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January 7, 2024 · 18 minutes

Best NJ Online Poker Sites

New Jersey was one of the first states to legalize online poker. Since 2013, NJ players have been able to access the game on safe, fully regulated, and completely legal sites.

If you are looking for information on NJ online poker, you’ve come to the right place. On this page, we cover everything there is to know, from the best legal sites available in the state, over top poker bonuses in New Jersey, to banking options and current laws.

The important thing to know is that all poker rooms recommended on this page are completely legal and operate in accordance with state poker laws and regulations.

Best NJ Online Poker Sites

Players in the Garden State have a fair few options to choose from. Being one of the frontrunners in poker regulation, New Jersey hosts several quality online poker rooms, each offering a welcome bonus, tournament schedule, special promotions, and more.

WSOP NJ

WSOP Online Poker NJ

WSOP.com was one of the first operators to acquire an online poker license in New Jersey. The site shares its player pool with Nevada and Delaware, which helps its liquidity and allows WSOP NJ to host bigger tournaments and offer more generous promotions.

One thing that makes WSOP.com stand out from other NJ poker sites is that it’s the only room where players can compete for golden bracelets. Every year, the site organizes a number of bracelet events, giving players a chance to win coveted poker trinkets from the comfort of their homes.

New players can take advantage of a rather generous welcome package, consisting of a 100% first deposit match up to $1,000, up to $100 worth of free play, and entries to weekly freerolls for newcomers.

PokerStars NJ

PokerStars NJ

PokerStars NJ is another top-tier operator catering to players in the state. The room joined the party a bit later, only receiving the license in 2016, but it didn’t take long for PokerStars to become one of the most popular options in NJ.

The operator has always been known for its rich variety of tournament options, and that’s exactly what they offer in the Garden State, with versatile daily schedules and regular yearly series such as NJCOOP.

In January 2023, PokerStars took advantage of the opportunity presented by the fact Michigan joined the MSIGA, combining its New Jersey and Michigan player pools. By doing so, the operator significantly improved its liquidity, making it an even more desirable option.

When it comes to the welcome offer, PokerStars NJ offers a 100% deposit match up to $600, which is not as good as its other competitors in the state, but the room more than makes up for it with its other qualities.

BetMGM Poker NJ

BetMGM Poker NJ Online

BetMGM is one of the most popular brands in the US, although the company built its presence primarily as an online betting and casino platform. However, looking to cater to all customers’ needs, the site also features a poker platform.

When it comes to online poker in NJ, BetMGM Poker isn’t quite on the same level as PokerStars or WSOP, but the room still manages to hold its own. It hosts smaller series with fairly modest prize pools, but the games are also softer across the board.

The welcome bonus is quite generous at BetMGM Poker NJ. You can get a 100% match up to $1,000 and up to $75 worth of tournament tickets with your first deposit, so that’s a pretty good reason to give the site a chance and see how you like it.

BetMGM Online Poker Review.

Borgata Poker NJ

Borgata Online Poker NJ

Everything said about BetMGM goes for Borgata Poker NJ. Both sites are owned by the same company and use the same software, so there are virtually no differences between the two. Both rooms also share their player pools in the state, so players across both sites can play in the same tournaments and cash games.

Borgata Poker NJ also features the same welcome package, where you can get a 100% match up to $1,000 and an MTT bundle worth up to $75.

If you’re trying to decide where to sign up, either one of these two options will work. There are occasional individual promotions specific to Borgata Poker NJ or BetMGM Poker NJ, but these are somewhat rare.

Borgata Online Poker Review.

PartyPoker NJ

PartyPoker NJ online

PartyPoker NJ is the third site in the network consisting of BetMGM and Borgata. The room also shares liquidity with the other two operators in the state and hosts the same individual games and tournament series for the most part.

There are some cash tables that are unique to PartyPoker NJ, though, which is the main point of difference between these sites, alongside already mentioned occasional promotions.

Oddly enough, the PartyPoker NJ welcome bonus is smaller than the other two sites, offering a 100% match only up to $600. On the other hand, they are the only operator in New Jersey that offers a no-deposit bonus with no strings attached, giving new players $25 on the house as soon as they complete a registration.

NJ Online Poker Bonuses & Promotions

NJ Online Poker Bonuses

With several top-tier operators licensed in the state, NJ poker players also have access to very nice poker bonuses and promotions.

