Pala Online Casino was one of the first gambling sites in New Jersey to receive a transactional waiver when the state wrote its first online casino gambling laws in 2013. But Pala’s land-based roots are in California, at the award-winning brick ‘n’ mortar casino in the Palomar Mountains.

Pala Casino actually ended up opening its virtual doors in 2014, and is one of a handful of casinos that operates under the Borgata gaming license (NJIGP 15-001).In PartyCasino and PlayMGM, Pala Casino has some illustrious company. It also gives its sister sites a run for their money with bingo (Pala Bingo) and online poker (Pala Poker) propping up the casino side of the business.

Pala Casino NJ welcome bonus

Pala Casino’s welcome package is decent for players wanting to test the water without risking a lot. You can earn $20 in Casino Bonus dollars as soon as you register your account. You will also win $5 in Casino Bonus dollars after taking your first spin on the site’s $1,000,000 Slot Machine. You will need to wager your own money first, however, by placing $5 in cash bet(s).

Any winnings you make from your Casino Bonus Dollars can be withdrawn once you wager them at least 20x.

If you prefer deposit match bonuses, you can get two first deposit bonus matches up to $500. The minimum deposit is $10, but you will only have 15 days to clear the bonus. The wagering requirement is 10x the deposit PLUS bonus.

Helpfully, Pala clearly lists the bonus rates for all games. Most slots, but not all, contribute 100% toward a bonus play-through total. There are about 20 NetEnt and IGT video slots that are only about 20%-eligible for your bonus total. This is pretty standard for an NJ casino, however, and it’s no surprise to see games like Jack Hammer 2 and Steam Tower contributing so little.

You are unlikely to find good rates for other games. American Roulette play is worth just 20% toward your bonus, as is Let It Ride, Three Card Poker, and some video poker game play. Likewise, you won’t clear any of your bonus with blackjack and baccarat, and craps was recently taken off the list of contributing games too.

Who Can Play at Pala Casino Online?

Pala Online is open to New Jersey residents and visitors. You can log in and play games for real money as long as you are physically within NJ state lines, and of course, you must be over the minimum gambling age of 21.

Like the best online casinos for real money, Pala uses GeoComply software to ensure you are in NJ when you gamble on the site. Age verification is taken seriously and you will be required to provide some form of US photo ID when you sign up and play for cash. Although annoying, this proves that Pala is one of the safest casinos.

Pala Casino Online Browser-Based Casino Software

Pala Casino’s desktop software works through a web browser without the need to download. Simply log in and play top slots and table games as long as you are within New Jersey borders.

In terms of usability, Pala compares favorably with other NJ online casinos. Games are easy to access and the account tab lets you see your current reward points and banking options. We think the lobby could be improved by adding a little more detail about games to help players decide what to play.

The best casinos usually have a list of min/max stakes and information like RTPs. That’s where Pala falters a little. We believe all US online casinos should have this information displayed and easily accessible so that you can make more informed decisions about the games you play.

Pala Casino Smartphone Application

Pala has two mobile casino apps that function well on Apple or Android devices. Like all the best real money casino apps, you can download a native app for iOS smartphones directly from the iTunes store. However, Android customers will have to make do with downloading the app from the Pala Casino homepage.

To access the Android mobile app at Pala, just hit the link via your phone and download the .apk file. It’s fairly big at 43MB, but most modern Android devices should handle it.

There are over 100 games in the Pala mobile casino, including slots, roulette, and blackjack. Most of the big slots titles have been included in the app, like Las Vegas Nights and IGT’s Cleopatra. If you like video poker, you will find a solid range of IGT titles like Game King Bonus Poker.

Games at Pala Online Casino

Pala Casino in California boasts over 2,200 video slots and 80+ table games. Sadly, the same cannot be said for Pala’s online gaming site. There are barely 75 slots,  but the table games and Slingo offerings are excellent. With the addition of 50 new games recently added to the lobby, Pala now has almost 150. If you sign up, you can enjoy sister site PalaBingo too, one of the best online bingo sites in New Jersey.

Online Slots

The range of slots at Pala Casino is not the best online. There are just over 75 video slots, although what Pala lacks in quantity it makes up for in quality. The big developers like IGT and Scientific Games are well represented, and all games are available without download. You can also choose from Free Play or Real Play direct from the lobby.

The variety of the slots selection is disappointing. Most games are 20-25 paylines and feature a bonus round, but there is a general lack of progressives on the site.

