New Jersey is one of the few states in the US that allows online poker. Of course, it makes sense that New Jersey would be a trailblazer in that regard. After all, New Jersey is one of the biggest gambling hubs in the United States. It was an early adopter of online sportsbooks and casinos as well. For these reasons, the state has become the market others use as an example of solid regulation and online gambling law. As a result, New Jersey has flourished, welcoming a deluge of new gambling sites at a rapid clip. As a result, residents of and visitors to New Jersey have a prime portfolio of online poker options to choose from.
And with online gambling sites come lucrative bonuses. In the online poker world, that means you can seed your account with some starter funds to kick off your stint at an NJ online poker table. New Jersey offers seven online poker sites, each with its own slate of bonus offers. Usually, this includes a welcome bonus and a rotating list of promotions for existing users. Here’s a rundown of everything you need to claim a New Jersey online poker bonus.
Online Poker Bonuses In New Jersey
Online poker bonuses are not one-size-fits-all. In fact, the sheer variety makes it easy for New Jersey poker fans to find a bonus that works specifically for them. With seven sites to choose from, New Jersey poker players have access to one of the biggest selections of online poker sites and bonuses in the nation.
Terms and conditions apply to all bonuses.
WSOP.com New Jersey
Claim WSOP bonus of $1,050 here with our exclusive link – Use code 25FREE
WSOP.com has been live in New Jersey since 2013, making it one of the longest-running legal online poker sites in the state (and, by extension, the country). The bonus is an excellent starting package for new and seasoned players alike at WSOP.com
WSOP.com’s bonus comes in three parts:
- $25 free on sign up
- 100% deposit match up to $1,000
- $25 free on deposit
When you sign up, WSOP.com will give you $25 in play credits instantly. From there, you can get an additional $25 for depositing a minimum of $10. When you make your deposit, keep the match bonus in mind. WSOP.com will match 100% of your first deposit up to $1,000. If you deposit the full $1,000, that’s an extra $1,000 in bonus credits.
BetMGM Poker New Jersey
Claim BetMGM Poker bonus of up to $1,075 – Use code PLAYNJFREE
MGM is known for its general prowess in the gambling world, both in the land-based space and in the online market. BetMGM is the company’s online presence, and it includes a sportsbook, an online casino, and online poker.
At BetMGM Poker, you can get a 100% deposit match up to $1,000 and up to a $75 in tournament tickets for free play (depending on the amount of your deposit). It’s an excellent kickstart bonus if you’re just getting into online poker and want to give it a go.
The added benefit of playing at BetMGM is that it shares a player pool with Partypoker and Borgata. More players to compete with! Plus, if you’re interested in sports betting or online casino games, you can access those plus online poker with the same BetMGM account.
PokerStars New Jersey
Claim PokerStars NJ bonus of $100 free play after your first poker hand OR 100% deposit match bonus up to $600 – Use code STARS600 for deposit match
PokerStars is one of the world’s biggest online poker networks, bringing in players from various reaches of the globe. Though New Jersey players can’t compete against players in overseas markets, PokerStars’ global presence means you get a polished, streamlined poker experience fueled by years of innovation and play.
PokerStars plays to the preferences of veteran card sharks and rookies in equal measure. You have two options for a welcome bonus at the NJ online poker site.
On January 1, 2024, PokerStars launched a joint player pool with Michigan. It held two tournaments, the first with a $100,000 prize and the second with a $50,000 prize.
You can claim the quickfire $100 betting credit bonus, which you receive for playing a single hand of poker. Or, if you plan to stick with PokerStars for a while, you can claim the 100% deposit match up to $600 (minimum deposit $50). Each bonus has its benefits; it just comes down to the type of player you are. If you’re a casual player, the $100 is an easy win. If you plan to enjoy PokerStars regularly for long periods of time, swing for the deposit match.
