Online poker in New Jersey has been legal and available since 2013, as this was one of the first US states to regulate online gambling in its various forms.
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Great casino offer New Jersey is also a member of the Multi-State Internet Gaming Agreement (MSIGA), allowing state-licensed operators to share their player pools with other regulated states in the agreement, namely Michigan, Nevada, and Delaware.
| Poker Site | Welcome Bonus | Main Highlight |
| PokerStars NJ | $150 in Bonus Play or 100% up to $600 | Largest guarantee tournaments & tournament series like USCOOP |
| WSOP NJ | 100% up to $1,000 & up to $100 in free credits | Combines players from NJ, MI, and NV |
| BetMGM Poker NJ | 100% up to $1,000 & up to $75 in MTT tickets | Leader in player traffic |
| Borgata Poker NJ | 100% up to $1,000 & up to $75 in MTT tickets | Home to many satellites to live events at Borgata Casino in Atlantic City |
| PartyPoker NJ | $25 no deposit bonus & 100% up to $600 match | Combines player pool with BetMGM & Borgata |
In addition to licensed operators, NJ poker players also have access to several top-tier sweepstakes poker sites. At this point in time, sweepstakes online poker is completely legal in New Jersey, offering a few interesting alternatives.
Beyond these, there are also offshore sites still accepting players from the state. It is important to emphasize that, unlike the other two, these operators are not legal or regulated in any way, and you should completely avoid them. There are more than enough safe and legal options to choose from, so stick to them!
Top Regulated New Jersey Poker Sites
There are currently five sites licensed by the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement (NJDGE). Of these five, three belong to the same company and run on the same network, sharing player pools and games. These are BetMGM Poker, Borgata, and PartyPoker NJ, so we will only review BetMGM here since these are essentially the same sites.
PokerStars NJ
Owned by a company with a stellar reputation in the online poker space, PokerStars New Jersey is definitely one of the top choices for players in the state.
One of the biggest things making PokerStars stand out from the rest is the variety of games offered on the platform. Of all NJ licensed sites, this is the only one where you’ll find games like Razz, 2-7 Single and Triple Draw, 5 Card Draw, 8 Game mix, and much more.
PokerStars NJ is also home to some of the biggest online MTT series. The likes of US COOP and US SCOOP bring dozens of tournaments with big guarantees made possible by the operator bringing together players from New Jersey and Michigan onto the single platform.
PokerStars NJ Facts
| Welcome Bonus | $150 in Bonus Play or 100% up to $600 |
| Best tournaments | US COOP, US SCOOP, big Sunday majors |
| Game variations | PLO, NLHE Mixed 2-7 Single & Triple Draw, Razz, Stud, 5 Card Draw, and more |
| Stakes | $0.01/$0.02 – $25/$50 |
WSOP NJ
WSOP New Jersey is another top-tier operator offering cash games, tournaments, and more. It is the only site that combines players from all active jurisdictions in the MSIGA, i.e. NJ, MI, and NV, with PA being the only missing element as the state is still to join the agreement.
The site has a lot to offer with solid player traffic and generous and frequent bonuses, but its biggest appeal lies in the fact that it gives players a chance to compete for real-life WSOP gold bracelets and WSOP Circuit rings from the comfort of their homes.
The operator also offers numerous satellites to the live World Series of Poker taking place in Las Vegas every summer, giving US players opportunities to qualify for the Main Event as well as different smaller tournaments.
WSOP NJ Facts
| Welcome Bonus | 100% up to $1,000 & up to $100 in free credits |
| Best tournaments | WSOP Online, WSOP Circuit Online, live WSOP qualifiers |
| Game variations | NLHE, PLO |
| Stakes | $0.01/$0.02 – $100/$200 |
BetMGM Poker NJ
BetMGM Poker NJ has established its presence in the market over the years despite the operator’s main focus being on other aspects of iGaming, primarily sports betting.
In fact, following the merger of its New Jersey and Michigan player pools, BetMGM captured the number one spot in terms of player traffic, making it an attractive option for those looking for cash game action.
The site offers fewer tournaments than the other two, with smaller guarantees and fewer series. At the same time, its player pool is, on average, quite softer.
