PalaPoker.com is legal and authorized by the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement as an internet gaming operator in accordance with the Casino Control Act N.J.S.A. 5: 12-1 and its implementing regulations. Our games are tested by the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement. Only players 21 and over are permitted to play our games.
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The crowded New Jersey online poker
market has a brand new entrant. Pala Poker NJ went live on Tuesday, making it the fourth poker network in the state.Here comes Pala Poker NJ
There was no official announcement, but the Pala online poker room is indeed up and running.
Pala is operating under the Borgata online gambling license. But it is functioning as a standalone online poker room, with its own unique software. It appears that today’s go-live amounts to a soft launch to make sure the rollout goes smoothly:
First look. pic.twitter.com/O8x56C5tbU
— Pala Poker (@PalaPoker) June 5, 2017
It joins three existing networks in the state:
- Borgata / PartyPoker NJ
- WSOP NJ / 888 Poker NJ
Pala Interactive is an online gaming company founded by the Pala Band of Mission Indians — who operate land-based gaming as well — in California.
The NJ online poker market is small, and crowded
Pala picks an interesting time to enter the New Jersey iPoker scene.
PokerStars launched just over a year ago. After briefly expanding the overall market, PokerStars’ momentum appears to have worn off. In April, total revenue for online poker dropped below $2 million for the first time in just over a year.
If anything, Pala is likely to cannibalize existing revenue from the current operators, after a possible brief uptick for the entire market after launch as players check out the new site.
There’s certainly not much reason to believe Pala is going to expand the market, something even industry giant PokerStars failed to do in a truly meaningful way. But Pala could have ulterior motives.
Pala Poker launches in NJ, but it may eye other markets
There are just three states with regulated online poker right now: NJ, Nevada and Delaware.
But more could be on the way. Pennsylvania, Illinois and New Yorkall have a chance legalize online poker, online casinos or both this year.
California remains at least a possibility in the future. And there was a positive development for online poker in Massachusetts today, as well.
That’s all to say if Pala wants to be part of regulated online poker in any or all of those states, going live for real money in NJ is probably a good — and even necessary — first step.
New Players Get A Free Bonus At Pala Online Casino
- $25 No Deposit Bonus
- Pala Casino Review
Overall Grade A
- Games A-
- Support A
- Banking A
- Player Value B+
PalaPoker is the latest site to join the NJ online poker industry, having gone live with a beta version of its proprietary client in June 2017. The launch marks Pala’s first entry into the online poker arena.
The site is licensed and regulated by the NJ Division of Gaming Enforcement, and operates under the BorgataAC online gambling license. However, Pala Poker is a standalonesite, meaning that it does not share liquidity with Borgata Poker, or any other NJ online poker site for that matter.
With the launch, Pala becomes the first New Jersey operator to support three different legal online gambling verticals: poker, casino, and bingo.
Its online casino, PalaCasino.com, launched in late 2014 and has since carved out a sizeable niche for itself in the marketplace. The bingo site can be found at PalaBingoUSA.com.
While it’s too early to tell if Pala Poker will match the success of its other operations, we can say with some clarity that the operator has a tough road ahead. Currently, the small market is saturated with operators, most of whom possess greater brand recognition in New Jersey than Pala.
Still, there’s reason to believe Pala could become a force, as is currently offers more upfront and sustained value than any other NJ online poker site. And the software, while nothing overly flashy, is technically sound and likely to undergo heavy improvements by the time it shifts out of beta.
But for now, liquidity on the site is low, with only a handful of cash game and tournament players checking out the games.
Pala Poker NJ bonus code
| Pala Poker NJ online poker promo code | OVBONUS |
| Bonus description | $15+ no deposit bonus, up to $500 on first deposits |
| Available to | New accounts made by players 21+ and location in New Jersey |
Free $15 and much more
Players who have yet to sign up for Pala Poker or any other Pala site are entitled to a generous no deposit bonus worth a total of $40. Use our exclusive promotional code OVBONUS to take advantage of this unparalleled offer.
