Sweepstakes casinos have been illegal in New Jersey since August 15, 2025, when A5447 became law. The ban targets dual-currency sites whose coins can be exchanged for prizes, and all 20 Clovr partners block the state.
New Jersey still offers more legal choices than most states, including licensed online casinos. This guide covers the ban and each option that remains. Verify current laws in your jurisdiction before playing.
Legal Alternatives to Sweepstakes Casinos in New Jersey
Licensed online play has been legal in New Jersey since 2013. The Lottery and two collectible formats round out the choices.
| Option | What you do | What you can win or keep | Minimum age | New Jersey status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Licensed online casinos | Play casino games online through a site tied to a casino license | Cash payouts | 21 | Licensed by the Division of Gaming Enforcement |
| Atlantic City casinos | Play slots and tables in person | Cash payouts | 21 | Licensed |
| Licensed sportsbooks | Make sports picks online or at a casino or racetrack | Cash payouts | 21 | Licensed since 2018 |
| New Jersey Lottery | Buy draw and scratch tickets | Cash prizes | 18 | Run by the state |
| Mystery box sites | Pay a set price for a box with a random item | A physical item shipped to you | 18 | No New Jersey ruling found |
| Card rip apps | Open digital packs tied to real trading cards | A card you can keep, ship or sell back | 18 | No state limits stated by mycardrips.com |
Clovr leaves card crush sites off this list. They pay prizes in a coin you can cash out, which is the dual-currency setup the 2025 law bans.
Licensed Online Casinos
New Jersey’s licensed online casinos opened on November 26, 2013. Each one runs under an internet gaming permit tied to a licensed casino.
These sites are the legal version of what sweepstakes casinos imitate, with real-money slots and table games. You must be 21 to play.
The Division of Gaming Enforcement licenses them. Check that a site holds a New Jersey permit before you sign up.
Atlantic City Casinos
Atlantic City’s land-based casinos offer the full slot and table game floor in person. N.J.S. 5:12-119 bars anyone under the legal drinking age of 21 from entering or playing.
An underage player who breaks that rule faces a fine of $500 to $1,000.
Licensed Sportsbooks
Governor Phil Murphy signed New Jersey’s sportsbook law on June 11, 2018. Online sportsbooks run through licensed casinos and racetracks.
Players must be at least 21, and online picks must be made from inside New Jersey.
The New Jersey Lottery
The Lottery is the main state-run option for players aged 18 to 20. Tickets cannot be sold to anyone younger than 18.
Lottery prizes over $10,000 are taxed by New Jersey, and the state withholds part of each one.
Mystery Box Sites
On a mystery box site, each box has a fixed price and a random item inside. Anything physical you keep ships to your door.
Mistery-boxes.com lists these sites without paid spots. Its October 2026 leader, HypeDrop, scores 8.9 and serves the whole US.
Next come RillaBox (8.3), closed only to Washington, and Jemlit (8.0), closed to Washington and Idaho. None lists New Jersey, and Clovr found no New Jersey ruling on mystery boxes.
Card Rip Apps
Card rip apps open digital packs that are tied to real trading cards. A pulled card can be stored, shipped to you or sold back.
Mycardrips.com rates rip apps with no sponsor money behind it. Triumph earns 9.1 there, selling $1 packs and paying about 102% on cards it compared.
Courtyard will repurchase a pulled card for 84.6% of the value it lists. With Arena Club’s Collect Safe option, a pack returns no less than 80% of what it cost.
How to Pick an Option in New Jersey
Think about what you enjoyed on sweepstakes sites. Pick the line that matches your goal.
- Players 21 or older who want casino games at home can use a licensed online casino.
- For an in-person night out, visit an Atlantic City casino.
- Sports fans can use a licensed sportsbook.
- If you are 18 to 20, the Lottery is the state-run choice.
- Card and item collectors may enjoy a rip app or a mystery box.
