.

Each of the New Jersey online poker sites we recommend on our site are bursting at the seams with poker games, including Texas Hold’em, which is the most popular poker variant to players in New Jersey, along with Omaha Hi/Lo, Omaha, 7 Card Stud, and more. Players will even be able to enjoy a bunch of uncommon poker variants, such as Razz and HORSE at some of the poker rooms we included on this page.

With such a wide variety of online poker sites available in the Garden State, it should come as no surprise that you’ll also be treated to a vast range of stakes to suit any type of poker player, regardless of their bankroll. Players can look forward to $0.01/$0.02 blinds at most online poker rooms as well as nosebleed blinds that can reach up to $100/$200 blinds aimed towards the pros.

Apart from a sensational range of cash games, you will also find a phenomenal range of tournaments, including guaranteed tournaments, freerolls, and sit & go tournaments to keep you entertained. The tournament selection is outstanding with buy-ins that cater to any online poker player as well.

Some of the largest and most popular poker tournaments are found in New Jersey, including the WSOP and the WPT, and players can look forward to a wide range of poker variants along with an incredible selection of stakes to suit any type of poker player.

Real Money Mobile Poker Apps Real Money Mobile Poker Apps

This might not surprise you, but, out of all legalized online poker states in the USA, New Jersey has the widest variety of poker apps to choose from. Almost all poker sites offer the option of downloading an app that players can access from their mobile devices. This allows for compatibility and ease of use, as the offer of promotions and games is typically the same.

Convenience and simple gameplay features are some of the main characteristics of these apps. The games have been optimized for mobile screens, so you will not have to worry about missing out on any features or having trouble navigating tournament lobbies. That way, you will not have to sacrifice any of the full desktop online poker experience, as you will find all the same offers on your mobile.

Furthermore, you can expect a safe and secure online playing environment, as these are official apps from trusted online poker websites. All you will need for a seamless experience is a quick internet connection and fast fingers.

Therefore, you’ll have the opportunity to create an account on your mobile device, claim bonuses and promotions, join tournaments, manage your account and history, and do all of the things you are used to doing on your desktop computer.

Benefits of Playing Online Poker in New Jersey Benefits of Playing Online Poker in New Jersey

The Garden State caused quite a stir in 2013 when they opened the first regulated online poker rooms. New Jersey was not the first state to open legal online poker sites as both Delaware and Nevada already provided these games. However, New Jersey was the first state with a massive population to allow online poker to thrive in the United States.

With over 9 million potential players, the biggest names in the world of poker were attracted to launch their online poker sites in New Jersey where each of them had to partner with a licensed casino in Atlantic City. The results so far have been fair, and although the revenue isn’t meeting expectations, the poker community continues to grow every single month.

Most of the offshore poker rooms available in New Jersey remain much larger than the regulated sites in the Garden State. These sites are primarily licensed in the Caribbean which allows players in New Jersey to register without any hassles. Thanks to offshore and regulated poker sites in New Jersey, players are treated to a vast range of benefits, such as a wider variety of poker games, more lucrative tournaments, and a much bigger player pool that is available day and night.

Is Playing Poker Online Safe in New Jersey? Is Playing Poker Online Safe in New Jersey?

Of Course. All the online poker sites that are available to the residents of New Jersey are regularly tested by independent auditing companies to ensure the game is completely random and fair.

Each online poker room will also need to meet strict requirements to obtain a gambling license, which means all the online poker rooms we recommend are trustworthy and reputable. Your personal and financial information is also safe and secure as each online poker room is required to incorporate the most advanced SSL encryption technology.

Other Resources Other Resources

Latest Headlines Latest Headlines

The only notable live poker tournament that took place in November in New Jersey was the 2023 Fall Mini-Series. The competition was hosted by Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa in Atlantic City and featured only six events. The main one was the $2,500 No-Limit Hold’em Eight Max, at which the $500K GTD almost doubled and reached $930,237. The winner was Xiaoqiong Liu, who received a huge prize worth $237,699.

Players from the Garden State could also take part in the 2023 WSOP Online Circuit from November 3 to 14 and compete against players from both New Jersey and Nevada.

FAQs FAQs

Below is the most common questions asked by New Jersey residents who are interested in participating in online poker from the Garden State.

What is the legal playing age for New Jersey regulated online casinos?

Players need to be at least 21 years old to play at New Jersey regulated online casinos.

Does a player need to be in New Jersey to play online casino games?

Yes, players need to be physically in the state of New Jersey to play online casino games legally. However, players can open an account and fund it from any country in the world. Still, they’ll have to wait until they’re in NJ to play online games.

Are there legal real money poker apps for New Jersey players?

Yes, there are. Most legal online casino sites also offer downloadable applications for New Jersey residents. If the app of your choice is regulated by the DGE, you can rest assured that it is secure and safe.

Can New Jersey players enter online poker tournaments?

YES. As the most poker-friendly state in the U.S, you will find an assortment of different poker tournaments that are available every hour or every day. You can also look forward to massive guaranteed tournaments every single week and month.

Can players in New Jersey claim comps?

YES. All the poker sites available in New Jersey offer outstanding comps, ranging from cash rewards through to tailor-made bonuses and loyalty programs.

Can my card be predicted by another player at the table?

Each online poker site available in New Jersey uses a complex random number generator to ensure each card dealt is completely random. Therefore, players are unable to predict which card they will receive.

Are bonuses available for players in New Jersey?

YES. You will find the best online poker bonuses in New Jersey, ranging from welcome bonuses to on-going promotions as well as rewarding loyalty programs to reward you each time you contribute to the rake.

Can players in New Jersey look forward to practice play or free play mode?

YES. All the poker sites we recommend to players in New Jersey will offer players the opportunity to test their skills on a variety of poker games without having to spend their own hard-earned money. You can even enter poker tournaments for free to get a feel of the poker software and its players.

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Hi, I am the Chief Editor of top10pokersites.net, this site is dedicated to all thing poker. I have been working around the poker industry for the last 15 years, with different brands. The main purpose of this site is to keep you uptodate with the industry and offer you the best deals around.