BetMGM Poker NJ Facts
| Welcome Bonus | 100% up to $1,000 & up to $75 in MTT tickets |
| Best tournaments | The Pure Grind Series, BetMGM Poker Online Championships |
| Game variations | NLHE, PLO, Stud |
| Stakes | $0.01/$0.02 – $25/$50 |
Sweepstakes Poker in New Jersey
In addition to regulated rooms, New Jersey players can also play on different sweepstakes poker sites. While some states have moved to shut down sweepstakes operators, New Jersey isn’t one of them yet, so all major sites accept and welcome NJ players.
These rooms present an interesting alternative to licensed sites as they bring together players from many different states, creating bigger and, quite often, softer player pools.
Regulated NJ Poker vs. Sweepstakes Poker Sites
| Regulated Sites | Sweepstakes Poker |
| Ring-fenced player pool | Allowing players from almost all US states to play together |
| Frequent MTT series with big guarantees | Fewer series with smaller guarantees, but the level of play is lower |
| Straightforward deposits & withdrawals | Cash prizes need to be redeemed before cashing out |
| Quality software & mobile apps | Often, quite basic apps and web-based software solutions |
ClubWPT Gold
ClubWPT Gold is a newcomer to the online sweepstakes scene, and it has yet to show us everything it has to offer.
This operator is backed by the World Poker Tour, one of the largest stakeholders in the poker industry in general, which means its reputation is beyond reproach.
From what we’ve seen so far, ClubWPT Gold is set to offer a great range of ring game tables and all sorts of qualifiers for live WPT events, which can certainly help it stand out from the competition.
Stake US Poker
Stake US Poker has been making serious waves in the sweepstakes poker world. Although the site hasn’t been around for a long time, it’s managed to build a sizeable player pool, and it continues to grow.
The biggest appeal for NJ players is that Stake US offers an excellent range of Texas Hold’em games with the weaker competition that you can expect to find.
The operator uses this variety of games as its major attraction, organizing different MTT series that simultaneously help fuel their ring game action.
GlobalPoker
Global Poker is the oldest New Jersey sweepstakes poker site. The operator has earned its reputation over the many years it’s been catering to players, offering them a safe and legal platform to enjoy online poker.
While it may not be as colorful as some other sites, Global has established itself as a very reliable operator that offers a great selection of weekly tournaments, regular MTT series with big prize pools and custom trophies, jackpot sit and goes, and much more.
The competition in the sweepstakes poker sector continues to grow, but Global Poker still manages to hold its number one spot as the most recognized sweepstakes operator with a long and proven track record.
What Games You Can Find In New Jersey
New Jersey online poker players do not lack options when it comes to available game types and variations. Cash games, weekly tournaments, major tournament series, and different types of jackpot sit and goes are all on the menu.
You’ll have access to all these games across online poker sites. However, depending on your particular preferences, one NJ poker site may be a better pick than the other.
PokerStars NJ, for example, has established itself as an authority on big MTT events. The operator has extensive experience in this area and took full advantage of the possibilities provided by combining NJ and MI player pools to create a more extensive series with much bigger prize pools.
WSOP NJ continues to thrive as the only poker site offering gold bracelets and WSOP rings. During any given year, players in New Jersey have dozens of opportunities to compete in online tournaments for these coveted trinkets.
When it comes to cash games, BetMGM Poker NJ (together with Borgata and PartyPoker) offers the best traffic across all stakes and a lot of soft action. Featuring a very popular sports betting platform, BetMGM gets a lot of crossover between the two, leading to some of the best cash games you’ll find in the state.
Tournaments
The overall quality of online poker tournaments in the Garden State is very high. Between major series organized by PokerStars and WSOP bracelet and ring events, players have a lot to keep them busy.
On a weekly basis, there are quite a few interesting events to choose from across all poker sites, such as:
- PokerStars NJ Sunday Special ($40k GTD)
- PokerStars NJ Red Spades
- WSOP NJ Sunday Major ($100k GTD)
- WSOP NJ Sunday Mystery Bounty ($50k GTD)
- BetMGM Poker NJ Big Shots events, including the $35k GTD Main
When it comes to big MTT series, there are quite a few available every year, with new ones added to the mix all the time. The ones that you can pretty much count on are:
- WSOP NJ Online Bracelets – during summer & usually in September/October (60+ events combined)
- PokerStars NJ US COOP – a major online series running in September, featuring dozens of tournaments, different poker variations, and big prize pools
- WSOP NJ Online Circuit – online events awarding WSOP Circuit rings, running several times a year
- BetMGM Poker NJ Winter Championship
- BetMGM Poker NJ State Championship
- PokerStars NJ US SCOOP in April/May
Cash games
With combined player pools and the influx of players from Michigan, the cash game action in New Jersey has seen a big bump across all games and stakes.
