It appears the mantra for many of the NJ online casinos during August was “Go big or go home!”

That’s right, folks. You have a whole new slew of slots and live dealer format games to choose from now, with the majority of those casinos adding between 20 and 40 new titles.

Yep, after a very slow July, during which NJ sports betting became legal and took center stage, it appears that online casinos in New Jersey are ramping up for fall. That’s when players flock back to the online scene to escape the cold outside. (Plus, those of you that can multitask can play while watching fall’s favorite sport: football.)

So let’s see what’s new games at NJ online casinos might interest you.

Big spenders

Two casinos really pumped up the volume in August with a whopping 42 games each.

888 Casino

888 Casino broke the 200-game barrier, bringing its slot total way up from 150 to 187 and adding several new video poker titles, including Jacks or Better, Bonus Poker, Double Bonus Poker, and Double Double Bonus Poker (all available for play on its mobile apps as well).

Even better, 888 Casino added a live dealer games section to its site. Available from 11 a.m. to 3 a.m. are the following games:

• Three Card Poker
• American Roulette
• Baccarat
• Blackjack
• No Commission Baccarat
• Ultimate Texas Hold’em

When it comes to slots, most of the additions were older, popular titles such as Guns N’ Roses, Planet of the Apes, Chilli Gold, Raging Rhino and Merlin’s Millions. Newer ones include:

• Steamtower
• Finn and the Swirly Spin
• Fortunes of the Dead
• Emoji Planet

Pala

At Pala, all 42 new titles were of the slot variety. There was a good selection of Scratchcard games added, including:

• Scratchcard Oil Mania
• Scratchcard Witch Pickings
• Scratchcard Double Play Super Bet
• Scratchcard Volcano Eruption

Much like 888 Casino, Pala online casino added a large number of tried-and-true slot titles, but there were a few newer titles, including:

• Huolong Valley: This Asian-inspired game has a high RTP (96.99%), a Free Games Bonus Round with up to 7 free games and a possible 6x multiplier, as well as a max payout of $400,000.
• Samurai Split: Set in ancient Japan, this slot has a few unique features, such as the Warrior Spin, the Split, and up to 480 free spins if the reels land just right.
• Renegades: Women warriors are the main characters in this game with 243 paylines, Mega Symbols, and a Free Spins bonus game.
• Baywatch: If the original TV series was a must-watch, then this game is for you with many of the original cast members making an appearance, along with a Teamwork feature, Wild Wave and Bonus Scatter.

Pala can now boast 267 slot titles, four blackjack variations, eight video poker, and five table games, for a total library of 284.

Twenty-somethings

Another two casinos dug deep and added 22 games to their respective arsenals, a very impressive number during any normal month of the year.

Borgata

This casino brought in 21 slots and one blackjack variation last month, giving them 334 slots, five blackjack, 12 video poker, and four table games. While not every slot title was brand new at Borgata, there are some recently released games that are definitely worth trying:

• Volts and Bolts: You’ll be playing in the laboratory of the crazed scientist, along with his robot inventions. In addition to the Free Spins Bonus, there is a Robot Bonus where the creations turn into Robot Shapes and can award one of four bonuses (up to 5,000x your bet).
• Fairytale Legends: Mirror, Mirror: The latest in NetEnt’s series of fairy tales, this one based on Snow White by the Brothers Grimm.
• Bar-X XL: An arcade-style slot with an XL reel, respins, and Free Spins Bonus.

If those don’t float your boat, then you might want to test out EggOMatic, Dragon’s Law Twin Fever, Witchcraft Academy, or Celestial King.

playMGM

Our second 20-something casino also added 21 new slot titles and 1 Blackjack variation, bringing playMGM’s online gaming total to 371. The blackjack variation is called Blackjack XChange and it has a return-to-player percentage of 99 percent.

The difference with this version is that you can buy cards to improve your position, or even sell cards to make some money!

Among the newest slots available are:

• Jackpot Inferno
• Volts and Bolts
• Fairytale Legends: Mirror, Mirror
• Riverboat Queen
• Smokin Hot Gems
• Bar-X XL
• Destiny of Athena
• EggOMatic
• High Voltage Blackout
• Wild Wild Gems
• Solstice Celebration
• Dragon’s Law Twin Fever
• Witchcraft Academy
• Celestial King

Teenagers

This group of casinos added what would be a more normal or typical amount of games within a month, maybe even on the high end.

And yet, this month they find themselves in the middle of the pack. No matter, they’ve done a good job of adding new titles that complement their already substantial gaming libraries.

Golden Nugget

As has been the case for all of 2018, Golden Nugget leads the pack in total games, with 583. It is sure to hit 600 before the snow falls at the rate it’s going. The most recent additions totaled 19, including one blackjack title (Blackjack XChange) and one video poker game (Destiny Poker).

But the slots are where Golden Nugget really shines, with 523 on offer.

This month the NJ online casino added 17 titles, including:

• EggOMatic
• Jungle Jack
• Three Graces
• Very Fruity
• Lion Festival Boosted Celebration
• Anchorman

Mohegan Sun

Mohegan Sun was just one game shy of Golden Nugget, with 18 new titles, including the same Blackjack XChange addition.