Here’s what you’ll get:
- A $15 poker bonus consisting of $10 in poker tournament dollars and $5 in cash. There doesn’t appear to be any hidden wagering requirements associated with this portion of the offer, outside of the fact that tournament dollars must be used to buy-in to multi-table tournaments or sit & go’s.
- A $10 casino bonus comprised of a $5 casino bonus and a $1,000,000 Slot Machine spin where the minimum payout is $5. Any bonuses received cannot be cashed out until a 20x playthrough requirement is met. This requirement must be met within 30 days of receiving the bonus.
- A $15 bingo bonus, which can be used to purchase up to 150 bingo tickets.
100% up to $500 deposit bonus
Players that have not made a deposit at Pala Poker (or other Pala affiliated sites) are eligible for a one-time 100% up to $500 deposit match.
$5 of the bonus unlocks for every 1,250 status points earned. Status points are earned at a rate of 50 per $1 paid in rake and tournament fees, rendering this offer a 20 percent rakeback deal.
Players have 90 days from the point of issuance to clear the offer. However, any $5 chunks cleared are theres to keep, regardless of whether they unlocked the entire bonus amount.
Pala Poker NJ online poker review
Pala Poker NJ Quick Review
Traffic - 55
Depth of Game Selection - 85
Software - 83
Customer Support - 88
Promotional Value - 98
Summary
Pala Poker has a tough road ahead of itself, as it's not the most recognizable name and is entering a NJ online poker market that is somewhat saturated. The site offers players a ton of added value, both via its welcome package and the high prevalence of tournament overlays. Whether this, combined with its stable platform and array of banking options, will be enough to vault Pala to player status is currently an open question.
Software and Pala Poker NJ mobile app
Not only is Pala Poker available on Windows and Mac, but a portable version of the software can also be downloaded for Android and iOS mobile devices.
The Windows/Mac versions can be played via most popular browsers, such as GoogleChrome, MozillaFirefox, and MacSafari.
Players also have the option to download the client, which is definitely the best option for players looking to take advantage of all the software’s features.
As for mobile users, they’ll be pleasantly surprised to note that all available game formats have made the transition. There is even an icon that grants players direct access to a full version of the Pala mobile casino.
Available games at Pala Poker New Jersey
Cash games
Games spread at Pala Poker include:
- No Limit Texas Hold’em
- Pot Limit Omaha
There are dedicated lobbies and sub-lobbies for FixedLimit, FixedLimitOmaha, and 7 Stud, but they are aren’t populated at this juncture.
At present the only games that get off with any sort of frequency are lower stakes No Limit games, with stakes running the gamut from $0.10/$0.25 to $0.50/$1.
Admittedly, during this beta phase it can be tough to find any games running outside of afternoon and evening hours, but that looks to be slowly changing. During peak hours, expect anywhere from 1 – 4 tables to be running, most of them shorthanded.
Sit and gos
Pala Poker offers 6-max turbo sit & go’s at stakes ranging from $5 – $20. These games pay out the top two finishers and are available in both No Limit and Pot Limit Omaha varieties.
Currently, there is no sit & go traffic to speak of.
Multi-table tournaments
The tournament lobby is currently seeing some activity, mostly for the site’s wide array of low buy-in turbos. Buy-ins tend toward the small side, which is a wise move for a site still looking to build up a player base.
Nightly guarantees are typically in the three figure range. Despite the modest thresholds, most tournaments still end up with non-significant overlays, making them an excellentchoice for players seeking top value.
Other games
Pala Poker also offers Fast Pala Poker, which is Pala’s fast fold variant.
NJ sites generally have trouble getting games of this variety off, as they rely on concentrated liquidity. That being said, all it usually takes is one targeted promotion to pique player interest in the format, at least temporarily.
