How to get a gambling licence in New Jersey: fees and steps

Article 6C authorises internet wagering only by a casino licensee (or its licensed Internet gaming affiliate) that holds an Internet Gaming Permit issued by the Division, conducted only through systems the Division has approved. The casino licence is the gateway: it can be held only by an operator of an Atlantic City casino hotel. Everyone else is that casino's Internet gaming affiliate or a supplier to it.

• There is no route by which a foreign or out-of-state operator obtains a New Jersey online licence in its own name. The commercial entry point is a contract with an Atlantic City casino licensee.
• Internet gaming covers online casino games and online poker (DGE dates it from November 2013); the Sports Wagering Law, approved 11 June 2018, adds sports wagering, with online sports wagering taking effect 30 days later.
• The DGE (enforcement, investigations, approvals) and the Casino Control Commission (casino licence hearings) share oversight; for internet gaming the DGE Director is the operative authority.

Laws that apply

• Casino Control Act, N.J.S.A. 5:12-1 et seq.
• Internet gaming amendments, P.L. 2013, c.27 (Article 6C, N.J.S.A. 5:12-95.17 et seq.)
• Sports Wagering Law, P.L. 2018, c.33 (N.J.S.A. 5:12A-10 et seq.)
• Tax increase, P.L.2025, c.66, effective 1 July 2025 · DGE regulations, N.J.A.C. 13:69 (Ch. 69O, Internet & Mobile Gaming)

Three authorisation types matter. The casino gets the Internet Gaming Permit. A supplier gets a CSIE licence, or an Ancillary CSIE licence for lower-risk services. A gaming-related (92.a(1) or (2)) supplier can start doing business before its CSIE licence issues by a joint petition with a casino licensee for a Transactional Waiver.

• A 92.a(1) or (2) applicant that has filed a completed application and certified that neither it nor any qualifier is disqualified under 5:12-86 may seek a Transactional Waiver by joint petition with a casino licensee; it lets the supplier transact while the full CSIE review continues, but it is not a pre-approval of the licence.
• CSIE suitability is the same fit-and-proper standard applied to casinos: disclosure of owners, holding companies, key persons and financing, with the burden on the applicant to prove good character, honesty and integrity.
• Casino key employees and internet gaming staff carry their own licences (Casino Key Employee licence) or registrations.

The casino applicant must operate (or be approved to operate) an Atlantic City casino hotel. Every party in the chain, the casino, the affiliate brand, the platform vendor and their beneficial owners, must be found suitable by the DGE.

• The applicant carries the burden of proof on suitability by clear and convincing evidence; failing to prove qualification, to reveal material information or a listed conviction or pending charge are grounds for refusal (N.J.S.A. 5:12-86), and the Commission hears appeals from the Director's rulings.
• Foreign owners and parent companies are subject to the same disclosure and suitability review as domestic ones; there is no home-state or home-country recognition shortcut.
• For a casino licence, holders of 5% or more in holding and intermediary companies must qualify (the Director may waive), and financial backers holding 25% or more of the financial instruments must qualify (10% or more in circumstances of default).

Figures below are read directly from the DGE Casino Control Fund Schedule of Fees (updated June 2025). Fees fund the DGE and Casino Control Commission operating budget (payable to the Casino Control Fund). The permit fees are the casino cost of running online; a vendor pays the CSIE fees.

• First-year permit cost to the casino starts at $650,000: the $400,000 minimum permit fee (the $100,000 deposit is credited; the Schedule of Fees shows it as $100,000 plus $300,000 issuance) plus the $250,000 Responsible Internet Gaming Fee. With online sports wagering add the $100,000 licence fee and the $250,000 retainer: $1,000,000 minimum.
• Annual recurring permit cost is at least $500,000: renewal of not less than $250,000 plus the $250,000 Responsible Internet Gaming Fee. The responsible-gaming money is appropriated to the Department of Human Services for problem-gambling programs.
• Internet gaming suppliers (platform and system vendors) pay the full cost of licensure at the Division's hourly rate ($113 an hour), so their spend is investigation-driven; other gaming CSIEs pay a $5,000 minimum and ancillary CSIEs $2,000, plus staff-hour charges above 333 hours.

P.L.2025, c.66 (approved 30 June 2025) set the online casino and online sports wagering tax at 19.75% of gross revenue from 1 July 2025 (previously 15% and 13%). Separate investment-alternative obligations continue on top of the state tax.

• Gross revenue is the sums received by the casino licensee from Internet gaming, less only the sums actually paid out as winnings; bonuses and promotional credits are not deducted. The tax is paid monthly, by the 10th of the next month, into the Casino Revenue Fund (N.J.S.A. 5:12-95.19).
• Federal excise: sports wagers also carry the federal 0.25% handle excise tax; model this separately from the state figures.