When it comes to NJ poker bonuses, welcome offers are by far the most generous ones. When signing up for a new account, players can get a nice amount of extra funds and other perks, such as tournament tickets of additional funds.

Best NJ Poker Welcome Offers

Poker Room

Deposit Match

Extra Perks

WSOP Poker NJ

100% up to $1,000

Up to $100 in free play

PokerStars NJ

100% up to $600

Alternative: $100 in bonus funds

BetMGM Poker NJ

100% up to $1000

Up to $75 in MTT tickets

Borgata Poker NJ

100% up to $1000

Up to $75 in MTT tickets

PartyPoker NJ

100% up to $600

$25 no-deposit bonus

NJ Poker Promotions

In addition to welcome bonuses, NJ poker players can also look forward to many different promotions to help them boost their bankrolls. Different operators have different promos, but generally speaking, you’ll come across:

  • Reload bonuses – special offers for existing players, allowing them to get some extra funds with their next deposit. These are usually smaller than welcome offers but still well worth taking.
  • Rake races – NJ poker sites often host rake races, where players get additional funds back simply for playing more and generating more rake.
  • Freeroll tournaments – there are many types of freeroll tournaments available at NJ poker sites that you can gain access to, allowing you to win substantial prizes.
  • Special occasional promotions – poker operators have special promotions running around holidays and important events, giving you access to more bonuses, tournament tickets, and other perks.

Even if you do not play poker regularly, it is worth checking top NJ online poker sites occasionally and grabbing some of these additional perks to boost your bankroll.

Types of Online Poker in New Jersey

Online Poker in New Jersey

In New Jersey, players can enjoy all sorts of poker games. Whether you’re into cash games, tournaments, or sit-and-go, you’ll find plenty of options across all stakes.

NJ Online Poker Tournaments

Tournament players certainly have plenty of options available to them in New Jersey. All NJ poker sites feature decent daily and weekly schedules, with PokerStars NJ leading the way in this regard. PokerStars is also the only room where you’ll find game variations other than Texas Hold’em and PLO.

There are also numerous regular and occasional series available to players in the state. These feature big guarantees and attract a lot of players, making them perfect for those who like to put their grinding gear on and chase after big wins.

Now that PokerStars has combined its player pool with that in Michigan, NJ players enjoy even bigger and better events.

  • PokerStars NJ – NJCOOP & NJSCOOP – now USCOOP & USSCOOP to reflect the fact that the series combines players from multiple states.
  • WSOP NJ – online bracelet and WSOP circuit events – the only platform in New Jersey where players can compete for actual WSOP bracelets and rings.
  • BetMGM Poker NJ & Borgata Poker NJ – these two operators don’t have such a fixed schedule of yearly events you can count on, but there are usually multiple series with guarantees well worth fighting for.

The range of buy-ins is quite wide. At all of these NJ poker sites, you’ll find many tournaments you can get involved with for as little as $1 and as high as $215. When special events happen, such as the online bracelet series, there will be tournaments with even higher buy-ins, sometimes in thousands.

All in all, there are more than enough options to keep you busy throughout the year, regardless of your bankroll and general poker skills.

new jersey poker online

Cash Games at NJ Poker Sites

The cash game action at NJ poker sites is quite lively as well. If you want to test your metal against other players in ring games, you’ll usually find games between $0.01/0.02 and $10/20. Higher games run on occasion, but not very frequently.

In terms of popularity, No Limit Hold’em is by far the most popular format, followed by Pot Limit Omaha. These two types are available across all NJ poker sites, but PokerStars offers by far the best player liquidity, especially since the merger with Michigan.

If you’re looking to play less popular variants, PokerStars NJ is, once again, your go-to site, as they are the only NJ online poker room to host other games. That said, don’t expect too much action, as although these tables are available, seats rarely fill up, especially beyond micros.

As expected, the best periods to find games are during local evening hours, especially on weekends. Sundays, in particular, tend to be rich in action, as this is when major weekly tournaments occur, leading to increased player numbers across sites.

Sit & Go Poker in New Jersey

Sit-and-go tournaments are no longer a particularly popular poker format. While most NJ poker sites still offer them, you’ll find that these games fill up very slowly, and unless you’re playing other games while waiting, focusing exclusively on regular sit-and-goes isn’t a viable option.

However, jackpot sit and goes are a different story, as these are very popular, and all sites in New Jersey offer their own variation of these games.

