New Jersey Poker Resources

NJ Online Poker: Which sites are the busiest?

While sites certainly have points in the day where they are more or less busy, and while a certain promotion or tournament may cause traffic at a particular room to spike temporarily, it’s best to look at rolling averages to understand which poker rooms are most consistently busy.

As it currently stands, here are the active poker sites in New Jersey from most active to least active:

1. PartyPoker NJ / Borgata (Shared network).
2. WSOP.com.
3. 888 Poker New Jersey.
4. Ultimate Poker New Jersey.

For regular updates on new mobile apps and other developments in New Jersey, bookmark our NJ news section.

List of mobile options for NJ online poker players

In terms of dedicated apps, players have the following choices:

• Borgata’s online poker app (iOS).
• PartyPoker NJ (iOS) (read review here).
• 888 Poker (iOS).
• WSOP.com (iOS).

PartyPoker and Borgata also offer a Java-based browser version of their software that may work on some devices. For regularly updated New Jersey news, bookmark our NJ section.

The basics of New Jersey online poker

Can I play for real money?

Yes. If you are located within New Jersey, you can play real-money poker and casino games at a variety of regulated sites.

Real-money play in New Jersey started with a “soft-play” beta period on November 21st and opened fully to the public on November 26th, 2013.

What sites are offering poker right now?

As of the last update to this FAQ, there were four networks offering internet poker in New Jersey:

• PartyPoker (including nj.partypoker.com and BorgataPoker.com).
• World Series of Poker (WSOP.com).
• Ultimate Poker (Ucasino.com).
• All American Poker Network (us.888poker.com).

Are other rooms going to be available in the future?

There will eventually be six or more unique internet poker networks in New Jersey.

Golden Nugget / Bally Technologies and Betfair / Trump Plaza are expected to launch poker products soon, as are Tropicana / Gamesys (Virgin).

As for the remaining Atlantic City casinos:

• Resorts has a partnership with PokerStars that is still awaiting regulatory approval.
• The Atlantic Club is closing.
• Revel has also declined to pursue online gambling at this point in time.
• Showboat and Ballys and Harrahs are owned by Caesars and are not expected to have separate poker brands apart from the WSOP.

What is the level of traffic like?

You can track traffic at New Jersey online poker sites over at PokerScout.com.

What games can I play?

Right now the game of choice at most rooms is no limit holdem. As traffic levels increase and rooms work out the kinks, expect to see more games rolled out.

Remember, most of the software powering online poker sites in New Jersey is not new. In some cases, it’s been around for over a decade (888 and PartyPoker, for example). So these rooms all have the capability to add new games. It’s more a matter of whether or not there’s sufficient player interest to justify adding new games, especially when you start talking about more niche variants like HORSE or Badugi.

How do the partnerships between casinos and sites like PartyPoker work?

In New Jersey, only land-based casinos qualify for online gambling permits (called Internet Gaming Permits by NJ regulators). But regulations also allow those casinos to partner with technology providers, who must also be vetted and licensed (albeit at a lower level of licensing) to take part in New Jersey’s regulated online gambling market.

Each Internet Gaming Permit – the license received by a land-based casino like The Borgata – can be used to operate up to five websites. And each website can be a distinct brand.

So, in the case of The Borgata, their IGP is being used to power the following sites:

• BorgataPoker.com
• BorgataCasino.com
• Nj.PartyPoker.com

And each site is powered by the bwin.party poker and casino software. In addition, the PartyPoker online poker site and the Borgata online poker site both feed into the same central player pool.

Why is this legal? I thought online gambling was illegal.

Regulated online gambling was made legal by a bill that Gov. Chris Christie signed into law back in February of 2013.

In order to offer internet poker or online casino games in New Jersey, sites must have the approval of the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement.

Any other site that offers such games for real money to residents of New Jersey is in violation of state law.

Who can offer regulated online poker in New Jersey?

Sites approved by the NJ Division of Gaming Enforcement. The official list is here.

What are the regulations governing online gambling in NJ?

You can review NJ’s online gambling regulations in full here.

Will PokerStars and Full Tilt Poker be available in New Jersey?

PokerStars’ application to participate in the New Jersey market is currently suspended.

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Who can play online poker in New Jersey?

What is the minimum age to play online poker in NJ?

You must be 21 to play at NJ’s regulated online poker sites and casinos.

Who is allowed to play at NJ online poker sites?

Anyone of age who can be confirmed by a given site as being located within the state can play poker .

Am I playing just against other people in NJ?

Yes. Right now the player pools are made up only of people in New Jersey.

Do I have to go to the casino to set up an online poker account?

No, you can just visit one of the websites approved by the DGE.

I heard Nevada and Delaware have online poker too. Are all the states connected?

No. Delaware players are only playing against other people in Delaware, and the same goes for internet poker players in Nevada and New Jersey.

Will New Jersey eventually share player pools with other jurisdictions?

It is expected that some US states will at some point combine their player pools for internet poker and casino gaming, much in the same way that several states pool lottery prize pools across a coalition of states (Powerball, for example).

But compacts are a complex affair and there are any number of factors slowing their development. So there’s no firm timeline or blueprint for how states like New Jersey will come to share player pools with other states offering regulated online gambling.

Depositing and withdrawing at NJ online poker sites

What methods are available for deposits and withdrawals?

Methods vary by site. Credit cards, echecks, prepaid cards and deposits at the casino cage are options offered by various NJ online poker sites.

I heard VISA deposits are being declined?

Yes, VISA deposits currently have what are generally regarded as the lowest acceptance rates for internet poker deposits in New Jersey. Even though these deposits are perfectly legal, several of VISA’s issuing banks have decided to hold off on accepting such transactions for now.

Can I use Mastercard to deposit?

Yes. MasterCard acceptance rates are much higher than VISA and are easily the highest of any credit card.

Can I use PayPal to deposit?

No. PayPal stopped accepting US gambling transactions several years ago and has yet to update their policies to reflect the new reality of regulated online gambling in the United States.

If these sites are legal, why is it so hard to to deposit?

For a number of reasons, but the short answer is that many banks and companies like PayPal are waiting to see how regulated online gambling works out before jumping in. They’re concerned about possible unanticipated liabilities and weighing those against the revenue potential of regulated online gambling.

Once the amount of money involved grows and the uncertainty recedes, depositing at one of NJ’s internet poker rooms will become an easier thing to do.

Security questions

Are these sites secure?

Sites are required by regulations to demonstrate both that they can provide a secure gameplay environment and that they can securely store your personal information.

How do I know I’m not being cheated?

New Jersey’s regulated internet poker rooms are subject to strict and regular oversight. If you have any suspicions, you can file a complaint with New Jersey regulators directly.

Why does the site ask for my social security number?

Sites are required to do this by regulations, both to ensure you’re eligible to create an account and also for tax reporting purposes.

The site is asking for a utility bill / my ID / etc. Should I provide it?

If you are playing at one of the approved, licensed sites in New Jersey then you should feel comfortable providing this information. Sites need it in order to verify your identity, ensuring that accounts are only being created and used by those of legal age to gamble online (21).