The number of consumer brands a casino may put online differs between sports wagering and internet (casino) gaming.

• Sports wagering: a sports wagering licensee may provide no more than three individually branded websites, each with at most one accompanying mobile app bearing the same brand.
• Internet (casino/poker) gaming: the statute and rules set no numeric cap on brands; the DGE approves each site individually, and its register lists 28 numbered authorised sites under nine permits (for example five under Borgata and four under Resorts) as of 23 October 2026.
• An Internet gaming affiliate is a business entity that owns or operates an Internet gaming system on behalf of a licensed casino and is licensed under N.J.S.A. 5:12-82.b(5) at the casino-licence level.
• Each site runs under the casino permit and must be approved by the DGE; the DGE register warns that any site not on its list is not approved.

The technical rules are strict and location-bound. Primary gaming equipment must sit in Atlantic City, the Division tests and approves every system and game in its own laboratory before use, and every wager must be geolocated inside New Jersey.

• Server location (N.J.A.C. 13:69O-1.2): primary gaming equipment for internet gaming must be in a restricted area of an Atlantic City casino hotel, or in another secure facility owned or leased by the casino licensee within Atlantic City, under its complete control. Backup equipment must also be in Atlantic City (equipment used only to restore data may be anywhere in New Jersey); the data warehouse and disaster-recovery equipment must be in New Jersey. The rules do not mention cloud hosting.
• Certification: every Internet gaming system and game must be tested and approved by the Division itself (Technical Services Bureau, Slot Laboratory) before use; a foreign approval does not replace it, the Division publishes no list of accepted third-party laboratories, and a third-party certificate is not a precondition to filing.
• Geolocation: wagers may be accepted only from players physically located within New Jersey; the system must detect the patron's location on log-in and as often as the approved submission specifies, and accept no wagers from an unauthorised area. Geolocation suppliers need an ancillary CSIE licence.
• Account and identity: the patron must hold an account, and KYC data is authenticated (multi-source authentication as the primary method) with age and exclusion checks before the account is created and before any deposit.
• Annual assurance: each casino licensee offering Internet gaming, and each remote gaming system supplying content to another operator, must file an annual system integrity and security assessment by an independent professional approved by the Division (N.J.A.C. 13:69O-1.2(q)).

The DGE maintains a state self-exclusion list and mandates responsible-gaming tooling. The 1-800-GAMBLER helpline of the Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey must be displayed by operators.

• Self-exclusion: the DGE maintains the self-exclusion list (one year, five years or lifetime); operators must check it at account creation and update their copy within 24 hours of the Division's notice; open wagers are voided within three days and balances of $1.00 or more refunded within 90 days.
• Responsible-gaming controls: the system must let a patron set daily, weekly and monthly deposit and spend limits and a daily time limit, show the time (reality check), suspend the account for a cool-off of at least 72 hours, and self-exclude.
• Mandatory responsible gaming rules (N.J.A.C. 13:69O-1.2A, shown on the DGE rules page as effective October 19, 2026): each operator designates a dedicated responsible gaming lead, applies minimum automatic triggers (for example deposits above $10,000 in 24 hours) that send a patron for due diligence review, keeps a list of at-risk patrons and applies three phases of intervention; a voluntary cool-off lasts at least 72 hours and cannot be reversed.
• The 1-800-GAMBLER message must be shown on the log-on screen and the responsible gaming page, and in print, billboard and sign advertising (and online and broadcast sports pool advertising); the Responsible Internet Gaming Fee funds state problem-gambling services.
• Hard 21+ rule: allowing a person under 21 to participate in internet or mobile wagering is a criminal offence (N.J.A.C. 13:69O-1.2).

Casino licensees and their internet operations are subject to the federal Bank Secrecy Act (BSA) and New Jersey internal-control standards. Each internet gaming operation has an Internet gaming manager (a casino key employee) responsible for integrity and an AML Officer who approves the identity verification methods.

• Operators must implement BSA-standard AML internal controls, employee training and audit protocols to detect and prevent money laundering.
• The Internet gaming manager reviews reports of suspicious behaviour and must notify the Division immediately of suspected cheating, money laundering or other illegal activity (N.J.A.C. 13:69O-1.2(i)).
• Suspicious activity and currency reporting follow federal FinCEN requirements applicable to casinos; KYC at account opening feeds the AML program.
• The DGE can assess civil penalties (up to $100,000 for a casino licensee), suspend or revoke licences, and issue emergency orders suspending, limiting or conditioning an Internet gaming permit.

Only DGE-authorised operators may offer or advertise online wagering to New Jersey players. Advertising must be truthful, carry responsible-gaming messaging and not target minors. The DGE enforces the closed market.

