New Jersey Online Poker

In November 2013, New Jersey became the third US state to launch legalized and regulated online poker With a population three times that of Nevada, the return of online poker to the Garden State is a boon for the market, providing more networks and poker rooms for players to choose from.

While the current state of NJ online poker is fairly robust, there is still room for growth. The inclusion of shared liquidity, allowing players from Nevada and Delaware to compete against the players in New Jersey, has brought bigger prize pools tournament series helping the state continue the momentum it has gained in the past five years.

Legal New Jersey Online Poker

After a 2011 bill was vetoed by then New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, State Senator Raymond Lesniak submitted a bill that would allow Atlantic City casinos the ability to offer regulated online gambling. After a few changes, Christie accepted the bill and in February 2013, the bill was signed into law.

Online poker sites moved swiftly to partner with Atlantic City’s brick-and-mortar casinos.

Eight months later, on November 26, New Jersey’s iGaming – which allowed for both online poker as well as online casino games – was open to the public. The NJ online poker market has now been in operation for over six years. With the recent legalization of NJ sports betting, gambling in the Garden State is now in full force.

Active New Jersey Online Poker Sites

In Nevada, there is only one place to play online poker. In Delaware there is only one network. In New Jersey, there’s is much more in terms of choice of poker room and network to choose from. Because NJ has other online casino platforms, it’s a relatively robust market for players.

There are four different networks in New Jersey and six different poker rooms operating on them. This gives players the ability to choose the best promotions and loyalty programs for them. It also gives players an option as to the poker client they like best.

WSOP.com – The popular live brand, and the only real money option available in Nevada at this time, is a division of Caesars Interactive and is offered in New Jersey. The upside to playing on WSOP.com is the shared liquidity of player pools from both Nevada and Delaware. Players can not only compete in some of the biggest prize pools available in the United States, but WSOP.com offers online WSOP bracelet events as well as online WSOP Circuit Events.

PokerStars NJ – The industry leader, PokerStars was able to secure a partnership with Resorts Casino and establish a foothold in the U.S. market in a bid to make a comeback. Their popular New Jersey Championship of Online Poker has become one of the premiere online tournament series in the state and the superior software continues to be a big draw for Garden State players.

Borgata Poker – The online arm of the popular Atlantic City is another popular choice. In addition to cash games and tournaments, Borgata Poker has the ability to satellite players into their many live events, including World Poker Tour stops. The site is powered by partypoker.

888poker NJ – The 888 Poker brand is a partner of Harrah’s Casino in New Jersey and is also the engine behind their own online poker room, as well as WSOP.com. Being the provider of software in Delaware and WSOP.com in Nevada, players on the 888 Poker client are co-mingled with players in both of those states as well. They have their own branding and promotions.

Party Poker NJ – Like 888 Poker, Party Poker is the engine for another poker client (Borgata Poker & BetMGM) but provides their own branded poker room as well. The bonuses are different from that of Borgata Poker, but the two sites share a player pool.

Pala Poker – The latest addition to the online poker scene in New Jersey is Pala Poker. They have a partnership with Borgata however they power their own site with their own software. The traffic on the site is less than that of their higher-profile competition, however, reviews of the software and game playing experience are promising.

New Jersey Online Poker Community

The PocketFives New Jersey Poker Community is a resource for players in New Jersey. This community is home to rankings, site reviews, news and a forum dedicated to the legal and regulated online poker in the state.

New Jersey Online Poker Frequently Asked Questions

Is online poker legal in New Jersey?

Yes! Real money online poker has been legalized, regulated and in operation in New Jersey since 2013. There are multiple networks and sites to choose from and the ability to deposit, play and withdraw is straightforward.

Can I play online poker in NJ even if I don’t live in the state?

Anyone who is within the borders of New Jersey is allowed to deposit and play in the state. Poker sites use geolocation to ensure that players are within the borders of the state. So, as long as you are in the state of NJ, you are allowed to play on any regulated site.

Which payment methods are available?

Which each online operator may have different methods available for depositing and withdrawing, it’s safe to say that in a regulated market they should be pretty straight forward. Credit cards are generally accepted as are e-wallet solutions (Skrill, Neteller) and instant e-checks. Make sure you confirm with the online poker site you are preparing to play on to see what methods they employ for both depositing and cashouts.

Which poker games are available online?

The larger the site, the more poker variants they are likely to have. It’s safe to say that every online site offers No Limit Texas Hold’em. On some sites, you will be able to also find Omaha and Stud variants and each site may even offer unique games, like PokerStars Spin N’ Gos. Both cash games and tournaments are regularly offered and many sites include Sit & Gos in their lobbies as well.

Do I have to download anything in order to play online poker?

While there are some online poker sites that operate directly in a browser, the majority of poker sites require the downloading and installation of a poker client which they continue to keep updated with the latest upgrades and offerings.

What are loyalty programs?

Online poker sites offer their customers loyalty programs that provide rewards for playing on their site. A player will earn points in every real money cash game that is raked and every tournament that take a fee. These points are then able to be redeemed for items such as tournament tickets, consumer goods and sometimes even cash back.

What is a deposit bonus?

A deposit bonus is given by the online operator as an incentive for players to make their first deposit on their site. Often they will match a player’s deposit up to a certain amount and then release the bonus in increments as the player plays on their site.

Is other online gaming available in New Jersey?

In addition to online poker, some online operators offer additional gaming types (i.e. online slots, blackjack, etc.).

In order to participate in these games in New Jersey players must be 21 years of age or older with a value, submitted identification. Players are required to be inside the state’s borders and allow for the use of geolocation software to verify their location.

Who can I play poker with in New Jersey?

New Jersey is one-third of the current tri-state liquidity agreement, allowing players in the state to play with anyone from both Nevada and Delaware. In order to do this, those players need to be on the same network. For example, players who play on WSOP.com in New Jersey will play with players on that same site in Nevada. However, since PokerStars is an entity unto itself, those players that play on it in New Jersey do not have another state to co-mingle with.

While the future of shared player pools is not a certainty, should other states come online it seems clear that the state of New Jersey will be eager to bring that state into the fold.