Featured Games:

  • Siberian Storm (IGT)
  • Da Vinci Diamonds (IGT)
  • Wheel of Fortune Triple Extreme Spin (IGT)
  • An Evening With Holly Madison (NextGen)

Online Video Poker

In the past, Pala NJ rated poorly for its video poker offerings. The site has greatly improved, however, and now boasts one of the healthiest selections in NJ for desktop and mobile. IGT fans will warm to the Game King range like Double Double Bonus Poker and Triple Play, but there is a unique selection of games from Pala Interactive too. Pala’s in-house video poker games are easy to play and have stakes starting at just $0.01 a hand.

Featured Games:

  • Jacks or Better (Pala)
  • Deuces Wild (Pala)
  • Deuces & Joker Wild (Pala)
  • Bonus Poker (Game King)
  • Double Bonus Poker (Game King)
  • Double Double Bonus Poker (Game King)
  • Triple Play (Game King)
  • Five Play (Game King)

Online Blackjack

Pala Casino has eight different variants of blackjack, with stakes starting from just $1. You can choose from single deck or multi-deck, but our favorites are the 3-handed blackjack and multi-player games where you can sit down alongside fellow gamblers in NJ.

Some games, like Pala’s Side Bet Blackjack, include some interesting side bets like Cash Queens and Mega Match. As these are designed by Pala Interactive, you won’t find these unique variants anywhere else.

Featured Games:

  • Classic Blackjack
  • European Blackjack
  • Side Bet Blackjack (Pala)

Online Roulette

You can choose from European Roulette or American Roulette at Pala Casino. Stakes start low, around the $0.10 mark for inside bets, and the software works well in a Flash-enabled browser.

Featured Games:

  • American Roulette (Pala)
  • European Roulette (Pala)

Other Games

Pala is known in New Jersey for its excellent bingo site, but on Pala Casino you can also try out Slingo games. They were recently added to the Pala lobby and work like a cross between video slots and 75-ball bingo.

The aim is to mark off as many numbers on the 5×5 grid as you can. You get 11 “spins” to hit a “slingo” — a vertical, diagonal, or horizontal line.

Also in the games lobby at Pala, you will find one variety of craps and no-commission baccarat.

Featured Games:

  • Slingo (Slingo games)
  • No-commission baccarat
  • Craps

VIP Program and Cashback at Pala Casino Online

Pala Casino is all about its “hot” promotions. Monthly drawings and refer-a-friend bonuses are good for winning small sums of cash. The Free Daily Spin on Pala’s in-house Million Dollar Slot is also a big draw. It’s a 3-reel slot where you can win $1 to $1,000,000 by lining up fruit symbols.

Pala Privileges is the on-site rewards program. You earn Status Points (SPs) and Reward Points (RPs) every time you play for real money. You can redeem RPs for cash, while SPs increase your loyalty tier and give you a shot at earning more benefits. To redeem RPs, you will need 5,000 to earn $1.

There are 11 tiers in the Pala Casino Rewards program. You can access the first tier and the Points Store with any deposit. You will need to deposit at least $50 to go straight in at Tier 2. The Elite+ level is invite-only. The loyalty program is also open to players on the PalaBingo and PalaPoker sites.

Bonuses for VIPs are favorable in terms of wagering requirements. Most VIP bonuses only have a 1x play-through, which is much better than the 20x found in the welcome bonus. You can also trade in SP for RP and earn even more cash.

Cashback rates are good compared to other NJ online casinos. Cashback certainly favors the slots players and rates can be around 0.7-1.7%, but you will have to choose the slots with the best RTPs.

Deposit Options at Pala Casino Online

Pala has a comparable range of banking methods to other New Jersey online casinos. Visa and Mastercard deposits are accepted, and you can load your account with as little as $10. This is a much lower minimum deposit than what you expect to find at Visa card casinos, making it a good option for low-rollers.

However, acceptance rates in New Jersey remain unreliable at even the best credit card casinos, so we recommend alternative deposit options. The best acceptance rates for cards are with the Pala PrePaid Card. You can use your card to send funds to your gambling account and withdraw winnings. Instant ACH Bank Transfer was also recently added to the list of cashier options as a quick and safe way to transfer money.

Online Banking is also new to Pala Casino. By using the Bill Pay function on your online bank account, you can transfer money directly. Around a dozen US banks are accepted , including Bank of America, Chase, HSBC Bank, and Wells Fargo. You won’t, however, find Pala on the list of the best crypto casinos—no cryptos are available whatsoever. 

Deposit Methods:

  • Instant ACH Bank Transfer
  • Online Banking
  • VISA
  • Mastercard
  • Pala PrePaid Card
  • PayPal
  • PayNearMe
  • Borgata Cashier

Withdrawal Options at Pala Casino

Like most online NJ casinos, cashout methods are limited. You can use PayPal as long as you used your e-Wallet to make a deposit. Visa and Mastercard withdrawals are not possible, but you can use your Pala PrePaid Card to take out winnings.