Many of the new slots were similar to the casinos already mentioned, but Mohegan also added two MegaJackpot titles: MegaJackpots Cleopatra and MegaJackpots Siberian Storm.

With these games, you are feeding the jackpot along with players from other NJ online casinos. This makes for a larger jackpot (with a minimum of $500k).

Both are adaptations of popular slots that have developed a following from decades of use in brick-and-mortar casinos, and more recently in online venues as well. Symbols are very similar as is play. There is a drawback to this game and that’s the return-to-player percentage (RTP).

On the original versions, the RTP runs about 95 percent, pretty average for a slot. (Most games today range from 94 – 96 percent.) But these MegaJackpots versions are about 89 percent until the jackpot gets very high.

The higher the jackpot, the higher the percentage. When it taps in at about $1 million, the RTP increases to about 93 percent, making it a better bet to play. Either way, you will have fun on these time-honored slots.

Mohegan Sun ended August with 480 slots, 11 blackjack variations, 20 video poker games, and 10 table games, for a total of 531 titles.

Caesars

Fifteen new titles made their way onto Caesars NJ online casino in the last month, leaving it just shy of the 500-mark. When all is said and done, Caesars now has 452 slots, 10 blackjack variations, 22 video poker, and 10 table games.

Among the newest titles are:

• EggOMatic
• Lion Festival Boosted Celebration
• Bar-X XL
• Celestial King
• Witchcraft Academy
• Reel Steal
• Lost Relics
• Himalayas: Roof of the World

Bringing Up the Rear

Given that so many casinos added such a high volume of games, those that added a respectable 8-12 ended up as low casinos on the totem pole this month.

Tropicana

Tropicana hasn’t been very active with new games the past few months, so it’s nice to see them add a dozen new titles all at once.

There’s quite a selection, including The Big Easy, which is set in New Orleans; Kronos Unleashed with its Power Up Symbol and Lightning Respins; Elephant King, which is set on the Savannah and boasts a Prize Disk feature; and Acorn Pixie — a slot which has a Buy A Bonus option.

But probably the most fun is EggOMatic.

Cue the old 3-2-1 countdown typical of old movies, where we meet the owner of the egg factory and learn that the hens don’t seem to be keeping up with production, so a machine is designed to take on the task — the EggOMatic.

This machine produces special eggs with four different egg features, including Spreading Wilds, Coin Win, Surprise Egg, and Free Spins. The eggs get spit onto a conveyor belt that runs across the top of the reels. Land a Wild on the same reel as an egg and you get the bonus!

Tropicana now has 241 total games in its library, including:

• 215 slots
• 8 blackjack
• 8 video poker
• 10 table games

Virgin

Right behind Tropicana is sister site, Virgin. Eleven new titles made their way onto Virgin, all of which were slot titles. This brings its total gaming library to 234. In addition to the new games mentioned above, Virgin also added:

• Ocean Magic: Take a dip in the ocean where you’ll find abundant sea life as your symbols, a Bubble feature that turns symbols into Wilds, and a Treasure Chest bonus round.
• Icy Wilds: Head to the Arctic where the aurora borealis decorates the sky and illuminates the symbols, including the snow leopard, white ermine, and white snowy owl. Wilds can be Stacked and polar bears lead you to up to 45 free spins in the bonus round.
• Lost Relics: Archeology buffs will love this slot where you journey into the past to search for treasure a la Indiana Jones. This game utilizes Cluster Pays and has three random features as well as a Free Spins Bonus.

Resorts

Eight is the magic number for Resorts, which added 1 new blackjack title and seven slot titles to its gaming library. This keeps Resorts firmly in second place with 531 total titles.

Like sister site Mohegan Sun, it added both MegaJackpots Cleopatra and MegaJackpots Siberian Storm, as well as:

• Lion Festival Boosted Celebration
• Dragon’s Law Twin ever
• Destiny of Athena
• Bar-X XL
• King Kong Fury

Trailing the pack

And last but not least are the three final NJ online casinos: SugarHouse, Betfair, and Harrah’s.

SugarHouse

While this NJ online casino only added four new slot titles and 1 new blackjack title (Blackjack XChange), it did add the live dealer format to its site (along with an online sportsbook).

You can now play the following live dealer games daily:

• Blackjack (5 tables)
• Slingshot Roulette
• Roulette
• Baccarat
• Three Card Poker
• Ultimate Texas Hold’em

SugarHouse now has 437 slot titles, six blackjack variations, 15 video poker titles, and seven table games, for a total of 465.

Betfair

Three new slots made their debut at Betfair last month. The online casino has a lot to make up for as it had a net loss of 19 games in July. Betfair is sitting at 373 total titles in its gaming library, with 341 being slots.

One of its newest slots is Black Diamond, a progressive game that has a very retro feel. While very simplistic in its design and play structure, it seemingly pays out often. The game features 7, 77, 777, and single and double bars, as well as a black diamond Wild. Some symbols come with an extra multiplier and two or more multipliers on a payline can make for a great payday.

There are two progressive jackpots: The Minor Jackpot requires three Black Diamonds on lines 1-8 at max bet, while the Major Jackpot requires nine Black Diamonds (every space filled with this symbol) at max bet. Max bet is $135.

Harrah’s

February was the last time that Harrah’s added a new title to its library. So it remains at 103 games.