The Garden State has a reputation for being one of the most progressive states when it comes to online gambling - indeed, it was one of the first states to legalize online casinos and online sports betting.
Because of this, there’s loads of the best online casinos in New Jersey where residents can enjoy everything from classic table games and video slots to online bingo and arcade games. Below, I introduce you to this world and give tips on what to look for when picking an NJ online casino, together with potential alternatives.
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As I mentioned in the intro, New Jersey is one of the most progressive states when it comes to online gambling activities. We all know about Atlantic City and the range of awesome bricks and mortar resorts that the state has, but there is also a thriving online sportsbook and casino scene in The Garden State. Below, I look at the legality of online gambling in NJ, and restrictions you need to be aware of.
When looking at the state, essentially all types of online gambling are legal in New Jersey, which is completely different if you were looking for the best online casinos in Texas, for example. To give you specifics, I’ve outlined the legal status of different activities here:
New Jersey was actually the first state to legalize online casinos back in 2013 and this marked a groundbreaking moment in the US, as after that, several other states followed suit including Michigan, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Delaware, and Connecticut. After that, sports betting followed, and horse racing has been around for a long time.
If you are looking for new online casinos in the US, specifically NJ, you also need to be aware of the minimum age restrictions. The legal minimum gambling age in New Jersey is 21, and this includes registering an account at an online casino. The same applies for sports betting, but you have to be over 18 to buy lottery tickets, and some sweepstakes casinos are also available if you are over 18, not 21.
Not all online casinos are created equal! I know that from experience, and I only want you to be able to play at the best online casinos in New Jersey. To help, I’ve explained six core features that I always look for when picking the best online casinos to play at in the Garden State:
For real money online casinos, you MUST only ever use sites that have a gambling license. To obtain a gambling license, an online casino must comply with the laws and regulations of the state, and is typically audited by the licensing issuer. In the case of NJ online casinos, the regulator is the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement and they hand out licenses. You can usually find licensing information in the casino’s website footer. For sweepstakes casinos, a license is not required as real money gambling doesn’t happen. But, the site must comply with NJ sweepstakes regulations. This includes not permitting real money deposits or gameplay, always giving a source of virtual currencies, and making the games always free to play with no purchase necessary.
I believe a strong customer support system is important for the best online casinos in New Jersey. I don’t think you will encounter any issues, but if you do, having an easy-to-reach support team helps greatly. Ideally, there should be a live chat that is available 24/7.
I think this is the most effective support method and you can usually get the quickest replies from it. Some chats start with an AI chatbot, but I have found these incredibly useful and they can often provide a solution without you needing to talk to a rep. Other support methods should be available though such as telephone, email, and a help center.
Games! These are why we play at new online casinos in the US and established brands. I always spend time assessing the quality, variety, and quantity of the game libraries of online casinos and sweepstakes casinos. The games need to be provided by reputable licensed software developers like Pragmatic Play, Evolution, Betsoft, BGaming, and Hacksaw Gaming.
There should be great coverage for the main game categories too, including video slots, single player table games, live dealer games, arcade games, bingo, scratchcards, and specialty games.
The games you look for will depend on your preference. I love playing arcade games and live blackjack, for example, so these are the two things I look for first. It’s also a great idea to look at things like the min/max play limits, and the average RTP of games.
The desktop website should look modern and be easy to use. I don’t care if it has flashy graphics or not - I’m more concerned with the site having a clean and uncluttered layout.
The best sites have a clear primary navigation such as a pop-out side menu where you can access the game categories, promotions, and your account management.
I also believe that page speeds should be fast, and that game loading times should be quick. Top sites also make it incredibly easy for beginners to get started who might not have used an online casino before, including a simple registration process and lots of tooltips.
I mainly play casino games on my smartphone so mobile accessibility is a major point. I first look for a downloadable mobile app. If one is available, I will check the reviews and ratings from the Google Play Store and App Store as these are usually a decent indicator of the app’s quality.
I’ll then download and check it for myself. The New Jersey online casino app should give you exactly the same functionality as the desktop site, and it shouldn’t be missing any features.
The touch screen functionality should make it easy to use, and it should make use of smartphone gestures like scrolling. I also check to make sure the games can still be played in a decent resolution and don’t put too much drain on my phone’s battery.
Lastly, while I play for fun, I still want to get great value, so I check for promotions that the New Jersey online casinos offer. I’ll first look for a welcome bonus for new customers which is often something like a deposit match bonus or free spins.
Next, I check the promos for existing customers such as reload bonuses, VIP programs, and slot tournaments. For each of these promotions, I read the terms and conditions fully so I understand important things like wagering requirements and expiry periods.
