New Jersey Casinos

New Jersey’s casino market is built around a single city: Atlantic City, a barrier island resort town on the southern New Jersey shore that has operated legal casino gambling since 1978. At its peak the city ran 12 simultaneous casino properties. After a difficult consolidation period from 2014 through 2016 — when five casinos closed — Atlantic City stabilized at nine operating properties, a number it has maintained since Hard Rock reopened the former Trump Taj Mahal site in 2018. While Nevada has casinos spread across multiple cities, New Jersey’s casino industry is concentrated in Atlantic City.

The physical market is only part of New Jersey’s gaming picture. In November 2013, New Jersey became the first U.S. state to launch legal online casino gambling, creating an iGaming market that now consistently ranks among the top two or three in the country alongside Pennsylvania and Michigan. Sports betting followed in June 2018 after New Jersey’s successful legal challenge to the federal Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act reached the Supreme Court. The Murphy v. NCAA ruling that followed enabled sports betting nationwide, but New Jersey was the state that forced it.

The Atlantic City Casino Floor: Nine Operating Properties

Atlantic City’s nine casinos cover a wide range of scales, ages, and orientations. Three sit in the Marina District; six line the Boardwalk or are nearby. All nine hold licenses from the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement, operate Class III gaming under state commercial casino law, and require guests to be 21 or older.

All nine currently operating Atlantic City casino properties

T

The Borgata

Atlantic City

24/7 · Poker Room

C

Caesars Atlantic City

Atlantic City

24/7 · Hotel

H

Harrah’s Atlantic City

Atlantic City

24/7 · Poker Room

H

Hard Rock Atlantic City

Atlantic City

24/7

T

Tropicana Atlantic City

Atlantic City

24/7 · Poker Room

O

Ocean Resort Atlantic City

Atlantic City

24/7 · Poker Room

G

Golden Nugget Atlantic City

Atlantic City

Poker Room

R

Resorts Casino Hotel

Atlantic City

24/7 · Hotel

B

Bally’s Atlantic City

Atlantic City

24/7 · Poker Room

Resorts Casino Hotel holds a significant place in American gambling history: it was the first legal casino to open outside Nevada when it launched on May 26, 1978, following a 1976 referendum in which New Jersey voters approved casino gambling for Atlantic City. The opening drew enormous crowds, long lines, and national press coverage. Resorts is on the northern end of the Boardwalk and has gone through several ownership changes, but it remains in operation and retains that historical identity.

Caesars Atlantic City is the Boardwalk anchor for Caesars Entertainment, operating under the same loyalty program (Caesars Rewards) as properties in Las Vegas, New Orleans, and elsewhere. Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Atlantic City occupies the site of the former Trump Taj Mahal, which closed in 2016 and reopened under Hard Rock International management in 2018 — a full renovation that brought a music-themed brand to one of the Boardwalk’s largest footprints. Tropicana Atlantic City is one of the larger Boardwalk complexes, with a substantial retail and dining quarter called the Quarter that gives it an indoor-destination character.

Ocean Casino Resort is on the northern Boardwalk and is among the newer resort experiences on that strip, having undergone significant renovation after a prior closure. Bally’s Atlantic City, operated by Bally’s Corporation, is a Boardwalk property with a long Atlantic City history that connects it to the Caesars Entertainment campus next door via indoor corridors. In the Marina District, Golden Nugget Atlantic City rounds out the three Marina properties alongside Borgata and Harrah’s — it operates under the Golden Nugget banner and shares a loyalty program with other Golden Nugget properties.

New Jersey’s Online Casino Market: First to Launch in 2013

The practical effect of New Jersey’s early iGaming move is that residents and visitors physically located in the state have access to a mature, competitive online casino market with dozens of licensed operators and broad game selection. Sports betting, which followed in June 2018 under a separate regulatory framework, added mobile sportsbook apps as a distinct product category alongside the existing iGaming platforms. New Jersey was the first state to launch online poker and blackjack markets outside of Nevada.

