New Jersey legislation which Governor Chris Christie signed a comprehensive Atlantic City online casino gambling package in 2013 allows the 12 Atlantic City casinos to offer online slots, casino table games and poker to the state's residents and visitors.
Playing slots in Atlantic City is a thrill. There’s nothing like hitting a big winner, hearing the buzzer go off and driving home with a fatter wallet in your pocket.
However, it’s not always feasible to drive to America’s Playground. Life can get in the way.
Fortunately, that doesn’t mean you have to stop playing your favorite slot machine games. NewJersey is home to nearly two dozen online casinos, and all of them have several great slot titles available.
In fact, you can find versions of some of your favorite slot machines online.
So, here’s a handy guide that will both help you find your preferred games and, when you want to explore, pick new ones to try.
As it turns out, playing on a slot machine is not just about pulling a lever or pressing a button. Well — it’s mostly that, but not entirely so.
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Home to 22 online casinos, New Jersey is one of the most well-established online casino markets in the US.
Players in the Garden State have been able to access games with their mobile devices since 2013.
Naturally, every single one of the online casinos in NJ offers slot titles.
While some of these games are unique to online play, and sometimes the online casino itself, many of the games are either versions of or similar to actual slot machines found in Atlantic City’s nine casino properties.
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So, here are some of the best-known Atlantic City slot games that you can also find online.
Many of these games are available on multiple sites, so you don’t have to restrict yourself to any particular online casino to find your favorite game.
By no means is this list meant to be exhaustive. The range of online slot titles is staggering and far too great to list.
For instance, the Golden Nugget online casino has 644slottitles under its banner.
Most of the other online casinos in New Jersey have at least 100 games.
The list of games below, therefore, are just a few of the choices you have for Atlantic City slot titles that appear online.
1. Quick Hits – A classic from Bally
Quick Hits is a series of slot games designed by Bally and Scientific Games. The game is quite popular because of its simple action and old-school sensibilities.
In fact, Quick Hits’ games are some of the few remaining slot titles to make extensive use of reel symbols like cherries, bells, bars and 7s. Other symbols that appear on the reels are wilds and the Quick Hit, the latter of which portends bigger slot payouts.
So, players who favor Quick Hits have a decidedly retro sensibility. The game itself is a five-reel machine with 30 paylines and an RTP just over 94%.
Quick Hits also has a bonus symbol that may appear from time to time on the middle three reels. Securing this symbol on all three reels in a single spin will trigger the free spin slot bonus.
2. Siberian Storm – The original Multiway Xtra slot machine
Siberian Storm is a winter-themed game that features jewels, tundra and most prominently, tigers.
The IGT slot game is a staple in both Atlantic City and online casinos throughout New Jersey.
However, Siberian Storm’s allure is not simply its theme. Players can also win big on the game, both through its free game system and its “Multiway Xtra” feature.
The bonus system and its free games are triggered by players who manage to land five bonus symbols on their reels. The free spins begin at eight, and can potentially add up to a player receiving a whopping 240 free turns at winning.
The “Multiway Xtra” feature explodes the number of paylines up to 720. That, combined with a 94.22% RTP, makes Siberian Storm worth a look.
3. China Shores – A Konami favorite for slot players
China Shores is, as its name implies, an Asian-themed slot title that is nearly ubiquitous in both online and land-based casinos.
The panda mascot is recognizable from across the room, and the game’s higher-than-average RTP keeps players loyal.
One of the signature features of China Shores is its free spins bonus. Like many slot games, players who manage to scatter three or more bonus symbols — in this case, yin-yangs — across the reels will result in the player winning at least eight free turns.
The difference is that players will have a choice between taking the free spins and selecting an option known as the credit prize.
The creditprize is a range of guaranteed wins that players can choose if they don’t want to take the free spins. The prize can end up being either a better or worse deal than if the player had simply spun, but the idea of locking up a secure win is quite attractive.
The Konami game features 30 paylines, five reels and an RTP of 96.1%. So, in general, your slot dollars will go longer at China Shores than most other machines.
4. Lucky Larry’s Lobstermania – Follow Larry in versions 1, 2 and 3
Atlantic City is a coastal town, so it makes sense to play a slot game that evokes the feeling of being out on the water. Lucky Larry’s Lobstermania (and its variants) does exactly that.
Lucky Larry’s is a popular creation from game developer IGT. It features the game’s namesake attempting to collect treasure as he explores lighthouses and fishes for lobsters in locales around the world.
One of the most notable features of Lucky Larry’s is its animation, which is brightly colored and reminds players of SpongeBob SquarePants. However, what keeps players coming back is the potential for big wins.
Lucky Larry’s Lobstermania is a five-reel game with 40 paylines. Players can win opportunities for multiple bonuses, free spins, and multipliers while they play this 94.14% RTP title.
5. Wheel of Fortune – A staple in any online casino
Wheel of Fortune is a marquee title, no matter where you’re playing.
The slot machine version of the long-running game show, a product of powerhouse developer IGT, continues to draw crowds wherever it is.
Part of the game’s lasting appeal is its signature bonus, which features the eponymous wheel itself. Players spend multiple games in an attempt to trigger this famous bonus, which pays out every time and can potentially result in a jackpot for the player.
There are so many iterations of Wheel of Fortune, both online and live, that it would be impossible to detail how each one works. However, no matter which version you play, it is always a good thing when the game chants “Wheel of Fortune” at you.
The different versions of Wheel of Fortune bear a wide range of RTPs and paylines. However, they are usually five-reeled games and will always return 94% or better for every person who plays.
What does RTP mean?
By now, if you’ve read this far, you’ve seen the acronym RTP.
