Walk into an Atlantic City casino, and the first thing to greet you is a bank of slot machines, whirring and clicking and calling out to players with the alluring voice of bonus rounds.

When you look around, you’ll notice slots outnumbering every other game by such a wide margin that it isn’t even a question. The same holds true for New Jersey online casinos, some of which boast more than 100 variations of the game.

What makes NJ online slots so popular?

Casinos have long known that “one-armed bandits” are their biggest money makers, therefore they have pushed slots to the forefront of most gambling ventures. Casinos are constantly coming up with new, exciting variations on the game, and casino customers eat it up.

We know slot machines are negative expectation. In fact, most of us know that slots have a higher house edge than table games, so why do players gravitate toward slot machines when they might be better off playing blackjack or roulette?

Slot games can be fun, exciting, and nostalgic

When you log on to VirginCasino.com and click slots at the top of the page, you will be greeted with a fabulous selection of popular slot games, including VirginCasino.com’s progressive slot, Wonderland.

Click on any of these slots and you will be taken to a unique gaming experience. Diamonds flip by, gladiators battle, and your favorite bands come to life on the screen.

Slots play to emotion, and most human beings are craving some sort of emotional experience. One of the most powerful human emotions is nostalgia, and these slot machines do a great job of capitalizing on this effect.

Many of us remember playing video games in the back of the pizza parlor as children. Many remember watching Ghostbusters or listening to Guns N’ Roses on our tape decks.

Slot games capture the feeling of those bygone days and leave us wanting more. Add the chance to win large amounts of money for a small wager, and you have people hooked.

The same cannot be said for games like blackjack, where the most you are going to win on any given hand is a little more than double your money. People are more willing to take the worst of it if they have a chance at a life-changing amount of money.

Are there any other reasons to try online slots in New Jersey?

Another factor that makes online slots in NJ so popular is they require very little thought.

For many players, sitting at a slot machine and spinning the reels is akin to meditation. They don’t have to think about anything except pressing a button. The machine determines all the winning combinations without any help from the player.

Many players have no idea why a slot machine is paying when it does, and frankly, they don’t care.

When you sit down at a slot machine, you don’t have to think about how the game is played; you can just spin the reels and wait for the results.

Because slots are so well-liked, NJ online gambling websites put most of their time and energy into creating the best slot experience they can for players.

If slots were less of a hit with players, casinos would focus their attention elsewhere. But as it stands, it would be financial suicide for a casino to focus on table games rather than slots.

There is nothing wrong with playing slot machines for entertainment, and if you want to check out some of the best ones New Jersey offers, we recommend VirginCasino.com and TropicanaCasino.com, where you can get a free $20 to try out their games.

Simply enter bonus code 20BUCKS on VirginCasino.com when you sign up for a new account or PLAY20 on TropicanaCasino.com, and enjoy!

Gambling has always had special place in New Jersey.

The Freehold Racetrack is the oldest racetrack in the United States and has hosted horse racing dating back to the 1830s. New Jersey even ran popular lotteries to help pay for the French and Indian War and the American Revolution.

From 1894 to 1939, gambling was outlawed in the state, but enforcement was lax, and laws regarding social gambling were foggy at best. Bookmaking, numbers games, and slot machines were all common in the state during that time.

How did New Jersey get land-based casinos?

New Jersey’s history with gambling continued to unfurl, with more and more allotments and referendums passed each year that allowed for a greater number of gambling games. In 1974, New Jersey residents voted against legalizing statewide gambling, but two years later approved a new referendum which legalized casinos in Atlantic City.

In 2016, a measure to allow land-based casino gambling outside of Atlantic City, particularly in the northern part of the state, was an overwhelming failure with voters when put to a referendum. So for the time being, bricks and mortar casinos in New Jersey will remain the exclusive domain of Atlantic City.

What about gambling online in New Jersey?

Online gambling was the next logical step in the state’s progression. In January 2011, the New Jersey Legislature passed a bill sponsored by Sen. Raymond Lesniak to allow online gambling in New Jersey for residents older than 21.

There were hiccups here and there with how the law should be interpreted, but in November 2013 the first gambling licenses were issued to New Jersey online casinos, and the rest is history. In the first year of legalized online gambling in New Jersey, regulators reported a staggering $100 million in NJ online gambling revenue, and revenue has increased each year since.

What kind of betting is legal online in the Garden State?

Now, online gambling in the state is not 100 percent legal. Sports betting in particular is prohibited.

There are still plenty of illegal offshore casinos to which players can sign up from within the state, but those gambling sites are illegal, regardless of New Jersey’s laws.

There are several casinos licensed by the New Jersey Department of Gaming Enforcement, and the good news is all of these casinos are battling to pick you up as a customer.

One casino in particular was instrumental in the legalization of online gambling. In 2013, the Tropicana Casino & Resort in Atlantic City got together with Gov. Chris Christie and Virgin Group.

Thanks to their efforts, internet gambling within the state of New Jersey is now legal. VirginCasino.com is now the sister site of Tropicana.

Tropicana online ranks among the top iGaming companies in the state, and its software is supplied by Gamesys Ltd, which is known as one of the most reputable names in the business.

Are there NJ online casino bonus offers available?

At the time of this writing, TropicanaCasino.com offers a great welcome package for those who would like to gamble online at a legal, reputable site.

When you sign up for an account at TropicanaCasino.com, be sure to enter in the online bonus code PLAY20. This code will give you a free $20 to play on the site.

Many licensed New Jersey online casinos offer some kind of match bonus for a first deposit, but TropicanaCasino.com takes a different approach. Instead of matching a deposit, Tropicana effectively guarantees you won’t lose the first $100 you spend.

If players lose more than 90 percent of their first deposit ($10 minimum) within seven days, they’re are refunded an amount equal to the loss, up to $100.

If they lose less than 90 percent, but still don’t make a profit, they will be refunded $100 or an amount equal to the loss (whichever is smaller). All first-time depositors are automatically enrolled in this promotion, no code necessary.

To learn more about the legal NJ online gambling websites and their bonus offers, read our NJ online casino reviews.

So, yes, it is legal to gamble online in New Jersey, but to guarantee the safety of your funds, be sure to check if the casino is licensed. If not, you are playing at your own risk.