Whether you’re looking for new online casinos, or exploring the existing New Jersey brands, I think you need to be aware of the potential drawbacks of these sites as well as their benefits:
While there’s a good selection of low deposit casinos in the Garden State, I also want to draw your attention to an increasingly popular alternative - the sweepstakes casino. If you want to have fun and mainly enjoy the gaming experience, I think that sweepstakes casinos are the perfect option and I explain what these sites are and how they work below.
Sweepstakes casinos use virtual currencies instead of real money. You can’t deposit money at these sites, and you can’t play the games for real money. What you can do is play the games using Gold Coins and Sweeps Coins which are the two common virtual currencies and you have the chance to get GC and SC prizes from your gameplay.
| Virtual Currency | How it Works |
| Gold Coins | |
| Sweeps Coins |
Many people call these no deposit online casinos which is technically true, as deposits are not available. They are more commonly known as social or sweepstakes casinos. The crux of the sites is that you are usually given free Gold Coins and Sweeps Coins - the sites have to do this as part of their New Jersey regulatory compliance.
If you’ve never used the best online casinos in New Jersey in the sweepstakes sphere before, you may wonder why you should bother with these sites. I personally love them and have been using them extensively for several years now. I think they are a breath of fresh air, and the emphasis of fun and gaming enjoyment is refreshing. Sweepstakes casinos in New Jersey also offer the following benefits:
Now, you do have the option to purchase Gold Coin packages, but by law, doing so is not required to enjoy the casino-style games. I think this alone makes the sweepstakes casino experience incredibly enjoyable. You can just collect your Gold Coins and Sweeps Coins for free, and have a blast playing the games.
Speaking of games, from experience, I’ve found that the sweepstakes casino game libraries easily rival those of the best online casinos in Florida and other states. You’ve usually got 1,000+ games to play including slots, tables, and arcade games.
Lastly, for those who are more competitive and driven, there is of course the potential to make Sweeps Coin redemptions for cash prizes. This isn’t a main factor for me, but it’s always appreciated if I do get enough SC to make a redemption!
A big benefit of New Jersey sweepstakes casinos is the variety of promotions they provide. You’re always showered with free Gold Coins and Sweeps Coins, typically from the following bonus types:
| Promotion | Description |
| Welcome bonus | The welcome bonus is the starting point and the first thing you’ll get. It’s typically a lump sum of Gold Coins and Sweeps Coins, with the average being around 7,500 GC and 2.5 SC. To get it, you typically have to create an account and verify your ID. Some welcome bonuses also include a discounted Gold Coin package you can purchase. |
| Daily login bonus | The best online casinos in New Jersey will give you a substantial daily login bonus. This usually takes one of two forms - either a set lump sum of Gold Coins and Sweeps Coins, or a daily prize wheel spin that gives you random GC and/or SC prizes. From experience, I estimate the average to be around 2,000 GC and 0.30 SC, but some sites give as much as 10,000 GC and 1 SC every 24 hours. |
| Mail-in (Alternative Method Of Entry) bonus | The mail-in bonus is a unique promo that NJ ssweepstakes casinos offer. For this bonus, you have to follow a set of instructions carefully and hand write a postcard. There will be a message you have to include, requesting your free SC, and you often have to give a unique request code. The processing time for this bonus is usually slow, but on average, sites give 3 Sweeps Coins for each request. |
| Referral scheme | Many sites have a referral scheme where you can invite your friends to the social casino and potentially get a bonus. You normally get a unique referral link or code that you give to your friends. They then register an account using that link or code. If they meet the requirements, (usually making a minimum GC purchase) you will get a GC and SC bonus. |
As a Garden State resident, you have access to an awesome range of online gaming sites - whether you want to enjoy the best online casinos in New Jersey for real money, or the fantastic NJ sweepstakes alternatives that use virtual currencies instead. I believe that both types of sites in NJ offer brilliant entertainment, a huge variety of games, and superb quality.
If you want to get started with a real money online casino or sweepstakes casino in New Jersey, we’ve got heaps of recommendations and comparison tables. Please check out the banners, tables, and links on this page and read the reviews we have crafted for these NJ sites. You can then pick one to get started with, sign up, and get gaming!
Yes. New Jersey is one of six states to legalize online casinos. Indeed, it was the first state to allow online casinos and has been one of the most progressive when it comes to forms of online gambling.
Yes. Many of our recommended sweepstakes casinos operate legally in New Jersey. You can play at these sites as valid alternatives to real money operators and still enjoy hundreds of casino-style games.
Yes. Sports betting is also legal in New Jersey and many legal online casinos for US players here also have a dedicated sportsbook where you can bet on things like the NBA and NFL.
Generally the legal gambling age is 21 in New Jersey, but for some sweepstakes casinos the minimum age requirement is 18 years as no real money gameplay takes place.
You can check out our recommendations and reviews for a range of fantastic real money online casinos, and New Jersey sweepstakes casinos that you can legally play at in the state.
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