888Poker New Jersey
Claim $1,520 in bonus money at 888Poker NJ with our exclusive link – no code needed
Want the biggest deposit match bonus New Jersey online poker can offer? Look no further than 888Poker. The site has been live since November 2013, and it offers one of the best bonuses you can find—if you’re willing to shell out a bit of money upfront.
888Poker’s bonus is a 100% deposit match up to $1,500 plus a $20 sign-up credit. If you’re willing to deposit a full $1,500, you can double that amount using this bonus. Because of the high entry point here, it’s best for players who intend on playing a lot at 888Poker. If you’re planning to try a few different sites, you can still claim the bonus with a smaller deposit. Your bonus will just be smaller as well.
888Poker shares its network with WSOP.com.
Partypoker NJ
Claim up to $1,025 in bonus money at partypoker NJ with our exclusive link – Use code PLAYNJCASH
As mentioned above, partypoker shares a network with BetMGM and Borgata online poker, so it has a large pool of NJ players.
Partypoker’s bonus is in line with many other NJ online poker sites. Nab $25 as a sign-up bonus and a 100% deposit match up to $1,000.
Borgata Poker NJ
Claim up to $1,075 in bonus credit at Borgata Poker NJ with our exclusive link – Use code PLAYNJ
Borgata, the third piece of the Borgata-Partypoker-BetMGM triangle, offers a 100% deposit match up to $1,000 along with up to $75 in tournament tickets for free play. The amount you’ll get for tournament ticket free play depends on the amount of your initial deposit and is broken up into tiers (depositing $10-$499 gets you $25 worth, $500-$999 gets you $50, and $1,000 gets you the full $75).
It’s a solid bonus, though the site’s network partners offer slightly better ones.
Pala Poker NJ
Claim up to $525 at Pala Poker NJ with our exclusive link – Use code OVBONUS
Rounding out the New Jersey online poker roster, we have Pala Poker. It offers a $25 sign-up starter bonus and a 100% deposit match up to $500. The amount is smaller than most of its competitors will offer.
Pala is part of the Borgata network, but it doesn’t share a player pool, so tables may have limited numbers of players when you sign on.
New Jersey Online Poker Playthrough Requirements
You may look at the bonuses described above and think it’s an easy path to a quick $1,000 or more. That’s partially true. These bonuses do have the potential to get you that much credit for your NJ online poker account. The sign-up bonuses we mentioned for each site above typically come into your account as bonus credits that you can use immediately. However, the deposit match promotions typically come with more strings attached. And those “strings” are playthrough requirements.
Playthrough requirements (sometimes called wagering requirements) ensure that players who claim bonuses stick around to actually earn the credit. Here’s how they work.
A playthrough requirement will usually be a multiple of your initial deposit—let’s say 20x. If that’s the requirement and the deposit match bonus is 100% up to $1,000 you’d need to play 20x your deposit amount to actually earn the full credit.
Here’s an example: let’s say you deposit $100 to claim an additional $100 as a bonus. You would need to wager 20x that amount to get the credits. So for every $20 you bet at the online poker site, you would receive $1 of your credit. Once you bet a total of $2,000, you’d get the full $100 bonus.
This is why it’s so important to check the terms and conditions. You may be willing to deposit $1,000, but earning the actual bonus on that deposit takes much more money in reality. Be sure to gamble within your means and find a playthrough requirement that works for you. And remember: just because a promotion advertises a large amount doesn’t mean you have to claim the full bonus. Deposit only what you’re comfortable with.
New Jersey Online Poker Tournaments
On the hunt for a major prize pool? You might be inclined to play in online poker tournaments. And luckily for you, New Jersey has them in spades (pun intended). Some ven have prize pools beyond $1 million. If you’re confident in your online poker chops, there are a few major tournaments you can consider.
World Series Of Poker Online Bracelets
This is the big one. The World Series of Poker, as you may have guessed by the name, is one of poker’s biggest events. And this online tournament coincides with the physical tournament, which takes place in Las Vegas.
The prize pool for the WSOP tournament usually reaches about $9 million. Sometimes slightly more, sometimes slightly less. Typically the WSOP gives 10 bracelets to online players from New Jersey and Nevada.
