New York Online Gambling: NY Online Gambling Guide December 2024

Online casinos –Not Legal

You are free to play at licensed websites, as although online casinos are not lawful, they are also not clearly stated as banned. Since we have no clue when they will get legalized, we can give you some facts that may be useful. New York State has not prosecuted residents for online casino gaming for 20 years. This doesn’t mean that nobody will ever be charged or fined, but at least the probability is very low. Online gambling is a viable option for residents with a VPN and when using regulated platforms with licenses, but of course at their own risk.

Online poker –Not Legal

New York was close to making this game legal. The state has seriously discussed the subject over the last several years. According to positive opinions, poker rooms on the Web will be regulated in 2024. State Sen. John Bonacic tried to legalize it in 2014, but the bill didn’t receive the required votes. In 2017, the State Senate passed New York online poker regulations. However, until now, poker legalization is still being discussed and reviewed.

Poker in brick-and-mortar casinos–Legal

On-site poker gambling is legal, with five rooms available in New York. Turning Stone offers the state’s largest poker room with 32 tables. This is also where the show called Poker Night in America takes place.

Land-based casinos –Legal

The Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (GRA) 1988 helped legalize Native American tribes and state governments’ casinos. New York did the same with their tribes in 1993, ensuring that Class II games like poker, bingo, slots, and raffles were accepted. NY’s tribal slot machines under Class II must produce results via a lottery server.

The first tribe of New York to take advantage of the IGRA was the Oneida Indian Nation, with the opening of their Turning Stone Casino in 1993. 2003 was marked by the tribes’ negotiation with the state to provide Class III gaming. This included Vegas-style games like blackjack, roulette, baccarat, craps, and slots that run on Random Number Generators. The first brand to offer Class II games in NY was Seneca Niagara Casino & Hotel. Nowadays, all three tribes with casinos in NY: Seneca Nation, Oneida Nation, and St. Regis Mohawks provide Class II gaming in one or more of their local facilities.

In 2013, the state voted for the Upstate New York Gaming Economic Development Act, which legalized commercial casinos. At first, the state allowed only four land-based venues to limit the competition in the state only to the tribes. Three licenses were given to the Finger Lakes, Schenectady, and Catskills areas. Later, NY added three more slot parlors, which made seven brick-and-mortar venues legally operating in the state.

The biggest New York retail casinos:

NY state has over 30 gambling facilities, including commercial casinos, slots parlors, racetracks, and tribal facilities. The residents and tourists can use 37,000 gaming machines and over 1,100 table variants.

Cruise gambling–Not Legal

New York’s cruise ships can offer games of luck and sports wagering to their customers in international waters. They used to have to travel only three miles offshore before being allowed to offer such activities. But former NYC Mayer Rudolph Giuliani pushed the feds to create a 12-mile gambling cruises requirement, which forced many cruises of this type to end operation as they lost their attractiveness. Of course, residents don’t want to wait for 3 hours before they can play. The main reason behind the ex-mayor’s decision was to fight terrorism.

In-person and online sports betting–Legal

As of July 2023, nine brands operate legally in New York, despite online sports gambling having been regulated and allowed since January 2022. Caesars, FanDuel, DraftKings, BetMGM, BetRivers, PointsBet, WynnBet, Bally Bet, and Resorts World Bet also have live local apps for residents of the state and offer odds for MLB, NHL, NFL, NBA, and more.

The NYSGC (The New York State Gaming Commission) reported unprecedented sports betting on the Internet in early April. Residents of the Adirondack State have placed bets worth $5 billion through online bookmakers. Placing bets on sports and similar activities remains one of the few legal forms of online gambling in NY. Players can also wager on their favorite teams on-site. Offline sports betting is allowed, and you can do it via local sportsbooks, use digital platforms, and place bets in person.

Charitable gambling –Legal

Section 185 (4) of the NY constitution controls the charity gaming industry. It states that each member who must have been active in fraternal, educational, veteran, service, and volunteer fireman charities for at least three years, can apply for a license. Approved options include bingo, raffles, bell jars, and seal cards. Charity gambling excludes poker and other skill games, which are banned.

Lottery –Legal

America’s largest lottery is in New York, producing an annual revenue of over $9.7 billion. It is a legal activity in the Empire State, so residents can play:

• Cash4Life
• Numbers
• Mega Millions
• Pick 10
• Quick Draw
• Powerball
• Take 5
• Win 4

New York has the most profitable lottery industry in the US, with over 18,000 lottery retailers.

Horse racing –Legal

One of the few allowed activities for residents of New York is placing bets on off-track horses. TwinSpires, BetAmerica, TVG, and XpressBet all accept these bets. Yet, there are certain restrictions on off-track horse races that are held in the Empire State.

Online horse betting has been legal in the state for many years. The New York State Gaming Commission allows wagers on horse races made via apps and websites. Advanced deposit wagering is also lawful so users can place bets on horse races over the Internet and by phone. The legal age for horse race wagering is 18 and above.

Pari-mutuel betting–Legal

New York has a rich and long pari-mutuel betting history, which started in 1895 as one of the early hubs of horse racing. NY has one of the largest developed pari-mutuel industries in the USA. Like other US states, the racing market has declined in recent decades. That’s why the state has allowed slots at racetracks since the middle of 2000.

NY racetracks that offer live racing:

• Belmont ParkYonkers Raceway
• Saratoga Race Course
• Aqueduct Racetrack

Players can engage in slots, off-track wagers, video poker games, and electronic table versions at the above venues.

Social gambling–Legal

The New York code has an exception for this activity in Section 225.00(3), which regards it as legal under certain conditions. These are not taking rakes, selling alcohol, or conducting commercial profit-gaining activities there.

Daily Fantasy Sports sites–Legal

State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman declared all DFS contests illegal In New York in November 2015. DraftKings and FanDuel tried to change the opinion of the General. Luckily, the court said these websites can stay and provide services in the state, which changed the law, and now sites that offer daily fantasy sports can operate legally.

Later, the Empire State led a charge against DFS websites. Still, in the summer of 2016, Governor, Andrew Cuomo passed the daily fantasy sports bill. They are allowed officially, and DFS operators must pay a 15% tax on their revenue. Daily fantasy sports and betting are the two legal forms of gambling the state has presently allowed.