New Jersey Poker Websites
New Jersey is one of the most poker friendly of all US States. With 12 huge casinos making up the resort of Atlantic City, and newly regulated internet poker gaining some serious traction with residents – there are new places outside of Nevada with more poker action available. You can also enjoy social poker games in New Jersey.
Recommended New Jersey Poker Site
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This page gives you a complete overview of poker in its different formats in New Jersey. First of all you will find an overview of the live casino poker rooms available here. Next the social poker scene is covered, with topics like home games, bar leagues and charity events all included. After this the brand new regulated online poker arena is discussed – along with some notes on offshore poker sites. Next you’ll find some info covering poker from the NJ Statute books, followed by a summary and look to the future for poker in this State.
Live Poker Games In New Jersey
Seven of the huge casinos that make up Atlantic City have poker rooms, with some huge names including Harrah’s, the Borgata, the Trump Taj Mahal and the Tropicana all competing for the custom of the millions of visitors who enjoy the casinos here each year. Many of the biggest tournament events including the WPT (World Poker Tour) and WSOP Circuit events stop here – though Atlantic City is plenty big enough to hold its own regular events and scheduled tournaments too. Cash games can be played up to nosebleed stakes, and all of the major poker variations are spread in one poker room or another.
Poker sites in New Jersey are well-known for offering cash games and tournaments across a wide variety of poker variants. Each also offers the best seasonal poker tournament series with lucrative guarantees and unparalleled cash game action 24/7. Home » US Poker Laws » State Laws » New Jersey Poker Laws. Relevant state code: 2C:37-1 et seq.; 5:5-1 et seq. Home to Atlantic City, the Las Vegas of the East Coast, New Jersey has been a haven for gamblers since the state cut the ribbon on the first regulated casino inthe eastern US way back in 1978. Like virtually all states with a strong commercial casino industry, New Jersey takes a. Best Poker Sites New Jersey. When it comes to ranking the best poker sites in New Jersey we decided to look at a lot of different factors. We tested to make sure the poker sites in New Jersey actually worked. The good news is that all of the licensed online sites we found were easy to load up. The best New Jersey poker sites give players the chance to play cash games, tournaments, and sit and gos without ever getting off the couch. If you’re looking for the best online poker sites for New Jersey residents, look no further! Rank: Gambling Site: Deposit Bonus: Get Started #1: BetOnline Poker.
The casino poker rooms are only found in Atlantic City. This means that for some residents the rooms in neighboring Delaware or Pennsylvania are actually more accessible.
Are Home Games Legal In New Jersey?
You can legally enjoy home games in New Jersey, with the common legal requirement that there is no individual making a profit from the games. There are also bar poker leagues covering this State, for those players who prefer their games both social and without a buy-in. Real prizes are offered in these games. The final social poker format which is permitted in New Jersey is charity poker tournaments or poker nights. These often give away prizes which are donated by sponsors.
Online Poker Games In New Jersey
In 2013, New Jersey caused quite a stir by opening the first regulated online poker sites. This was not the first State to open legal internet poker to residents, both Nevada and Delaware already offered these games. The difference is that New Jersey is the first State with a big enough population to create the critical mass needed for a thriving poker economy. With 8.8 million prospective players, some of the biggest names in global poker were attracted to set up sites here – each one being required to partner with a licensed Atlantic City Casino. So far the results have been fair, not quite living up to expectation in terms of revenue generated, though still managing to grow month on month.
Some of the offshore poker sites which are still open to New Jersey players are actually much bigger than the State regulated sites. These are based in the Caribbean, in countries where online poker is completely legal – and welcome players from a number of US States.
It is not yet known how internet poker will look for New Jersey when more States join the push to regulate these games. Having a head-start could mean that NJ becomes the center of business for a wider regulated market at some point down the line.
What Do The New Jersey Gambling Statutes Say?
Even though New Jersey is a poker-friendly State, their laws still work on the ‘ban it all’ method – followed by very specific carve outs for different types of gambling. There are two parts to the laws which cover all the formats. The first concerns the act of ‘wagering’, and the second defines a ‘contest of chance’. Unfortunately the contest of chance definition does include the fact that some skill can also be involved – so poker is almost certainly covered by this.
Here is the main definition of a contest of chance from the New Jersey Criminal Code Section 2-40.1:
…any contest, game, pool, gaming scheme or gaming device in which the outcome depends in a material degree upon an element of chance, notwithstanding that skill of the contestants or some other persons may also be a factor therein…
New Jersey Online Poker – Summing It Up
There are very few States which offer the full range of poker games you’ll be able to enjoy in New Jersey. There are poker card rooms, home games, bar and charity games and the newly regulated online poker sites all available for you.
With so many big names already operating poker sites in New Jersey, this State has put itself in a great position to be the center of the online poker business as things move forward and other States bring in their own regulation.
Home» US Poker Laws » State Laws » New Jersey Poker Laws
Relevant state code: 2C:37-1 et seq.; 5:5-1 et seq.
Home to Atlantic City, the Las Vegas of the East Coast, New Jersey has been a haven for gamblers since the state cut the ribbon on the first regulated casino inthe eastern US way back in 1978. Like virtually all states with a strong commercial casino industry, New Jersey takes a very strict approach to illegal gambling. State law offers the following definition of gambling:
Section 2C:37-1(b)
'Gambling' means staking or risking something of value upon the outcome of a contest of chance or a future contingent event not under the actor's control or influence, upon an agreement or understanding that he will receive something of value in the event of a certain outcome.
