New Jersey Internet Gambling Brief: NJ Online Casino Up the Ante Via Free Giveaways

October 8, 2014
Robert DellaFave

great promos here! Last week, we praised the duo of Tropicana and Virgin Games for their ability to concoct enticing and potentially lucrative promotions.

Well it appears that the Garden State’s other iGaming sites have taken note, as suddenly new promos are propping up like they’re going out of style.

So why the sudden trend towards generosity? It could have something to do with the feeling of vulnerability left by UCasino’s sudden departure from the market, or maybe New Jersey’s online gambling operators have had enough of Trop/Virgin’s easy and breezy rise towards the top.

In either case, there likely hasn’t been a better week for NJ slot and table game junkets to reload the clip since regulated Internet gambling went live 11 months ago.

NJ iGaming Promos: The Best Of The Best

For the first time in what seems like a eternity, Trop / Virgin promo’s are not the very best NJ’s online casino landscape has to offer: they’re merely among the best.

Here’s a glance at this week’s “can’t miss” promos:

Harrah’s Casino’s Jackpot Day promo: Each Wednesday in October, players who reload at least $100 will be eligible to receive a 20% match bonus. One caveat: players must wager at least the amount of their deposit (up to $500) at qualifying Jackpot slots only. Also, do note that in order to withdraw any bonus funds, players must satisfy a rather hefty wagering requirement within 30 days of securing the funds.
Borgata Casino’s Columbus Day Caribbean Cruise Giveaway: Beginning this Wednesday and running through Monday, players who deposit $50 or more using the promotion code COLUMBUS will be entered into a sweepstakes drawing. In total 50 lucky players will win prizes ranging from $25 bonus dollars to a Caribbean prize package for two. An additional entry will be awarded for every 20 player loyalty points (iRP) accumulated during the promotional period.
Tropicana Casino’s Mystery Symbol Playback: Convert your sleuth skills into 100% playback via Trop’s latest foray into the land of cleverly crafted promos. From now until October 8th, this flash promo awards players who recognize a mystery symbol associated with a virtual slot terminal the opportunity to earn a full refund on their net loss (up to $15).

New Games Worth A Spin

We’ve noticed some new games around the horn, a few of them exclusive to one site. Here’s a peak:

Party Poker: Two new slots have recently made their way onto the site: Pints and Pounds and Buccaneer’s Bounty. But where’s the table games Party? Compared to selections offered on other sites, Party’s pithy options fail to make the grade. More on this later.
Borgata: Savannah Sunrise is the site’s newest slot. Otherwise, Borgata’s selection is nearly as dismal as Party’s.
Golden Nugget: New slots Cash Spin and Cash Wizard round out an otherwise robust, if not fully comprehensive, selection of game formats.
Betfair: Apparently NJ’s worst performing site has 12 exclusive slots including Road to Riches, King of Bling and Lunar Loot. Who would have guessed?

Ranking NJ Online Casino Sites

Now that we’ve been surveying NJ’s iGaming sites for nearly a year, what better time to append a ranking to them based on their available game offerings and promotional schedules.

If you’re looking for diversity and value, look no further than the top of our list:

Trop/Virgin: Features a whopping 60 slot and table games and the best promotional roll out in the business. Need I say more?
Caesars: Although Caesars could do a better job in the promotional department, it’s hard to fault a site that hosts 75 games, all of which run as smooth as butter.
Betfair: In terms of sheer volume (73 total games) and game diversity, Betfair holds its own. But its promotional schedule is so vacant that assigning it the number one or two spot would feel dirty. Hey, maybe now that Betfair’s status in NJ is more secure, it might actually start trying again.
Golden Nugget: Give the Nugget credit for managing to carve out a niche in NJ’s iGaming market. Give it more credit for supporting a staggering 95 total games. But the Nugget’s game offerings are too biased towards slots, and its promotional schedule too boring, for it to be considered an elite player in New Jersey.
Harrah’s: Harrah’s online casino is for all intents and purposes, average. The site will occasionally offer a seemingly lucrative promo, only to litter the T&C with a slew of rigid wagering and clearing requirements. And its 35 – 40 available game offerings are nothing to write home about.
Borgata: Borgata squeaks by its sister site solely on the merits of its slightly better promotions and moderately more diversified game selection. But overall, the site is still pretty sub-par.
Party Poker: Not only are its 55 games among the lowest in New Jersey, but there’s hardly any diversity among its casino style table game offerings. And its promotions (or lack thereof) bite the big one.
888: Feels more like a casino appended to a poker room than a standalone product, which I guess makes sense, since WSOP/888 appear more concerned with expanding their poker product. Terrible.