Why Regulated Online and Mobile Casinos Are the Best Bet for Players in New Jersey

Gambling online has been an enjoyable pastime for millions of Americans since the dawn of the internet age. But for the majority of online / mobile casino enthusiasts out there, the experience has been defined by offshore operators running unregulated websites and apps.

And while most unregulated sites do their best to serve customers, that lack of regulation can cause problems like unpaid winnings, technological glitches, and even fake jackpots that never get triggered. Fortunately, the state of New Jersey legalized online / mobile casinos in 2013, ushering in a new age of safe, secure, and fully regulated internet gambling.

They Offer a Ton of Variety and Years of Experience Serving the Local Market

Beginning in 2013, online / mobile gamblers living in or visiting the Garden State have had access to legal casino sites regulated by the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement (NJDGE).

Under the state’s successfully implemented law, brick and mortar casinos located in Atlantic City are free to partner up with iGaming operators and launch affiliated online / mobile platforms. Initially, the industry launched with six online / mobile casinos linked to Atlantic City’s heavy hitters, including Caesars, the Borgata, Harrah’s, Golden Nugget, and Tropicana.

But as you can see by scrolling through the list below, New Jersey’s online / mobile casino industry has grown by leaps and bounds over the last seven years:

With nearly two dozen platforms operating throughout the state, New Jersey is by far the biggest online / mobile casino market in the country.

And that’s great news for local gamblers too, because a competitive environment forces operators to innovate and adapt in order to survive.

Take the Golden Nugget undisputed market leader Golden Nugget as the perfect example. After arriving late to the proverbial party in 2013, the casino treaded water in terms of revenue for three years, regularly residing in the middle of the pack.

But in August of 2016, that all changed with the historic launch of Live Dealer – a technological marvel that turns online / mobile casino gambling into a virtual reality experience. Rather than spin pixilated roulette wheels and shuffle through blackjack decks that are just graphics on a screen, Live Dealer games use genuine casino equipment and trained human dealers. Those dealers work within a dedicated studio, running real tables that are filmed and live streamed directly to the player’s screen.

Players can listen in as the dealer announces the latest results and makes small talk to pass the time. Every hand, spin, or roll of the dice is captured in crystal clear high definition, and the entire experience looks, sounds, and feels like taking a spin on a real casino pit.

Here’s how Thomas Winter – who serves as Vice President of Online Gaming for the Golden Nugget – described Live Dealer games in an introductory press release:

“With the largest selection of online slots and now Online Live Dealer, GoldenNuggetCasino.com is more than ever the destination of choice for New Jersey online players.

Online Live Dealer creates true convergence between the casino floor at Golden Nugget Atlantic City and our online casino, which will appeal to the more traditional casino players who have yet to enjoy online real-money gaming.”

This spirit of innovation stands in stark contrast to the unregulated online / mobile casino industry. With only a few offshore sites out there willing to serve the American market, the unregulated sites don’t have much in the way of competition outside of states like New Jersey.

As a result, they tend to stay static and complacent, offering the same standard lineup of games and outdated technological features.

Live Dealer proved to be an immediate hit with New Jersey players, while catapulting Golden Nugget into clear market leader status in the process. Today, the Golden Nugget’s licensing group – which includes GoldenNuggetCasino.com, BetfairCasino.com, BetAmerica.com, and PlaySugarHouse.com – routinely doubles up on its closest competitors when it comes to monthly revenue totals.

They Offer the Best Bonuses in the Business

Players largely don’t care much about how much revenue their online / mobile casino operator is raking in, and that’s perfectly understandable.

After all, casino companies make money when their players lose money…

But for the lucky folks living or visiting New Jersey, an operator like Golden Nugget thriving financially means more rewards and bonuses offered to players.

For decades now, the unregulated online / mobile casino industry has used bonus offers as bait. You’ll see promotions proclaiming “100% Match Bonus up to $250” or “$500 in Free Bonus Bets for New Players,” but those bonuses come with several strings attached.

First of all, players can only score those bonus bucks by making a deposit first. That’s all well and good for the most part, because you were planning to spend some dough in order to play.

But once you snag a sweet bonus from your favorite unregulated online / mobile casino, the money isn’t exactly yours just yet. That’s because these sites require players to meet “rollover” requirements to unlock the bonus. Also known as “play through,” a rollover requirement means you’ll need to place a certain amount of wagers on the site before the bonus funds become unlocked.

On the other hand, New Jersey’s regulated online / mobile casinos largely offer a wide range of no-deposit bonuses that don’t have any rollover hoops to jump through.

Don’t take my word for it though; just take a look at the list below to see how the state’s operators are rewarding new players and regulars alike:

As you can see, the majority of bonus offers found on New Jersey’s regulated online / mobile casinos are of the “no deposit” variety.

That means players can simply sign up for an account and receive a bonus straight away before ever making a deposit. This is a great way to explore a site’s menu of games, interface, and features before committing with a cash deposit.

They’re Home to Life-Changing Progressive Jackpots That Actually Get Paid Out

Speaking of cash, the name of the game for online / mobile casino players is to beat the house and build a bankroll.

And thanks to the huge progressive jackpot slot machine games running around the clock in New Jersey, that task has never been easier to accomplish.

Back in 2018, a woman living in Sewell, New Jersey triggered the progressive “Mega Jackpot” on the popular slot game Divine Fortune – earning $287,945 in an instant. That set the state’s record for largest online / mobile slot jackpot in New Jersey, breaking the previous mark of $193,737 won by 33-year old Anibal Lopes a few months earlier.

Here’s how Lopes described the thrilling moment when his life changed forever courtesy of a lucky slot spin:

“I thought, ‘This is not happening.’ I couldn’t believe I won that much money.

I told my wife: ‘I don’t feel well. My legs are shaking.’ She said, ‘We need to get you to the emergency room.’

I told her, ‘No, I’m not sick; I just won close to $194,000!’”

Divine Fortune is by far the best bet for progressive online / mobile slot jackpots in the state, but it’s not alone.

Take a look below to see the progressive slot games on offer at your favorite regulated online / mobile casino:

888 CASINO

BETFAIR

BORGATA / PLAYMGM / PARTY CASINO

CAESARS

GOLDEN NUGGET

HARRAH’S