If you’ve been curious about the online casino scene in New Jersey—or a little cautious about taking the real-money plunge—then there’s some great news. You can get the full experience of an online casino at free-to-play social casino sites.

Yep, just like games such as Candy Crush, you can play slots, casino table games and more for free.

Free-to-play social casino sites are popping up everywhere. That’s because unlike real-money online casinos, which require you to be physically in a state where online gambling is legal, such as New Jersey, Nevada and Delaware, free-to-play sites can be played from anywhere. After all, it’s just for fun.

In New Jersey, where real-money play is legal, three online sites have launched free-to-play social casino sites—Borgata, SugarHouse and Mohegan Sun. They are a lot like the other free social casino sites out there, but the difference is that these sites are tied to the actual casinos and their real-money online casinos based in New Jersey.

Players at these free sites don’t have to be located in New Jersey to play, but can participate in promotions and win rewards at the land-based casinos: Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa in Atlantic City, SugarHouse Casino in Philadelphia and Mohegan Sun in Connecticut.

SugarHouse Casino and Mohegan Sun offer real-money play in New Jersey through partnerships with Atlantic City casinos.

When you join these sites—which require no more than an email address—you’re given free coins to play a host of games, most of which can also be found on the site’s real-money counterpart.

At Mohegan Sun, you can play a lineup of slots. SugarHouse offers slots, bingo and video poker, and Borgata has a full lineup of slots, bingo and table games.

Like all social casino sites, there are plenty of chances to win coins and receive bonus coins for playing and earning promotional points. The sites even give you bonus coins just for logging in. That’s what makes them free to play.

However, social casino sites also offer you the chance to buy more virtual coins for real money. When it comes to buying coins, you can spend a lot or a little. For example, you can buy $19,000 in coins at Borgata’s social site for $9.99 and 100 earned promotional points. Minimum bets can be high on select games—usually a few hundred coins—so you can make your own choice on whether you want to spend on buying more coins or just play until your free coins run out. 

Why buy coins at a free site? Well, just like real-money online casinos, the sites award player points based on how much you play. Those points can be cashed in for more free coins, but also for prizes such as discounts at brick-and-mortar casinos. By earning player points, players can earn comps on food, entertainment and even real-life casino play. Other promotions simply award prizes. Borgata‘s social casino site, for example, is currently offering a sweepstakes for a Borgata Weekend Getaway.

All this makes social casino sites a great introduction to New Jersey’s online casino sites, not to mention allowing players outside the state to get in on the fun. And who knows, you may even win a trip to a real casino.

That’s not bad – for free.