Although most associate gambling in New Jersey with the casinos along the Atlantic City boardwalk, the Garden State now leads the way for the United States in world of online gambling. Since gambling sites debuted back in November 2013, the number of accounts has steadily grown with New Jersey online poker representing one of the most popular choices.

Those interested in playing should remember that regulated NJ poker still remains in its early stages. Online reports often complain of roadblocks when signing up and or depositing money with NJ poker sites. If you experience issues, contact the customer service representatives from the site or visit forums to report issues and learn from others’ experiences. That being said, New Jersey poker online is here to stay, and is expected to continue to grow in popularity and functionality for users.

Signing Up

With the industry highly regulated by the government, unfortunately the initial sign-up with New Jersey sites has been reportedly tedious and complicated. Those who sign up for poker in New Jersey should expect to provide personal information including social security number in addition to other information. Once a player’s identity has been verified, many sites will require two security questions to log in as a safeguard.

In addition, those playing poker in NJ must submit a “Know Your Customer” check. These checks run through a licensed third-party or government database to verify a player’s eligibility according to their age, ID verification, phone verification, and credit card verification. This may simply involve providing a name and address, but may also require the submission of two forms of ID.

Furthermore, New Jersey online poker sites only accept certain banking options. To save time, check the site’s banking section before signing up to find out which payment methods you can use. After providing your identification information and placing a deposit, you should be ready to start playing some poker!

NJ Poker Player Requirements

New Jersey poker sites require players to be 21 years old. Although, state law requires players to be physically located within state borders, players do not need to be a New Jersey resident.  State law also forbids players with certain criminal convictions from playing. Failure to comply could result in landing on an exclusion list, fines, or jail time.

Regulations on Poker in New Jersey

When it comes to legal online poker in New Jersey, all bets must be made within state borders. Sites will verify your IP address to ensure that you are playing within the Garden State. These sites will also check for at least two other New Jersey Wi-Fi networks within range. This may make things difficult for those living on state borders.

You may also hear about NJ poker online regulated or unregulated sites. According to state authorities, regulated sites such as Borgata online or WSOP.com operate legally. Unregulated sites such as the Revolution, Merge, and Winning Poker networks operate illegally.

Financial Questions

NJ poker websites accept a range of banking methods for placing deposits including credit cards, debit cards, and some prepaid cards. Some players have already reported sites declining their banking. This is because major American banks and credit card companies such as Wells Fargo, Bank of America, PayPal, and American Express currently decline gambling transactions. However, Skrill does accept gambling transactions.

In order to play New Jersey online poker with real money, law requires you must be within New Jersey state borders. You may access the account for placing deposits and withdrawing payouts from anywhere in the United States. However, certain New Jersey poker sites such as the Borgata and Party Poker do not permit banking outside of the state. Currently, sites do not allow player-to-player transactions. Gamblers should also remember that winnings are still subject to tax.