New Jersey to Launch Real Money Online Gambling in November

With Nevada and Delaware already offering real-money gambling through online casinos, New Jersey was set to open its first online casinos in late November. Spectrum Gaming Group estimated that online gambling could bring the U.S. close to $9 billion per year in revenue by 2019, and New Jersey was preparing to enter the market. These dates and figures describe the plans and projections reported at the time; the revenue estimate was not a confirmed result.

Games Range from Slots to Poker

Unlike Nevada, which legalized online poker, New Jersey took a broader approach by also legalizing blackjack and online slots. At the time, 37 companies had applied for licenses to enter the real-money gambling market, and the launch date was set for November 26. The planned range of games meant New Jersey’s online offering would extend beyond poker.

Casinos That Applied for Internet Gambling Permits

Atlantic City's Borgata Casino and Spa was the first to receive a gambling permit. The brick-and-mortar casino spans more than 160,000 square feet and specializes in slot machines, with more than 3,400 games. Online players were expected to gain access to many of these games and have the chance to join the My Borgata Rewards program, which rewards members with comp points for every bet placed. Borgata Casino's partner, Bwin.Party, was awaiting its permit before beginning work on the online casino.

The remaining casinos were awaiting approval of their permits. At the time of writing, 10 of Atlantic City's major casinos had applied for online gambling permits and chosen online gaming partners. 888 Holdings, Bwin, PokerStars, and Ultimate Gaming were among the providers that had also applied for permits. Established Atlantic City casinos were expected to host the online operations, while players across New Jersey would be able to play without driving to Atlantic City.

The trial period for the first New Jersey online casino was scheduled to begin on November 21. If the trial went as expected, online gambling in New Jersey would launch officially on November 26.