Why No Sweepstakes Site Accepts New Jersey
All 20 Clovr partners list New Jersey as restricted or prohibited in Terms checked on October 21, 2026. This guide therefore carries no casino offers, links or rankings.
| Operator group | Sites | Where New Jersey is excluded |
|---|---|---|
| UTech Solutions and A1 Development | 15 sites | Terms version 2.0, clause 3.4 |
| A third operator | 1 site | Terms version 2.9, clause 3.4, dated October 5, 2026 |
| B-Two Operations | 4 sites | Prohibited Territories in Terms dated October 14, 2026 |
The law covers anyone present in New Jersey, so sites block by location. Outside New Jersey, see Clovr’s guide to every state.
Are Sweepstakes Casinos Legal in New Jersey
No. P.L.2025, chapter 128, known as A5447, makes paid-entry sweepstakes for people in New Jersey illegal under the state constitution.
The law took effect immediately when Governor Murphy approved it on August 15, 2025. His office said the bill bans the sweepstakes model of play and sets new penalties.
What A5447 Covers
The law’s sweepstakes definition covers “a dual currency system of payment” that lets a player exchange the currency for a prize. Tokens or virtual items that can be redeemed for cash count as prize equivalents.
That language describes the two-coin model directly. A site that sells Gold Coins and hands out redeemable prize coins falls inside it.
| Who the law reaches | How |
|---|---|
| Operators and sponsors | Named directly, along with their officers, employees and agents |
| Service providers | Reached if they knowingly aid or abet unlawful gaming |
| Anyone who materially aids | Covered by the amended promoting offense, N.J.S. 2C:37-2 |
Penalties Under A5447
The Division of Consumer Affairs enforces the sweepstakes rules, and the Division of Gaming Enforcement handles other unlawful gaming.
- Fines run to $100,000 for a first sweepstakes violation and $250,000 for every later one.
- Each day of a violation counts as a separate offense.
- Ignoring a cease-and-desist order adds up to $25,000 per violation.
- Restitution doubles when the victim is 62 or older.
Penalties beyond enforcement costs go to problem gambling programs. Criminal charges under N.J.S. 2C:37 can also apply.
What Stays Legal
Ordinary promotional sweepstakes stay legal with free entry and paid entry tied to a real purchase of up to $20. Odds must match for free and paid entries.
Free-to-play social games that award no prizes fall outside the law’s sweepstakes definition, which requires a prize.
Do New Jersey Players Face Penalties
The sweepstakes section targets operators and sponsors, not players. Someone who takes part only as a player has an affirmative defense to the promoting offense.
A new offense, N.J.S. 2C:37-10, does reach a participant who risks $1,000 or more and agrees to pay 10% of the proceeds. Clovr’s October 21, 2026 search turned up no New Jersey sweepstakes player facing charges.
The 2026 Bill to License Sweepstakes Casinos
Senator Joseph Cryan introduced S1500 on January 13, 2026. It would bring sweepstakes casinos back as licensed internet gaming.
| What S1500 would do | Detail |
|---|---|
| Licensing | Operators licensed by the Division of Gaming Enforcement |
| Partnership | Each operator must partner with a casino licensee and hold an internet gaming permit |
| Audits | An independent audit before licensing and every two years after |
| Age | No players under 21 |
The bill went to the Senate committee that handles state government, tourism and gaming. As of October 21, 2026, Clovr found no further action, and a similar 2025 bill died in committee.
New Jersey Sweepstakes Timeline
These dates show how New Jersey built its current rules. State records and dated reports support every row.
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| November 26, 2013 | Licensed online casinos begin full operations. |
| June 11, 2018 | The sportsbook law is signed. |
| August 15, 2025 | A5447 bans dual-currency sweepstakes, effective immediately. |
| January 13, 2026 | S1500, a bill to license sweepstakes casinos, is introduced. |
| October 21, 2026 | Every Clovr partner’s Terms still block New Jersey. |
What the Ban Means for New Jersey Players
Operators that pulled out of New Jersey can close accounts under their Terms. Take these steps if you still hold a balance.
- Make no new coin purchases on a sweepstakes site that still lets New Jersey players in.
