A Closer Look into the Online Gambling Scene in New Jersey
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Atlantic City, lovingly known as AC, has been known for its casinos since the 1970s. Right now, it's the 2nd most popular destination for gamblers in the US after Las Vegas, Nevada. But who has time to visit brick-and-mortar casinos these days, right?
Thankfully, there are online casinos that work as an excellent substitute for land-based casinos and sports betting parlours. They even offer attractive bonuses to keep the players engaged. You can about them in case you're interested.
Compared to offline, online gambling is a reasonably new concept. So, we thought it's only fair that we take you through the ins and outs of the gambling scene in NJ.
Is Online Gambling Legal in New Jersey?
Yes, online gambling as a whole, as in both sports betting and casino games, is legal in NJ. It has been since 2012. NJ was the first state to act on the Federal government decriminalizing online gambling.
In case you're unaware, gambling does not fall under federal jurisdiction. Instead, the regulatory tasks are delegated to state governments and their assigned bodies. It's the Division of Gaming Enforcement for New Jersey, stylized NJDGE for short.
The NJDGE regulates online and offline gambling according to the Casino Control Act. Here are the highlights from the act to make your journey more seamless.
- Both online casino games and sports wagering are legal;
- You must be at least 21 to play casino games;
- New Jersey Lottery is the only legal form of lottery;
- You must be physically present within NJ borders to access licensed online casinos;
- Online casinos that want to offer services must obtain a local license from the NJDGE.
The Biggest Names in the NJ Online Gambling Scene
If we look at the international online gambling scene, most online operators don't have a land-based presence. But in the US, it's a different ball game. Most online casinos have a physical presence. To be precise, popular land-based casinos make up the majority of online casinos in NJ.
You don't have to be an avid gambler to know names like BetMGM, Tropicana, Borgata, Ocean, Resorts and Hard Rock. All of these are casino giants with branches in Las Vegas, Atlantic City, Reno, Chicago and a few other large cities.
When you search for the best online casinos that accept players from NJ, you'll find the online version of these casinos first. The benefit of signing up for renowned providers like these is that they already know what Americans like. So, you can expect a more tailored and relatable experience.
The Infamous Location Service
One of the fundamental premises for gambling online in New Jersey is that you must be physically present in the state. How does the casino verify it, you ask? It's throughout location services.
After you sign up, you must use the location service to verify your location. Otherwise, you won't be able to deposit real money.
This also means you can't use a VPN to set your location to the US and expect the casino to work. The location service uses your GPS coordinates to verify.
Can You Gamble with Bitcoin in NJ?
Well, no existing provisions legalize or criminalize Bitcoin or crypto gambling in the state. This is still a grey area.
However, recently, cryptocurrencies have become an important technology, and many vendors accept them for payments.
If you can find a Bitcoin online casino or sportsbook that checks all other boxes, we don't see why you shouldn't give it a try.
If you or anyone you know has a gambling problem, call 1-800-GAMBLER.