New Jersey Jackpot Sit & Goes

Operator

Games

Min BI

Max BI

Max win multiplier

PokerStars

Spin & Go

$1

$25

2,000x

WSOP.com

BLAST

$0.10

$50

10,000x

BetMGM

SPINS

$1

$25

1,000x

Borgata

SPINS

$1

$25

1,000x

PartyPoker

SPINS

$1

$25

1,000x

Jackpot sit-and-go offers a chance at huge wins determined by a random number generator at the start of each game. Poker players in New Jersey can look forward to multipliers going as high as 10,000x the buy-in, so it’s no surprise these games are so popular.

Signing Up with Online Poker NJ Sites

Online Poker NJ

Signing up with regulated NJ poker sites is easy. It will only take you a few simple steps to join the action, even if you have no previous experience with online poker:

  1. Pick a site that you want to play on.
  2. Visit the site and find a registration button or link – it’s usually very easy to locate on the page, and you won’t miss it.
  3. Fill in the information that the room requires.
  4. Go to your inbox to find the welcome email and click the confirmation link.
  5. Download and install the poker software.
  6. Log in with your newly created account.
  7. Make a deposit to get some funds and claim your welcome bonus.

As long as you follow these steps, you should have no problem signing up with any legal poker sites in New Jersey. However, there is one last thing to keep in mind.

Although you can sign up for an account from anywhere in the US, you can only access real money cash games and tournaments while physically present in New Jersey. Even if you’re a NJ resident, you won’t be able to play on any of the sites outside the state.

New Jersey Mobile Poker Apps

nj poker apps

For those who prefer to play their poker on the go or want access to their accounts at all times, NJ mobile poker apps give you exactly what you need.

All legal sites in the state offer standalone real money poker apps for Android and iOS that you can download from official stores and install onto your devices without any issues. This is yet another perk of dealing with completely legal operators.

It’s important to mention that the same rules and laws apply when playing mobile poker in NJ.

You can download the app and access your account from anywhere in the US, but you’ll only be able to play the games while physically present in New Jersey.

Every single one of these apps will ask you to allow geolocation on your phone while the software is running, and if you refuse, you won’t be able to use the app.

When it comes to the gaming experience, all NJ mobile poker apps are of the highest quality, which is no surprise given the reputation of the companies operating in the market. PokerStars, for example, offers its state-of-the-art mobile app that’s been around for a long time and is one of the best mobile poker products in existence.

Of course, all poker apps in New Jersey come with certain advantages and limitations, and you can find out more about these in our individual poker room reviews, but overall, you’ll get to enjoy a quality on-the-go poker experience in the Garden State.

New Jersey Online Poker Banking

new jersey online poker banking

All legal NJ poker sites take banking very seriously, and you can rest assured that all your transactions are completely safe. These operators use the latest security protocols when handling money transfers and only work with trusted and reliable service providers.

The minimum deposit at a majority of NJ online poker sites is just $10, which means that everyone can get started without breaking the bank.

If you’re looking to play just for fun and at the lowest of stakes, you can do so without any problems.

The maximum deposit limit varies depending on the room and the type of method used, but generally speaking, you’ll have no problems getting your money out of any of these platforms. Processing times are usually between 24 and 72 hours.

When it comes to supported options, you’ll have a nice range of available methods at your disposal, including:

  • MasterCard
  • Visa
  • Discover
  • America Express
  • PayPal
  • Venmo
  • Apple Pay
  • Skrill
  • PayNearMe
  • Tappp
  • Online banking
  • Wire transfers
  • Cash at the cage at partner locations

While not all of these options are supported by all NJ poker sites, you’ll find that a majority accepts main credit and debit cards, e-wallets like PayPal, and online banking. So, you’ll have no problems getting your money to or out of your online account.

NJ Online Poker Law & Regulations

online poker in nj regulations

As mentioned, New Jersey was one of the first states to regulate online poker. The legislation was passed back in 2013, and since then, the NJ online poker market has truly boomed.

New Jersey is also one of the states in the Multi-State Internet Gaming Agreement (MSIGA), which allows operators licensed in the state to combine their player pools with other states in the agreement, namely Nevada, Delaware, and, as of 2023, Michigan.

The state body in charge of licensing and regulating poker sites is the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement (NJDGE), and all legal NJ poker sites feature a seal of approval from the NJDGE. If you’re ever confused or uncertain about any operator, you can find the full list of all licensed rooms on the NJDGE website.