- Contact support to claim any prize the Terms still allow.
- Refuse any offer to pay to release a locked balance.
- File away purchase and redemption records for your taxes.
- If play has stopped feeling fun, see Clovr’s responsible gaming page.
What Remains Legal in New Jersey
Here is every legal option at a glance, with its age limit.
| Activity | Status in New Jersey | Minimum age |
|---|---|---|
| Online casinos | Licensed since November 26, 2013 | 21 |
| Atlantic City casinos | Licensed | 21 |
| Sportsbooks | Licensed since 2018 | 21 |
| New Jersey Lottery | Run by the state | 18 |
| Sweepstakes casinos with prize coins | Banned since August 15, 2025 | Not applicable |
The banned model relies on two coins. Clovr’s Sweeps Coins guide explains how it works.
Taxes on Prizes in New Jersey
New Jersey taxes gaming payouts and withholds 3% from them. Losses can offset payouts from the same year, but only up to the amount you won.
- Lottery prizes over $10,000 are taxable, with 5% withheld up to $500,000 and 8% above that.
- Federal 1099-MISC reporting starts at $2,000 for 2026, where the old line was $600.
- Federal returns for 2026 allow a deduction of 90% of chance-game losses, limited to prizes you report.
Clovr does not give tax advice. A tax professional can explain how New Jersey treats your prizes.
Responsible Gaming Resources in New Jersey
New Jersey’s problem gambling council runs 1-800-GAMBLER, a free, confidential helpline open 24 hours a day. The state lists it on its mental health services page.
New Jersey’s Self-Exclusion Program covers Atlantic City casinos, online casinos and sportsbooks. You can join for one year, five years or life, and appointments are booked at 1-833-788-4DGE.
Sources for This New Jersey Guide
Every source was opened on October 21, 2026. Trackers served as leads, not citations.
- The chaptered text of P.L.2025, chapter 128, and the Governor’s August 15, 2025 bill list.
- The S1500 introduced text and a January 14, 2026 report on it.
- N.J.S. 5:12-119, the 2013 internet gaming launch notice and the 2018 sportsbook law.
- The Division of Taxation’s page on prize and Lottery taxes and the April 17, 2026 IRS proposed rules.
- The state’s helpline page, the Self-Exclusion Program page and the Lottery site.
- Every partner’s Terms, plus mistery-boxes.com and mycardrips.com.
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Are sweepstakes casinos legal in New Jersey right now?
No. A5447 has banned dual currency sweepstakes casinos with redeemable virtual currency since August 15, 2025.
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What happens to my Sweeps Coins and account balance?
Redemption depends on the operator’s account closure policy. Using a VPN may violate its terms and place your balance at risk.
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Why does New Jersey allow licensed online casinos?
Licensed casinos follow DGE rules, pay state taxes, and restrict play to people aged 21 or older. Sweepstakes casinos operated outside this system.
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Who enforces the ban, and what are the penalties?
The DGE and Division of Consumer Affairs enforce A5447. Penalties reach $100,000 for a first violation, $250,000 for repeat violations, and $25,000 for violating a cease and desist order.
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Could sweepstakes casinos return to New Jersey?
S1500 proposes regulating them, but it has not advanced beyond committee. The A5447 ban remains in effect.
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Can I play if I travel outside New Jersey?
Possibly. Access depends on the laws of the state you traveled to and the operator’s availability rules.
Each state that borders New Jersey has its own Clovr guide.
- The New York sweepstakes guide explains the December 2025 ban across the Hudson River.
- Clovr’s Pennsylvania sweepstakes guide covers New Jersey’s neighbor to the west.
- The Delaware sweepstakes guide covers the southern neighbor across the Delaware Bay.
Clovr may earn a commission when you sign up through affiliate links on this page. This never affects our reviews, which stay independent and unbiased.
Sweepstakes play should stay fun. If you or someone you know needs support, visit the National Council on Problem Gambling at ncpgambling.org or call 1-800-GAMBLER.