You can also take out winnings directly from the Borgata Casino Cage in Atlantic City. Deposits and withdrawals can be made in person at the cage, and cashout amounts start at just $10. If you’re looking for fastest payout casinos, getting your money in cash on the spot is the way forward. However, if you don’t live near Atlantic City, it’s more hassle than it’s worth.

Withdrawal Methods:

  • PayPal
  • Pala PrePaid Card
  • Borgata Cashier
  • Online Banking

Pala customer support

Like most trusted online casinos, Pala Casino boasts 24/7 customer support by telephone, email, and live chat. There are two Player Services Teams, based in New Jersey and Pala’s spiritual home of California. We found the phone service to be friendly and knowledgeable, especially with regard to software issues.

Live Chat: 24 hours
Email: support@palacasino.com
Telephone: 844-367-7252

Pala Casino History Overview

Pala Casino was launched by the Pala Band of Mission Indians who operate a land-based casino resort in California. Under their online gaming arm, Pala Interactive LLC, Pala Casino got an early foothold in New Jersey by partnering with the Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa.

Pala Interactive now operate sites offering online casino, online poker, online bingo, and sports betting (powered by SBTech), which are all legal in New Jersey. Pala Game Studio also produces in-house table games like blackjack and roulette, as well as video poker and progressive slots. Pala’s in-house team also provides software to operators to enable them to run slot and blackjack tournaments.

Pala Online Poker Review

Pala Poker is an online poker site that is run by the Pala Band of Mission Indians. It’s licensed by the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement (DGE) and only available to residents and visitors of the Garden State.

The Pala Band partnered with the Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa to launch an online casino in 2014. This California-based tribe furthered the partnership by starting a poker site in 2017.

Pala Poker is a member of the partypoker NJ network, which also includes skins from partypoker and Borgata. These three sites joined in an effort to improve their liquidity.

The network has not gained much traction in the overcrowded New Jersey market. Pala Poker has especially suffered, ranking last among all NJ sites in terms of site traffic.

Nevertheless, this operation has persisted, attempting to stand out with good customer support and a detailed loyalty program.

Getting started at Pala Poker

Pala requires downloading an app for mobile play. However, the desktop version allows players to choose between downloading software or relying on browser-based play.

Pala Poker app

The app is available for Android and Apple iOS devices. The Android app can be downloaded on Pala Poker’s website, while the iOS version is found in the App Store.

Desktop client

Pala offers different download options for PC and Mac computers. For either option, the download and installation process can be completed in under 10 minutes.

Brower Play

This is the only poker site in New Jersey featuring browser-based play at the time of writing our online casino reviews. You can play poker directly through your Chrome, Safari, or Internet Explorer browser.

Other requirements for play

All players must register for an account before using the app, browser-based option, or desktop client. The registration process is straightforward and should only take a few minutes.

The minimum age to play real-money poker in New Jersey is 21. Pala Poker allows players to register for an account and download the software regardless of location.

However, players must be within New Jersey state lines to use the app, software, or browser version.

Geo-location technology, which works by tracking your Wi-Fi signal, is used to confirm your location prior to play.

Pala Poker signup bonus

Pala offers a welcome bonus that includes two parts:

  • $25 no-deposit bonus.
  • 100% match bonus worth up to $500.

Pala Poker no-deposit bonus

The no-deposit offer breaks down into $10 worth of poker-tournament dollars and $15 in casino funds.

The $10 in tourney funds can be used to enter either sit & go’s (SNGs) or multi-table tournaments (MTTs).

$10 of the casino bonus is given upfront for play on the $1,000,000 Slot Machine. All players are guaranteed to win at least $5 on their first spin (hence $15 in casino funds).

Deposit bonus

Your first deposit at Pala is eligible for a 100% match bonus up to $500. You must deposit at least $10 to qualify for this offer.

The bonus is released in increments of $5. You need to collect 1,250 status points (SPs) to unlock each increment.

Here’s an example of earning the bonus:

  • You deposit $100.
  • You’re eligible for a $100 bonus.
  • 100 x 1,250 = 125,000
  • You need to earn 125,000 SPs to collect the entire bonus.

Pala Poker gives you 90 days to earn as much of the bonus as possible. This timeframe is one of the most generous in the New Jersey market.

Other promotions

The promotions beyond the signup offer are virtually nonexistent. Pala did not have any poker-specific promos at the time of this writing.

They do offer a free daily spin on the $1,000,000 Slot Machine. However, this deal is only exciting if you enjoy playing slots.