What’s really interesting is that BetMGM Poker NJ emerged as the biggest winner here, becoming the largest New Jersey poker site in terms of player traffic. While it’s hard to say why this happened exactly, the most likely reason is the operator’s extremely popular sportsbook, as it only takes a couple of clicks for bettors to move over to poker tables.
The other two operators, PokerStars NJ and WSOP NJ, have very similar player numbers, although WSOP NJ tends to spring to life during its online bracelet events when the site’s overall traffic skyrockets.
Of regulated sites, PokerStars NJ is the only one to offer cash games featuring variants like Razz, Stud, HORSE, and more. This certainly helps the operator attract a certain number of players looking for these less-popular variations, but the bulk of the action in the state still takes place in Texas Hold’em and PLO poker games.
| PokerStars NJ | BetMGM NJ | WSOP NJ | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Player Traffic | 150 – 160 | 260 – 270 | 140 – 150 |
| Stakes | $0.01/0.02 – $100/$200 | $0.01/0.02 – $25/50 | $0.01/0.02 – $100/200 |
| Games | NLHE, PLO, PLO8 | NLHE, PLO, PLO8 | NLHE, PLO, PLO8, 2-7, Stud, 8-Game |
Spin and Goes
In addition to cash games and tournaments, different variations of Spin and Goes, i.e., jackpot sit and go tournaments, are very popular in New Jersey. All operators have their versions of these games, with a good range of stakes to fit all types of players and bankrolls.
| Min buy-in | Max Buy-in | Max Multiplier | |
| Spin & Go (PokerStars NJ) | $1 | $50 | 2,000x |
| Blast (WSOP NJ) | $0.30 | $100 | 10,000x |
| BetMGM NJ (Spins) | $1 | $50 | 2,000x |
Sweepstakes poker sites in New Jersey also offer jackpot sit-and-go games (albeit with significantly smaller max win multipliers), giving players who love this particular format many options.
New Jersey Payment Methods
Since licensed New Jersey poker sites operate fully within state law, they can offer players an excellent number of accepted payment methods for deposits and withdrawals.
These sites work only with trusted and reputable payment operators, so you can rest assured that all transactions are completely safe and that your information is kept safe using high-tier encryption protocols and other security measures.
While there are some subtle differences between poker sites in New Jersey, a majority of them support all major banking options listed in the table below.
| Method | Deposits | Withdrawals |
|---|---|---|
| MasterCard | Yes | No |
| Visa | Yes | No |
| Venmo | Yes | Yes |
| PayPal | Yes | Yes |
| Skrill | Yes | Yes |
| NETELLER | Yes | Yes |
| In-person Payments | Yes | Yes |
| Bank Transfers | No | Yes |
| Checks | No | Yes |
Poker Regulations in New Jersey State
Online poker in New Jersey is legal and regulated on the state level by the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement (NJDGE). New Jersey is also a member of the MSIGA, which means that operators licensed by NJDGE can combine their player pools with sites licensed in other states, such as Michigan, New Jersey, and Delaware.
Sweepstakes poker sites are also legal in the Garden State. Although the NJDGE does not regulate them, these operators are founded on sweepstakes laws and regulations, which allow them to provide games with real money prizes without breaking relevant gaming laws.
It is important to mention that when playing on NJ state-regulated sites, you’ll have to be physically present within the state borders to be able to access the games.
Players looking to play online poker should stick to these two categories to stay safe and within legal limits. While unregulated offshore sites are also open to NJ players, we don’t recommend playing on them due to the numerous risks associated with them.
| New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement | Regulatory and licensing body for online poker in New Jersey |
| NJ Responsible Gaming Resources | Resources for responsible gaming |
| 1-800-GAMBLER | NJ responsible gaming phone line |
| National Council on Problem Gambling | USA-wide responsible gaming resource center |
How To Register and Start Playing Online
Getting started with regulated NJ online poker sites is quick and easy. Follow these few simple steps to register for an account and join the action at your favorite room in a matter of minutes:
- Pick a NJ poker site you want to play on
- Click on the link to visit the page
- Find the registration link/button & click on it to get started
- Enter the required information (email, username, your real name, surname, address, DOB, etc.)
- Check out your email for the verification link
- Click on the link to complete the registration & log into your newly-created account