To receive an online license, operators have to partner with one of the licensed land-based casinos in the state, which adds another layer of safety and transparency.

All players have to be at least 21 years of age, and they don’t have to be residents of New Jersey.

However, since online poker is regulated on the state level, players have to be physically present within the NJ borders to play in the games.

You can open an account, deposit, and withdraw from anywhere in the US, but you won’t be able to join any of the tables if you're not actually in the state.

To ensure this rule is enforced, all licensed operators use geolocation software, and you’ll have to allow geotracking on your devices to play poker for real money in New Jersey.

New Jersey Online Poker Regulation

Status

Legal and regulated since 2013

Regulated by

New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement (NJDGE)

Cross-state games

Signed Multi-State Internet Gaming Agreement (MSIGA

Legal gambling age

21+

Restrictions

Need to be physically located inside NH borders to play

Offshore Operators vs. Legal NJ Poker Sites

It is no secret that several global poker rooms continue to accept US players despite breaking several US laws in doing so. These sites are often referred to as offshore operators, and some have managed to build quite a reputation in the country.

For residents of the states where online poker has been regulated, such as New Jersey, the question is: why play on locally licensed sites instead of these offshore operators?

After all, many of these illegal US sites offer big bonuses and feature large tournaments that locally licensed sites cannot afford due to limited player pools and regulations. However, despite these things, we believe that you should only play on legal NJ online poker rooms for these reasons:

⭐ Safety of Your Funds

The only way to be certain your money is safe is if you stick to a legal NJ poker site. These rooms have to adhere to very strict laws that ensure customers’ funds are kept segregated and treated with the utmost respect.

On the other hand, offshore operators have almost no oversight and offer no real guarantees. While their reputation may be on the line if there is a problem with customers’ funds, you’ll have no legal recourse or protection if your money disappears or the whole site suddenly goes down.

⭐ Protecting Your Personal Information

Licensed NJ poker sites have to follow strict rules regarding obtaining, storing, and handling customer info. Your sensitive private and financial data is kept safe and available only on a need-to-know basis.

When you decide to play at an offshore site, you’re giving up on this protection and hoping the company will do the right thing. The unfortunate truth is that many of these sites have been caught selling and sharing player information, which can have serious consequences.

⭐ Game Security

All sites licensed by the NJDGE are under serious scrutiny from the regulator. Their RNG software is regularly checked and verified, ensuring that games are truly fair and random. Furthermore, NJ operators invest a lot of time and effort into keeping their games safe and free of bots and malicious users looking to take advantage of genuine players.

You’ll enjoy no such guarantees at offshore sites. While some of them do a better job than others when it comes to game security, the allegations of bot rings, cheaters, and even fixed RNGs have been present for a long time, and at least some of them have been proven as well.

⭐ Safe and Simple Banking

Legal New Jersey online poker operators can accept players’ deposits and process withdrawals without any problems. Since they run according to state laws, they don’t need to find any loopholes or workarounds in the banking department, as everything is up and up.

Offshore sites are at the very opposite end of this spectrum. Their biggest challenge is accepting deposits and sending out withdrawals, and when you sign up with one of these rooms, you will be taking a serious risk that your money can get stuck in limbo.

⭐ No Legal Concerns

Finally, by sticking to legal NJ sites, you’ll be able to enjoy your games with peace of mind. You’ll play the game you love knowing that neither you nor the operator are breaking any laws and that, no matter what, you’ll never have to face any legal troubles.

When you play at illegal offshore operators, there is always a chance you’ll get caught up in some investigation. Even if playing on these sites isn’t illegal per se, their entire business model is very shady, so it’s not impossible that some players will get caught in the crossfire at some point down the line.

New Jersey Online Poker Summary

Online poker in New Jersey is legal and regulated on the state level. Players in the state have access to a number of completely legal operators that provide them with a safe and trustworthy environment to enjoy their favorite games.

You’ll find many bonuses and promotions to keep your bankroll healthy and make your gaming experience much more enjoyable.

Legal NJ poker sites host a variety of tournaments with generous guarantees, and plenty of cash game action is available around the clock.

All in all, poker fans in New Jersey can enjoy online poker without any obstacles and have their pick from several different quality sites, and things are bound to only get better moving forward!

NJ Online Poker FAQ

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