New Jersey’s legal challenge to the federal PASPA sports betting ban was pursued through the courts for years by Governor Chris Christie and later Governor Phil Murphy, whose name appears in the landmark Supreme Court case. The Murphy v. NCAA decision in May 2018 was a direct result of New Jersey’s sustained effort to establish a legal sports betting market and opened the door for every other state to do the same.

Marina District vs. Boardwalk: Two Different Atlantic City Experiences

The geographic split matters for practical planning. Atlantic City is a small city and driving or ride-sharing between the Marina and Boardwalk takes only a few minutes, so visiting both clusters during a trip is straightforward. But the character of the experience differs enough that most visitors with strong preferences tend to anchor in one area and make day excursions to the other.

The Boardwalk is also the corridor most connected to Atlantic City’s resort history. The boardwalk itself predates casino gambling by nearly a century, and properties like Resorts Casino Hotel, which opened in 1978, are physically integrated into that older resort infrastructure. The Marina District, by contrast, was developed specifically for the casino era.

Games at New Jersey Casinos

All nine Atlantic City casinos offer the full commercial Class III game lineup. Slot machines and video poker cover thousands of positions across the properties. Table games include blackjack (multiple variants and limits), craps, roulette (American and some European), baccarat, mini-baccarat, three-card poker, Ultimate Texas Hold’em, Mississippi Stud, Let It Ride, and pai gow poker. The specific table game mix and limits vary by property and can shift by time of day or day of week. Higher-limit rooms and private gaming salons are available at Borgata and Caesars.

Poker rooms are active at several Atlantic City casinos, with Borgata hosting one of the most significant tournament series on the East Coast. Bally’s, Caesars, and Harrah’s also maintain active poker rooms. Online poker is legal under the iGaming framework and shares player pool liquidity with Delaware and Nevada through a multistate agreement.

Retail sportsbooks operate at all nine Atlantic City casino properties. Mobile sports betting, legal since 2018, extends coverage statewide through licensed apps operated by or affiliated with Atlantic City casino license holders.

★ Editor-in-Chief · Casino Perspectives

Best Land-Based Casinos, By Visitor Profile

Kenji Tanaka

Poker Room Editor

🚌 For NYC Day-Tripper

Best Atlantic City casino for a day trip from New York City

Two Hours by Bus or Car, Nine Options on Arrival

"Atlantic City is roughly 130 miles from midtown Manhattan. Bus service runs from Port Authority Bus Terminal directly to the Atlantic City Bus Terminal on the Boardwalk, with several carriers making the trip in about two to two and a half hours depending on traffic. Driving via the Garden State Parkway and Atlantic City Expressway is similar. For a day trip, the Boardwalk casinos are the most convenient arrival point from the bus terminal. Hard Rock, Caesars, and Tropicana are all walkable from the terminal. Ocean Casino Resort is a longer Boardwalk walk north but worth the trek if the renovated interior is a priority. If you have a car, Borgata in the Marina District is a short drive from the Expressway and is the property most likely to justify the day trip on its own merits. Parking at the Marina properties is generally easier than navigating the Boardwalk garage situation."

Kenji Tanaka · Poker Room Editor

♠️ For Poker Player

Best Atlantic City poker rooms

Borgata's Tournament Series Sets the East Coast Standard

"Atlantic City has historically been the most significant poker market on the East Coast, and Borgata's poker room remains the benchmark. The Borgata Poker Open and related tournament series draw regional and national players and run multiple times per year. Cash games run across multiple stakes with consistent action. Bally's, Caesars, and Harrah's also maintain active poker rooms with cash games and smaller tournament schedules. For visitors coming specifically for poker, building a trip around a Borgata tournament series event gives the most structured schedule with a known player pool. New Jersey's online poker market operates year-round and shares liquidity with Delaware and Nevada, making the combined pool meaningful for online play even during off-peak periods. The minimum age for both live and online poker is 21."