If you’re unfamiliar with slot machines or have never given them much thought beyond pulling the lever (a reasonable position to take), you may be wondering what RTP is, and why it matters.
RTP is short for return to player. Simply put, it’s the percentage of money that a player can expect to get back from a slot machine in the long run.
Believe it or not, despite their reputation as “one-armed bandits,” slot machines are designed to not keep most of the money that they receive as wagers.
You can usually find the RTP information of any slot machine you play by either looking around the machine or asking a customer service representative. In fact, some machines even use their high RTPs as a selling point.
Of course, the RTP figure that you receive is the theoretical RTP. In other words, it’s the return that you would receive if you had an infinite amount of money and time to play.
In the short run, your actual return can and does vary wildly. Many times, you receive nothing in return. However, we all play for those times that the return goes over 100%.
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As it turns out, New Jersey regulates the minimum RTP that a slot machine can produce. By regulation, no slot device in the Garden State can return less than 83% of its wagers.
Furthermore, operators are limited in how much they can reward players for betting higher. In other words, low-limit players cannot be penalized for their play by more than 100th of a percentage point unless the game itself has a low drop in RTP.
Atlantic City slots vs. online slots
Of course, both Atlantic City and online slot games in New Jersey must abide by this same regulation. However, the difference between the two is the ease of gaining information.
Most online slot games have their RTPs front and center in the information they provide. A simple click can reveal not only the player’s expected return but also the maximum bet level and the maximumwin possible.
This transparency means that online slots cannot afford to have many games approaching the legal limit for RTP. The power of competition yields a situation where it’s a challenge to find an online slot with an RTP below 94%.
Atlantic City slots have a bit more leeway in terms of competitive pressures. It’s just not as easy to change one’s game or casino so that you might see lower RTPs here and there. In general, AC casinos have average RTPs that hover between 91.5%-92.5%.
Regardless of whether you’re playing live or online, you should generally gravitate toward games with a higher RTP. Otherwise, you’re giving up extra percentage points to the house. Trust us; they have plenty of those already.
Can I earn comps at AC casinos for playing online?
Yes, but it varies from casino to casino. Some online casinos in New Jersey have loyalty programs that allow you a direct or indirect route to perks at Atlantic City properties.
For instance, Golden Nugget players are automatically enrolled in the site’s Ultimate Rewards program when they register. Players receive perks and benefits based upon their level of play.
Should a player earn 5,000 Golden Points, he or she becomes a member of Golden Nugget’s VIP Rewards Club. One of the benefits of the club is complimentary perks at Golden Nugget Atlantic City, so playing online can certainly turn into real-life amenities.
Similarly, Tropicana online has its online VIP loyalty program.
Though the program is reserved for high-wagering, high-volume players, it is possible to receive comped getaways to the hotel in Atlantic City, tickets to major events, and luxury dining experiences as a result of your play.
However, the path to comps is not always as clear at every online casino. For example, players at Borgata online can earn iRewards Points from their play. Still, unless they convert these to Express Comps, there’s no direct connection to any of Borgata or MGM’s amenities through its online casino loyalty program.
Some casinos are even more segregated.
Instead of involving real-world components, they simply award cash back to players for achieving certain levels of play.
There are even some online casinos in New Jersey who eschew loyalty programs and comps altogether. They choose to serve their customers in other ways.
If receiving comps for your play is a big deal to you, you will need to shop around New Jersey’s various online casinos.
The most important thing is to find a scheme that is right for you and makes you comfortable.
In conclusion, we are blessed to live in an era where it’s not always necessary to travel to play our favorite slot games. Thanks to the online casinos in New Jersey, Atlantic City aficionados can choose between thousands of games from the comfort of their homes.
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) – Slot machines, the bread and butter of the casino industry, long ago lost their nicknames as “one-armed bandits” when manufacturers did away with the lever gamblers had to pull in order to activate the machine, replacing it with buttons. Now, people can gamble on a real-life slot machine without touching it at all.
Atlantic City’s Hard Rock casino unveiled slot machines Monday that exist inside the casino, but which are entirely activated and played by gamblers over the internet. The casino and its technology partner, Softweave Ltd., say the 12-machine offering is the first of its kind anywhere. Patrons at the casino can look at the machines through peepholes in a wall of the secure, off-limits room where the machines sit on the second floor, with an array of cameras set in front of them to let players see exactly what is happening with the machine as it is activated.
“The psychology, there are brick-and-mortar players that have a fear of doing things online,” said Kresimir Spajic, senior vice president of online gaming at Hard Rock International. “This is helpful in transitioning them into online customers. This is a real, physical machine that they can see, almost like they’re sitting in front of it.”
Joe Lupo, Hard Rock’s Atlantic City president, said the remote-controlled slots are the natural outgrowth of live-dealer tables games that have been growing in popularity in Atlantic City over the past six years.
“Credibility and transparency have been paramount to seeing online gaming move forward,” Lupo said. “The difference between seeing a computer image as opposed to the kind of machine that a customer has been playing for years, it may be easier to understand.”
Online or in person, slots work the same way. Their foundation is technology called a random number generator, which does exactly that: comes up with numbers at random. State gambling regulators put the devices through extensive investigation and testing to ensure the integrity of the games.
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The new machines at Hard Rock are no different: They are the same type of machines that exist by the thousands on the casino floor, only they are connected to the internet so that they can be activated online.
Players with a valid internet gambling account with Hard Rock can access the new machines through the casino’s online gambling website. If all 12 machines are occupied by other players, others can join a queue waiting for one of them to become available. While they’re waiting, they can still play online slots or table games, Lupo said.
Spajic said another potential benefit is the ability to play popular slot machines that have not been made available online previously.
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Copyright 2020 The Associated Press.