VIP rewards

The Pala Rewards program features two types of points in SPs and Rewards Points (RPs). SPs determine your status in the program, and RPs can be exchanged for cash.

How to earn points

You receive 50 SPs for every $1 paid in cash-game or tournament rake. No information is provided on how many RPs you earn per $1 in paid rake.

VIP tiers & requirements

This program includes the following levels and requirements for reaching each tier:

  • Level 1: Any deposit
  • Level 2: $50 deposit
  • Level 3: Start generating SPs
  • Level 4: 1,500 SPs
  • Level 5: 7,500 SPs
  • Level 6: 50,000 SPs
  • Level 7: 150,000 SPs
  • Level 8: 250,000 SPs
  • Level 9: 350,000 SPs
  • Level 10: 750,000 SPs
  • Elite: Invitation only

Pala also refers to their tiers as Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum, and Elite. However, the 10 levels listed above are more indicative of the exact points at which you will receive better rewards.

What rewards are available?

The main benefit of the Pala Rewards program is exchanging RPs for cash. No info is provided regarding the cashback rate for these points at each VIP level.

The Platinum and Elite levels receive a number of extra rewards, including milestone bonuses, enhanced promotions, birthday bonuses, and free slots spins.

Pala Poker games & traffic

The game selection at Pala is limited to Texas hold’em and Omaha. This small variety is common in the New Jersey market, where most players do not venture off of hold’em tables.

Even if Pala did have a wide selection of games, their efforts would be futile. Their traffic is abysmal, and they only draw a handful of players at peak hours.

Cash games

NL Hold’em is the only variant that attracts players at Pala, while the Omaha tables are completely dead.

You’ll be lucky to find any hold’em tables running above $0.05/$0.10 stakes, as this site is totally for low rollers who only play recreationally.

Tournaments

The MTT selection revolves around low buy-ins and prize pools. None of the prize pools were worth over $250 at the time of this review.

The buy-ins range from freerolls to $20. Game formats include Omaha and hold’em, although the schedule is heavily skewed towards the latter.

Other types of poker at Pala

This site features SNGs and a cash-game format called FastPala. The SNG stakes range from $1 to $20.

FastPala moves you to a new table after you’ve folded a hand. The idea is that you can cut out waiting time associated with cash games.

Chances are, though, that you won’t see any action with FastPala. These tables were completely barren during our visit.

Pala Poker deposit methods

Pala features a diverse range of deposit options, including the following:

  • ACH (e-check)
  • Bank transfer
  • Borgata cage
  • Credit card
  • E-wallet
  • PayNearMe

ACH lets you send funds from your bank account to Pala Poker. This method is easy to use, but you’ll have to pay a fee.

Bank transfer also allows you to move money from your bank to a poker site. It’s quicker than ACH, but features higher fees.

You can visit the Borgata in person and deposit at the cage. This option is only worthwhile if you’re in the Atlantic City area.

Visa and Mastercard offer instant funding. However, they sometimes reject poker deposits, even though the New Jersey’s market is completely legal.

PayPal allows you to make deposits via a linked bank account. This e-wallet is one of the best options for funding your Pala account.

PayNearMe involves visiting a local 7-Eleven to deposit. It’s more convenient than the Borgata cage, in most cases.

Cashout options

Here are the limited withdrawal methods at Pala Poker:

  • ACH
  • Borgata cage
  • E-wallet

ACH is handy if you initially fund your account with this option. However, it also requires waiting around a week for your money.

The Borgata cage provides withdrawals for Pala Poker customers too. It’s a nice method if you’re already in the vicinity of this casino.

PayPal is the most convenient way to cash out from Pala. But it can be the most expensive too, especially for larger withdrawals.

Customer support

Pala offers more options for contacting their customer service than any site in New Jersey, featuring email, live chat, and phone support.

The addition of live chat really makes Pala stand out from the competition. No other NJ online poker room offers this convenient option.

This site also includes the most-detailed FAQs section we’ve seen in the state. Their FAQs cover just about any question/issue that could possibly arise.

Final Verdict

Pala Poker has a few positive aspects, including its VIP program, customer support, and deposit methods. The loyalty program is notable because it features so many distinct rewards at each level.

Pala is the only site in New Jersey with live chat. They also have an impressive FAQs area just in case you can’t reach support for some reason.

Unfortunately, these benefits are largely unknown among players in the Garden State  because Pala Poker hardly gets any traffic and is a nonfactor in the market.

This site is worth considering if you’re willing to wait for opponents, who’ll most likely be complete fish. However, your time could be better spent playing at New Jersey sites that actually have traffic.

Pala Casino Logo

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