888Poker Big Shot
In New Jersey, 888Poker has hosted various tournaments with impressive prize purses. Big Shot is the site’s biggest, usually reaching a total of $1 to $2 million in prizes. If you’re an 888Poker player, check the site often and sign up for email updates to ensure you receive communications about this and other tournaments.
PokerStars NJCOOP
Another $1 to $2 million tournament comes in the form of PokerStars’ NJCOOP. The latest tournament took place in September 2021 with $1 million in guarantees. Buy-ins were reasonable, too, ranging from $10 to $1,000.
New Jersey Poker Pools
The United States legal landscape is very piecemeal with regard to online gambling. Essentially, each state has its own ability to legalize and regulate online gambling sites, including online poker. This means that there’s no federal legislation formally allowing online gambling across the board. So when it comes to online poker, states are often limited to only players within their state.
However, New Jersey and a few other early online poker adopters have joined forces and signed legal agreements to allow players from each market to compete against those in other states. New Jersey currently has such agreements in place with Delaware and Nevada, through something called the Multi-State Internet Gaming Agreement (MSIGA). Michigan should be joining in very soon as well.
That said, at present, only WSOP and 888Poker have this capability. Nevada only offers WSOP.com, and Delaware only offers 888Poker. However, these platforms are both owned by Caesars, so they share the same player pools. So if you play at WSOP NJ or 888Poker NJ, you can play against players from other states. If you’re eager to play in larger player pools, try one of those sites.
Once Michigan joins the fun, though, it is expected that several other operators will have NJ and MI players together in a shared pool. In essence, this means more games running (especially during off-peak hours) and higher payouts.
Other States Possible In The Future
As it stands, New Jersey, Delaware, and Nevada are the only states sharing player pools for online poker sites. However, a few other key markets could be on the way.
Pennsylvania is another early online gambling market that could soon expand its laws to allow for interstate poker pools. It’s yet to be seen whether the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board will make it happen, but all signs point to this eventually becoming a reality. Unfortunately, however, this reality seems to be a long time away.
Michigan was later to the online gambling game, but it’s quickly becoming a leading market thanks to its open legislation which regulated sports betting, online casinos, daily fantasy sports, and online poker in one fell swoop. Michigan has been accepted into the MSIGA, so everything is pretty much set for players from the Wolverine State to join interstate pools. There are just a few more small hurdles to clear, namely Michigan signing the agreement and then individual operators getting permission to allow players to sit at tables with those from other states.
New Jersey Online Poker FAQs
Yes. Each state in the US is allowed to regulate online gambling in its own way. Some choose to legalize online sports betting only. Others choose to allow online sports betting, casinos, and poker rooms. Still, others choose to legalize none of these. New Jersey has all three, plus daily fantasy sports.
As one of the earliest adopters of online gambling, New Jersey has risen to become one of the best online gambling markets in the country. As a result, NJ now has seven poker sites available to players.
21. Like almost everywhere else in the US, the legal age to play online poker or any other form of online gambling in the US is 21. When you sign up for an account, the online poker site will require you to confirm your age using a government-issued ID.
Daily fantasy sports and online lottery games are available for players 18 and older.
Player pools are the groups of players that are allowed to compete on a single online poker platform. In the US, players 21 and over are usually confined by their geographic location. New Jersey players can only play against New Jersey players, for the most part. However, New Jersey has pacts in place with Nevada and Delaware, where WSOP.com and 888Poker operate, respectively. New Jersey players can compete with Delaware or Nevada players if they choose the proper site.
Yes. Gambling winnings are taxable at the federal and state level if you win enough. Check your tax laws to be sure you pay taxes on your winnings.
Video poker pits you against a computer or a math model. So you’re not actually playing against real-life players. In online poker, you’re playing against someone else who’s also using his or her mobile device or computer to play. Oftentimes you can chat directly with these players from within an online poker app.
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