Outside of Nevada, no state in the Union has more of a rich history when it comes to gambling than New Jersey. Similar to Nevada, New Jersey is home to full-scale resorts, many of which have casinos, entertainment, restaurants, spas, and much more.
The Las Vegas of the East, Atlantic City is home to the majority of the casinos in New Jersey complete with the Atlantic City boardwalk and miles of beach along the Atlantic Ocean.
In 1974, casino gambling was voted into legislation across the state, being fully legalized in 1976 specifically in Atlantic City. Let’s take a closer look at all things casinos in New Jersey, discussing the specifics when it comes to gambling at each of them.
Are there legal casinos in New Jersey?
Yes, there are many legal casinos in New Jersey spread throughout the state. In 1974, casino gambling was voted into legislation across the state, being fully legalized in 1976 specifically in Atlantic City.
It was not until 2016, that state legislators proposed the New Jersey Casino Expansion Amendment, which would have made casinos in the state legal outside of Atlantic City. The vote failed dramatically by a margin of 77% “No” votes.
Overseen and regulated by the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement and the New Jersey Casino Control Commission, legal casinos in New Jersey are a major source of income for the Garden State.
List of all casinos in New Jersey
There are nine casinos currently open in New Jersey, most of which offer a resort-style hotel in addition to their gambling facilities. Below is a list of all casinos in New Jersey currently open and operating, and what to expect when visiting each one.
Bally's Atlantic City Hotel & Casino
Opened in December of 1979, Bally’s Atlantic City Hotel & Casino is located in midtown Atlantic City and is one of the oldest hotel casinos in the state currently operating. Located directly on the Atlantic City Boardwalk, the property has more than 1,100 rooms and is one of the largest hotels in the area.
With 83,000 square feet of total gaming space, Bally’s also has five restaurants on the property including Guy Fieri’s Chophouse and Jerry Longo’s Meatballs & Martinis. With more than 1,200 slot machines and dozens of table games, there is also a FanDuel Sportsbook on the property.
In terms of entertainment, Bally’s Atlantic City Hotel & Casino has a full theater, which hosts everything from musical acts to boxing matches.
Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa
Opened in July of 2023, the Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa has a Tuscany theme and is the largest hotel-casino in the state with more than 2,700 rooms. Owned by Vici Properties and operated by MGM Resorts International, the Borgata has 161,000 square feet of total gaming space.
Within the gaming space, there are nearly 4,000 slot machines, 180 table games, and a poker room with 50 poker tables. In addition to gambling, Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa is also home to the Borgata Comedy Club and notable restaurants such as American Grille and Izakaya. There is also a sportsbook, the Race & Sports Book, on the property for sports bettors.
Caesars Atlantic City Hotel & Casino
Opening its doors in June of 1979, the Caesars Atlantic City Hotel & Casino mirrors its Las Vegas counterpart, using the Roman Empire theme that it had become iconic for. Today, the hotel has been expanded to include more than 1,100 rooms to go along with its 145,000 square feet of total gaming space.
On the casino floor, there are over 3,000 slot machines and 130 table games, in addition to the Wild Wild West Casino which has a sportsbook retained by Caesars. For non-gamblers, there are six restaurants on the property, including two owned by famed chef Gordon Ramsey, as well as the Circus Maximus Theater which seats more than 400 people.
Golden Nugget Atlantic City Hotel, Casino & Marina
The Golden Nugget Atlantic City Hotel, Casino & Marina opened its doors in June 1985, originally opened as Trump’s Castle before being sold to Landry’s, Inc. in February 2011. Today, it operates as a hotel-casino which features more than 700 guest rooms, 74,000 square feet of gaming space, a 460-seat theater, pool, spa, tennis courts, and even basketball courts.
As one of the most visited destinations in the Atlantic City marina area. Golden Nugget also features nine restaurants to choose from including Chart House, Vic & Anthony’s, Lillie’s Asian Cuisine, and more. There is also a sportsbook on the property, which offers sports betting for the resort's guests and visitors.
Hard Rock Hotel Casino Atlantic City
Opening its doors in April of 1990 with its classic rock and roll theme, Hard Rock Hotel Casino Atlantic City is located uptown and is one of the most classic properties in Atlantic City. Also, a former Trump property, the Trump Taj Mahal, the property was Hard Rock International and the Seminole Tribe of Florida purchased the property in 2017, officially reopening as Hard Rock Hotel Casino in June 2018.
Today, the Hard Rock Casino offers residents more than 2,000 total rooms and suites and 167,000 of total gaming space. In 2019, Hard Rock Hotel Casino launched a sportsbook as well, both brick and mortar and online.
Harrah's Resort Atlantic City Hotel & Casino
One of the oldest hotel-casinos in New Jersey, Harrah’s Resort opened its doors in November of 1980 in the Marina section of Atlantic City, capitalizing on the location with a Marina Waterfront theme. Owned by Vici Properties and operated by Caesars Entertainment, the hotel portion is one of the biggest in town with more than 2,500 total rooms.
In terms of gaming space, Harrah's Resort Atlantic City Hotel & Casino has more than 160,000 square feet filled with nearly 6,000 slot machines, 150 table games, and a professional poker room with 40 tables. In 2018, the property also opened a sportsbook, where visitors and guests can place bets on sports.
Ocean Resort Casino
Located in uptown Atlantic City, Ocean Resort Casino opened its doors in April 2012 and remains the news resort casino located in New Jersey. Originally opened as Revel Resort and Casino, the property was sold to AC Ocean Walk in January 2018 for $200 million and re-opened with a renovation that summer.
With 1,9000 rooms, Ocean Resort Casino also boasts more than 130,000 square feet of total gaming space for patrons to enjoy. On the casino floor, there are more than 2,500 slot machines and 120 table games for customers, as well as a William Hill-operated sportsbook.
Resorts Casino Hotel
Featuring a Roaring Twenties-style theme, Resorts Casino Hotel is the smallest resort casino in New Jersey featuring just 942 hotel rooms. Originally opened in 1868 as The Chalfonte House, the property has evolved over the years through various ownership groups, with Resorts International taking over in 1978.
Today, in total there is 100,000 square feet of total gaming space with thousands of video slots and table games for patrons to enjoy. A notable attraction on the property, the Resorts Superstar Theater is a 1,300-seat theater that has hosted famous acts over the years including Frank Sinatra, The Beach Boys, Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin, and more.
Tropicana Atlantic City
Originally opened in 1919 as The Ambassador Hotel, the property remained that until 1978 when it was purchased by Ramada and turned into The Phoenix. In 1981, the Ramada purchased the Tropicana Resort and Casino in Las Vegas and retained their New Jersey property Tropicana Atlantic City. From 1988-1995, the property was renamed to the TropWorld Resort, until a 600+ hotel room expansion in 1996 and another renaming to Tropicana which it remains to this day.
Currently operating with more than 2,300 hotel rooms and 130,000 square feet of total gaming space, Tropicana Atlantic City is one of the largest properties in Atlantic City. In addition to the hotel and casino, there is an IMAX Theater, a High Limit Slot room, dozens of restaurants, and a Tropicana Sportsbook.
Are any new casinos opening in New Jersey in the near future?
No, as of early 2024, there are no brick-and-mortar casinos planned to open in New Jersey in the near future. If there are, no public plans have been made available.
Timeline of casinos in New Jersey
While New Jersey is the hotbed of legal casinos and gambling on the East Coast today, it didn’t become that overnight. Below, we take a look at the time of casinos in New Jersey and how we got here today.