Banking
When it comes to cashiering, Pala Poker players have a full cache of options:
Deposits
Depositing options include:
- Bank transfer (ACH)
- PayPal
- Credit cards (Visa/MasterCard)
- Neteller
- Cash at 7-11 (PayWithCash)
- Prepaid card option
- Deposit with cash at the Borgata casino cage
Withdrawals
Players seeking to cash out have the following options
- Bank transfer (ACH)
- PayPal
- Prepaid card
- Neteller
- Cash at the Borgata casino cage
Pala Poker player rewards
Pala Poker utilizes a multi-tiered rewards program. Players that pay rake and tournament fees earn both Status Points and Rewards Points.
- Status Points are earned at a flat rate and are used to determine a player’s monthly tier. These points are earned at a clip of 50 per $1 paid in rake/fees. Players can also earn points by playing in the casino, with the earn rate dependent upon the game played. They’ll also accrue for bingo card purchases.
- Rewards Points are based off a scaling multiplier. The higher a player’s monthly tier, the better the earn rate. Rewards Points can be exchanged for both cash and tournament dollars.
There are currently five monthly loyalty levels:
- Privileges: Everyone starts here. Earn Rewards Points at a 4x multiplier.
- Pearl Privileges: 1,500 points ($30 in rake), 4x RP multiplier.
- Gold Privileges: 7,500 points ($150 in rake), 6x RP multiplier.
- Platinum Privileges: 50,000 points ($1,000 in rake), 8x multiplier.
- Elite Privileges: 250,000 points ($5,000 in rake), 10x multiplier.
Points can be exchanged at a rate of 5,000 RPs per $1. At the baseline level that works out to 4 percent rakeback, scaling up to 10 percent rakeback at the Elite Privileges level. That’s rather low relative to other NJ online poker rakeback programs.
Should players convert their points to tournaments dollars they will receive a slightly better rakeback rate ($1 per 4,900 RPs), although the impact is small enough that players won’t notice a big difference in the amount of added value they receive.
Frequently asked questions about Pala Poker NJ
Does Pala Poker share traffic with any other NJ-based site?
No. Pala Poker is what’s known as a standalone site. This stands in contrast to Borgata and PartyPoker, which do share total liquidity, and WSOP and 888, which share liquidity across a variety of cash game stakes and tournaments.
That being said, Pala does share some aspects with its casino and bingo operations, most notably its loyalty program. Players that earn Status and Rewards Points at the casino or bingo games can exchange them for tournament dollars for use at the poker tables.
What sets Pala Poker apart from the competition?
Currently, value. As part of its launch strategy, Pala Poker is offering players a good deal of added value which includes a generous no-deposit and first deposit bonus, as well as an aggressive tournament schedule relative to its traffic.
The combined loyalty program is also a nice touch, as players who enjoy casino and bingo games but also fancy poker, will be rewarded for all their play.
And of course there’s Pala’s banking options, which are second to none. In fact, Pala is among just a handful of NJ online gambling sites to offer the popular payment processor PayPal. Other popular methods including ACH and a prepaid card option (high success rates) are also available.
Who will enjoy playing on Pala Poker?
New players looking to get their feel wet in a non-threatening environment will probably enjoy playing on Pala Poker.
The cash games aren’t too tough, and the rake reasonable enough that neophytes should see their bankrolls last a while — especially if they opted in to the site’s first deposit bonus.
Pala Casino Nj Poker 2017
But it’s tournament players that will really take to the site, especially players that enjoy their tournaments quick. Right now, nearly all of Pala’s bigger MTTs feature overlays, which means added value for players.
What are some areas in which Pala Poker could improve?
Traffic on Pala Poker is low, sometimes so low that there aren’t any games running. We should see this improve over time, but right now, players may become frustrated with the lack of available games.
Also, the software has something to be desired. Give Pala credit for rolling out a proprietary platform that is relatively stable and fluid, but right now the interface is short on bells and whistles. Again, this should improve as the days wear on.
Pala Poker Nj
Finally, we’d like to see Pala run more one-off promotions. Right now, players that exhaust their welcome package really don’t have any other promos to partake in. If Pala hopes to compete against the industry’s big guns, it will need to do more here.