While that definition might seem to leave some space for skill games, the statutory definition of 'contest of chance' reveals a much higher threshold that must be met for an activity to escape the gambling classification :
Section 2C:37-1(a)
'Contest of chance' means any contest, game, pool, gaming scheme or gaming device in which the outcome depends in a material degree upon an element of chance, notwithstanding that skill of the contestants or some other persons may also be a factor therein.
As we've discussed at length in our analysis of other states (such as Missouri), 'Material degree' is a fuzzy term that most interpret to mean something like 'any significant role, even if the role is not dominant.' The state constitution of New Jersey essentially renders illegal any gambling not regulated by the state, so any wagering on any activity that meets the above definitions and isn't regulated is de facto illegal in New Jersey.
Penalties: Players get off pretty lightly in New Jersey, as long as you can prove you were just a participant and not in any way involved in advancing or promoting the game. Being a mere player is an affirmative defense to some of the most serious illegal gambling charges in New Jersey, and our (non-professional) reading of the law suggests that - theoretically - as a result individual players are subject to little, if any, legal exposure in New Jersey.
Operators, on the other hand, would be wise to steer clear of the state. New Jersey has some of the most severe penalties in the US for those who operate, advance or profit from illegal gambling activities. Significant - and mandatory - jail time awaits those convicted, as do fines that could easily stretch into the hundreds of thousands, if not millions, or dollars.
New Jersey reported 107 arrests related to gambling offenses in 2010 (the last year for which statistics were available). The state does not distinguish between individual charges in the reporting, so we're unable to know how many of those arrests were players and how many were operators (or operator-related).
What Forms of Gambling are Considered Legal in New Jersey?
A pretty fair amount. The state is home to several commercial casinos and racetracks. There is a state lottery, but no tribal gambling options.
What about social gambling in New Jersey? Two parts of New Jersey law seem to provide direct cover to those engaged in your typical home poker game. The first is the definition of 'player,' which includes the following language:
New Jersey Poker Sites
Section 2C:37-1(b)
A person who gambles at a social game of chance on equal terms with the other participants therein does not thereby render material assistance to the establishment, conduct or operation of such game if he performs, without fee or remuneration, acts directed toward the arrangement or facilitation of the game, such as inviting persons to play, permitting the use of premises therefor or supplying cards or other equipment used therein.
Given that being a player is an affirmative defense to most gambling charges, this section would seem to provide an exception for social gambling. There's also an exception for the charge of 'possession of a gambling device' that reads:
Section 2C:37-7(b)
possession of not more than one gambling device other than a slot machine for social use within the home shall not be an offense under this section
Those two aspects of the law would appear to give the green light to your typical home game, assuming no rake is taken and that no one is otherwise profiting from the operation of the game.
Charitable gambling is a significant part of New Jersey's gambling sector. Regulated by the NJ Department of Consumer Affairs, permissible forms of charitable gambling include bingo, casino nights and raffles.
Can I Play Poker Legally in New Jersey?
In a regulated commercial casino or charitable event, playing poker for real money is fine.
Home games where no one profits from running the game are also apparently in line with New Jersey law thanks to the exceptions for social gambling (which do not appear concerned with the stakes involved in the game, only that no one takes a cut).
As New Jersey law focuses primarily on operators and not players, playing poker for real money in other contexts appears to be technically illegal but enforced by no charge in New Jersey.
Wsop Poker New Jersey
Are Online Poker Sites and Online Casinos Legal in New Jersey?
While there is no law on the books directly mentioning the subject of online gambling, the State of New Jersey contends that all forms of online gambling are illegal.
Operators can easily find aspects of New Jersey law that would make running an online casino or poker site quite problematic. Players, on the other hand, appear to have little worry when it comes to placing bets online or playing at a poker site from New Jersey. It would be a stretch for such individuals to be charged under current New Jersey state law, and even the NJ Division of Gaming Enforcement implies that the risks for players are financial and not criminal.
New Jersey Gambling Laws: Fun Facts
The state was once home to the ill-fated Trump's World Fair, now an empty parking lot.
Betting on horse races that have already happened is legal in some situations under New Jersey law (Section 5:8-51(b)).
Recent Online Gambling Developments in New Jersey
State Senator Ray Lesniak has been pushing online gambling regulation legislation for a few years. His efforts are finally appearing to bear fruit, as a bill to regulate online gambling cleared a critical committee in late June.
New Jersey Poker Reopening
You can read the full text of the bill here.
Best New Jersey Poker Sites
Recent Online Gambling Developments in New Jersey
The New Jersey Legislature passed a bill to regulate various forms of online gambling in late 2012, and Gov. Chris Christie signed that bill into law in February of 2013. This development came after years of failed attempts to bring regulated online gambling to the state.
While the bill was passed into law, there are still a number of steps before New Jersey casinos will go live with online gambling. State regulators need to develop the specifics of how online gambling will be deployed, operators will need to apply for licenses, and so on. In short, the bill becoming law represents important progress, but work still remains.
PokerStars is in extended negotiations with the state to acquire a license that would allow the online poker company to take over the financially-troubled Atlantic Club Casino.
What's Next for Regulated / Legal Online Poker in New Jersey?
Online poker occupies an odd space in New Jersey's regulatory picture. The bill that brought regulated online gambling to New Jersey did not specifically mention poker as an approved game, so it will be up to the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement to introduce specific regulations for online poker. New Jersey is certainly large enough to support a few online poker sites, but there is still a reasonable chance that poker will be pushed to the back burner in favor of simpler casino games like slots and roulette.