Kenji Tanaka · Poker Room Editor

💻 For Online Gambler

New Jersey's iGaming market for online casino players

The Original Legal Online Casino Market, Still One of the Best

"New Jersey's iGaming market launched in November 2013 — more than a decade of competitive market development has produced a wide operator selection, broad game libraries, and mature promotional infrastructure. Any person physically located in New Jersey and at least 21 years old can access licensed online casino platforms without visiting Atlantic City. Operators tied to Atlantic City licenses include BetMGM (Borgata), Caesars Palace Online (Caesars AC), Golden Nugget Online Gaming, and multiple third-party platform partners. Game selection covers online slots, blackjack, roulette, baccarat, live dealer games, video poker, and online poker. The competitive landscape means welcome bonus offers, ongoing promotions, and loyalty programs are generally stronger in New Jersey than in newer iGaming states. For online poker specifically, New Jersey shares player pools with Delaware and Nevada through the Multi-State Internet Gaming Agreement."

Kenji Tanaka · Poker Room Editor

🌊 For Boardwalk or Marina?

Choosing between the Boardwalk and Marina District casinos

Consistent Resort Quality vs. Historic Beach Atmosphere

"Visitors who care most about hotel quality, food and beverage consistency, and an insulated resort environment should anchor in the Marina District. Borgata is the obvious pick. Harrah's Atlantic City is a large convention-friendly property with a marina view and consistent Caesars Rewards integration. Golden Nugget sits between them and has a loyal following for its slightly smaller-scale feel and strong online gaming brand. Boardwalk visitors get ocean access, the historic promenade itself, and more varied price points across properties. Hard Rock's renovation of the former Taj Mahal site gives Boardwalk visitors a large, modern option. Ocean Casino Resort on the northern Boardwalk has invested substantially in its renovation. Tropicana's Quarter retail and dining complex makes it one of the more self-contained Boardwalk destinations. Resorts Casino Hotel, the original 1978 property, offers the most tangible connection to Atlantic City's casino history. The right answer depends on whether you want a contained high-end resort or a walkable coastal experience."

Kenji Tanaka · Poker Room Editor

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New Jersey Gambling Law and Regulation

New Jersey’s commercial casino market is regulated by the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement (DGE), with the Casino Control Commission providing oversight of licensing and regulatory proceedings. All Atlantic City casino operators must hold DGE licenses, and online casino platforms must partner with an Atlantic City licensee to operate in the state. New Jersey does not have tribal casinos — there are no federally recognized tribal gaming operations in the state.

The Casino Control Act was enacted in 1977 following the 1976 voter referendum, establishing the DGE and the licensing framework. Resorts Casino Hotel opened under the first issued license in 1978. The iGaming authorization in 2013 and sports betting authorization following the 2018 Supreme Court ruling both built on the existing DGE regulatory structure, extending its authority to online and mobile platforms.

Quick Visitor Reference

• From New York City: ~130 miles; roughly 2 hours by car via Garden State Parkway and Atlantic City Expressway; bus service from Port Authority Bus Terminal
• From Philadelphia: ~60 miles; roughly 1 hour via Atlantic City Expressway
• From Washington DC: ~200 miles; roughly 3 to 3.5 hours
• Marina District casinos: Borgata (MGM Resorts), Harrah’s, Golden Nugget
• Boardwalk casinos: Caesars, Hard Rock, Tropicana, Resorts, Ocean Casino Resort, Bally’s
• First casino to open in AC: Resorts Casino Hotel, May 26, 1978
• Largest property by revenue: Borgata Hotel Casino and Spa
• Best poker destination: Borgata (Borgata Poker Open series)
• Online casino gambling: Legal since November 2013; one of the oldest and most competitive iGaming markets in the U.S.
• Sports betting: Legal since June 2018; retail at all nine casinos and via mobile apps statewide
• Minimum age: 21 for all casino gambling, online gaming, and sports betting
• Regulator: New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement (DGE)