• Advertising must be in no way deceptive (N.J.A.C. 13:69C-14); print, billboard and sign advertising must carry the 1-800-GAMBLER message, and the Division guidance (not a rule) says ads must not target the underage demographic. Terms of each Internet promotion are filed five business days before it starts.
• Offering internet wagering to New Jersey players without an authorised casino permit and DGE approval is unlawful; the DGE publishes the list of authorised internet gaming sites so players can tell licensed from unlicensed sites.
• The DGE can impose civil penalties, suspend or revoke permits and CSIE licences, and refer criminal violations; unlicensed operation and letting under-21s play are prosecutable.

The route to a live New Jersey online operation, in build order. Because there is no standalone licence, the critical path is the casino partnership plus your CSIE licensing; run platform certification and compliance build-out in parallel.

1. 01

   Confirm the structure: you need an Atlantic City casino partner

   N.J.S.A. 5:12-95.21 · 5:12-82.b(5)

   Accept the model: no standalone online licence exists. Decide whether you will be the consumer brand (affiliate skin), the platform/content vendor, or both, and identify an Atlantic City casino licensee to hold the Internet Gaming Permit (or to licence you as its Internet gaming affiliate).

2. 02

   Negotiate and sign the market-access agreement with the casino

   skin / affiliate deal

   Contract with the casino licensee for the online brand slot and revenue split; the brand limits are in the brands and skins section above.

3. 03

   Form and capitalise the operating entity

   corporate setup

   Stand up the corporate vehicle that will hold the CSIE licence and contract with the casino. Prepare the ownership chart, beneficial owners, key persons and financing records the DGE will scrutinise.

4. 04

   File for a CSIE licence and petition for a Transactional Waiver

   N.J.S.A. 5:12-92 · N.J.A.C. 13:69A-9.8

   Apply for the Internet Gaming Related (or Ancillary) CSIE licence. With the casino, jointly petition the DGE for a Transactional Waiver so you can begin doing business with it while the full suitability investigation runs (initially up to six months). An Internet gaming supplier pays the full cost of licensure at $113 an hour; other CSIEs pay $5,000 (ancillary $2,000) plus staff-hour charges.

5. 05

   Complete suitability disclosure

   fit-and-proper

   Submit the personal and corporate history disclosures for the entity, its owners and key employees. The burden is on you to prove good character, honesty and financial integrity by clear and convincing evidence.

6. 06

   Have the casino obtain / hold the Internet Gaming Permit

   N.J.S.A. 5:12-95.29 · from $650k first year

   The casino licensee applies for or maintains the Internet Gaming Permit: not less than $400,000 (the $100,000 deposit is credited) + $250,000 Responsible Internet Gaming Fee in year one; not less than $250,000 renewal + $250,000 responsible-gaming fee each year after.

7. 07

   Locate primary gaming equipment in Atlantic City

   N.J.A.C. 13:69O-1.2(n)

   Deploy the primary gaming equipment in a restricted area of an Atlantic City casino hotel, or another secure facility the casino licensee owns or leases within Atlantic City. Backup equipment also sits in Atlantic City; the data warehouse and disaster recovery must be in New Jersey.

8. 08

   Submit the platform, RNG and games to the DGE for testing

   Technical Services Bureau · Slot Laboratory

   Submit the platform, random number generator and each game to the Division, which tests and approves them itself before use and must approve every game software installation. Foreign approvals do not replace it.

9. 09

   Integrate geolocation, 21+ age verification and KYC

   N.J.A.C. 13:69O-1.2

   Wire in geolocation so wagers are accepted only from inside New Jersey, plus 21+ age verification and multi-source identity verification before the account is created and before any deposit.

10. 10

    Stand up responsible-gaming and self-exclusion

    1-800-GAMBLER · DGE self-exclusion

    Connect to the DGE self-exclusion list, build deposit/time/loss limits, cooling-off and session reminders, and display 1-800-GAMBLER and responsible-gaming messaging across the site and ads.

11. 11

    Implement the AML program

    Bank Secrecy Act · internet gaming manager

    Put in place BSA-standard AML internal controls, staff training and independent testing, name an AML Officer and the Internet gaming manager (a casino key employee responsible for integrity and for reviewing suspicious-behaviour reports), and align KYC with FinCEN casino requirements.

12. 12

    Obtain DGE approval, go live, then run ongoing compliance

    19.75% GGR tax · annual renewal

    The permit is issued on a DGE finding that the Internet gaming complies with the Act and rules. After launch, remit the 19.75% gross-revenue tax (plus the investment-alternative obligation) monthly, renew the permit annually, and file the annual independent system integrity and security assessment.

Tier-ordered: official government first, then practitioner, then trade media. Every primary figure was read from the in-force text on 26 Oct 2026.