New Jersey’s Legal Casinos and Poker Rooms
New Jersey is perhaps one of the most gambling-friendly places under the sun. Of course, gambling is a big industry in this state. No wonder the state is on record as having made attempts to establish the business even in federally restricted areas, especially with regard to sports betting. The gambling history of New Jersey is long and complex. The state hosts a myriad of the most popular casino resorts in the world: Atlantic City casinos.
Online gambling became a legal business in New Jersey in 2013, allowing the gambling enthusiasts to safely participate in the game from the comfort of their homes. Each online casino in New Jersey is DGE-licensed and regulated. DGE stands for Division of Gaming Enforcement if you like. In their operation, each of these casinos partners with an Atlantic City’s land-based casino, as well as a software company.
Legal Casinos in New Jersey
Some of the most popular casinos in New Jersey include SugarHouse, Betfair, Pala, Caesars, and Golden Nugget. Others include 888, Harrah’s, and Mohegan Sun. These casinos operate online, and they typically allow you to sign up for free. You can use virtual money or a free bonus to test the game. A few of these casinos are discussed in detail as shown below:
Betfair
Launched in 2013, Betfair is a well-established online casino, and it has developed from virtual obscurity to one of the biggest New Jersey’s online casino. Before entering the New Jersey’s market, Betfair was known for having built the world’s biggest online betting exchange. No wonder this casino boasts a top-ranking status. When you sign up on Betfair, a $30 bonus is deposited into your account. One good thing is that this bonus is not tied to any wagering requirements. However, you cannot withdraw the bonus itself. If you successfully deposit real money into your account, you can successfully withdraw your winnings.
SugarHouse
Known for having been the first cross-border brand to operate in the New Jersey’s online gambling market, SugarHouse is one the most successful online casino businesses. This brand started in Pennsylvania, where its land-based version was opened in 2010 on Philadelphia waterfront. The name of this casino was informed by the history of the place where it was situated along the Delaware River. For more than a whole century, this place was known for a sugar refinery, which began in 1881. The launch of SugarHouse online casino occurred in September 2016.
Pala
Based in San Diego, CA, Pala offers many games: about 230. In late 2013, Pala acquired an iGaming license to operate in New Jersey. This happened even before the start of the online casino industry in the state. Following this acquisition, Pala was granted a transactional waiver. To comply with local regulations in New Jersey and allow the state’s residents to participate in the game, Pala teamed up with a local land-based casino: Borgata Hotel Casino. By the end of 2014, Pala had already released software, which made it possible for New Jersey residents to play at the casino.
Pala is operated by Pala Interactive. The casino has links with the Pala Band of Mission Indians. The Pala Band of Mission Indians operates one of the most successful land-based casinos in San Diego, CA.
Golden Nugget
This brand began in 1946, and it reached the Atlantic City market in 2011 after it was purchased by Landry’s Inc. The brand’s land-based casino in Atlantic City is among the top gambling spots in terms of entertainment, quality, and value. By the end of 2014, the brand’s online casino was in operation. This was despite the initial delay resulting from a paperwork formatting issue with the DGE. This casino partners with Bally Technologies, and it offers many game options.
Legal Poker Rooms in NJ
A poker room is a space dedicated to playing poker at the casino. This can be an online or a land-based room. Examples of well-known poker rooms in New Jersey include:
PokerStars
This is the world’s largest poker room; hence, it is only sensible to say that PokerStars NJ is the largest of poker rooms in the state. PokerStars NJ was licensed in 2015 by the New Jersey Department of Gaming Enforcement. Currently, PokerStars NJ is owned by Amaya, which is a gaming firm from Canada. Without any doubt, in the U.S. regulated online poker history, PokerStars was the most anticipated site launch. Until 2011, it was the largest online poker site in the United States. Internationally, it is the largest poker site.
Partypoker
Undoubtedly, Partypoker was the king during the 00s online poker golden age. Launched in 2001, this site developed into the world’s Internet poker action epicenter. However, the U.S. federal government enacted the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act, which forced the site to quit the U.S. market on the grounds of violation fears. When online gambling was legalized in New Jersey in 2013, bwin.party, which is the Partypoker’s parent company, received a license to carry out its operations in the state. As a result, Partypoker decided to partner with Borgata. Partypoker owns proprietary software for powering its poker room and that of Borgata. In order to ensure that their users access more cash games, Partypoker and Borgata share their player pools. However, each of these sites has its own tournament schedule and promotions.
Pala Poker
This is the latest site to join the online poker market in New Jersey. It is a standalone site (doesn’t share traffic with other rooms in New Jersey) operating on a proprietary platform. Pala Poker operates under the regulations of the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement, which is the licensing body. Pala Poker partners with Borgata even though the two do not share players.
888 Poker
This was among the first sites to enter the New Jersey’s online gambling industry. In 2015, this poker room entered a liquidity-sharing partnership with WSOP.com, which is its sister site. The partnership led to WSOP.com/888 NJ network. Since the formation of this partnership, the two sites have been sharing there player pools. This has enabled them to maintain their presence in the gambling market despite facing stiff competitions from other NJ-licensed gambling sites.