New York Bingo, Casino and Sports Betting [2021]

New York, the second largest state in the US, with the highest density of living in the boroughs offers an expansive array of gambling. You will find that there are real money online casinos, based offshore which are regulated and licensed accepting New York players without risk.

New York gambling laws do not explicitly prohibit online gambling nor do they permit it. Hence the ambiguity allows offshore gambling sites to operate. There is one form of gambling which explicit being DFS, whereby the State has declared it to be without qualification as illegal.

There are several Vegas like land based casinos which are Native American, all located up state. There are no privately owned or commercial land based casinos.

Sports betting is legal with native American casinos providing sport betting kiosks/terminals.

Online Gambling

• Offshore licensed and regulated gambling sites for casino, sports and bingo accept players from New York.
• There are no local or onshore operators that provide for online gambling.
• Online Advanced Deposit Wagering (ADW) is permitted on horse racing events
• The lottery offers online services for ordering, renewing and managing draw subscriptions

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Best 5 New York Online Casinos

If you are considering gambling at an online New York casino, then choose from our recommended list:

Real Money Online Casino for New York have flourished in the recent years, bringing the number of players in total only behind that of California. The reasons can be explained by the inaccessibility of up state land based casinos, and the health safety that playing online presents.

We have complied our list with great care. With a collection of player feedback, as well as personally playing at the games, we found that the best 5 online casinos for New York all contain the following attributes.

Honest and Trustworthy

We have ensured that each casino is a genuine casino. The risk of online casinos, these days, are particularly low for choosing a fraudulent one. But you can never be too sure. When we played at the best online casinos, they all offered the confidence and comfort of playing at honest and trustworthy casinos.

Internet Security

Common for internet sites that hold sensitive and transactional data for customers is a protected cyber environment. To attain this, the latest SSL technology is used by all the best online casinos. SSL technology creates an encrypted connection between your browser and the casinos server so repel would be hackers. With all online casinos being based offshore, it is vital that only the secure are played at.

Safe Payment Methods

Everyone is looking for the cheapest payment method. But, we advise players to not always choose the lowest fee provider. In fact, often it is better to choose the more expensive fee incurring method because of the safety that it brings. We have seen many players lose money with a deposit (less for a withdrawal), because they wanted to sign up to a casino that offers a new e wallet payment method. We highly recommend sticking to the well known payment methods that includes: VISA, MasterCard, Amex, Bitcoin (BTC), direct wire transfers, eWallets such as Skrill and Neteller, and Instant Gift Cards.

Casinos Bonuses

Bonuses are extremely important in selecting an online casino. We have therefore displayed some of the best casino bonuses that can be found whilst balancing other important criteria such as safety and security as previously mentioned. However, for ease of reference, we have listed them according to the size of bonus.

Without doubt, at the time of writing, El Royale Casino offers the best casino bonus deal. It is also one of the safest. Coupled with excellent customer service, El Royale is our top recommended online casino for New York players.

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Sports Betting

Mobile and online sports betting sites are illegal in the State. Currently in order to place a bet, you must travel to one of the Native American casinos located in upper New York or head over to New Jersey.

Online sports betting sites, however, do exist and they are based offshore. They accept New York bettors, with no precedence of any bettor being informed of a breach in law, let alone charged with a misdemeanour or felony.

We highly recommend playing at BetOnline.AG, being the safest to play at with respectable odds.

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Daily Fantasy Sports NY

Daily Fantasy Sports is taking on the world by storm. New to the gambling scene, the two largest providers – DraftKings and FanDuel- are causing a stir by accepting players around the US, irrespective of whether the laws allow them to or not. To be fair, some States simply have yet to introduce legislation to formally regulate DFS, but still it goes to show how popular DFS is in the US.

DFS is arguably a game of skill. It requires bettors to create a fictitious team based on real players. The performance of the real sports players in real life determines how successful the fictitious team is. The better the real players perform in real life, the more points the fictitious teams scores. As a result, it truly is those with the most “skills” will win.

We mentioned that DraftKings and FanDuel are the two leading DFS operators, and you may have noticed that we do not provide for any of their banners. On this site, we do not actively promote daily fantasy sports for two reasons

Game of Skill – you have no chance

We understand that it is a game of “skill” which is currently being exploited by bettors who have the best risk modelling. That is, it isn’t nearly about how well you know your sport and the players; it is more about who has the best statistical model and who has access to the most detailed sports player data.

As someone who may be a big fan of sport, and thinking that they would have a good chance of winning money in DFS, think again. You are pitted against statistical modelling experts who deliberately target games that mostly have new players to DFS. In fact, it has been alleged that those who are extremely good at DFS have been known to collaborate among themselves and not compete with each other. Thereby creating a sustainable winning formula shared by the experts.

We therefore want our readers to be aware that DFS is not what is appears to be.

DFS NY is explicitly illegal

The State has explicitly ruled DFS to be illegal in the state. There aren’t many US States that have banned DFS, and unfortunately NY is one of them. That being said, FanDuel and DraftKings continue to accept players from New York. To this date, there have been no records of any Player being informed of breaching the law, let alone being issued a fine or penalized.

The fact is, DraftKings and FanDuel hold all the risk, as they are the operators and bear all of the responsibility.

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Top 3 New York Online Bingo Sites

New York bingo laws are stipulated under Charitable gaming state legislation. These laws provide for the licensing of non profit organizations to operate bingo games. At present, these laws do not address nor permit online bingo by onshore operators. Accordingly, online bingo sites that do accept New York players are based offshore (which is the same as online casinos and sports betting sites).

The recommended online bingo sites all accept players from New York. They offer advanced features that include instant messaging, fun bingo games and protocols that ensures bingo participants play together in a civil enjoyable manner. Due to the social aspect of bingo, there is a cultural aspect to bingo which cannot be found with casino or sports betting. As an example, A LOT of acronyms form part of instant chat messaging. If you are not familiar with online bingo lingo, do not be afraid, learning it is one of the most fun parts!

Gambling Legal Minimum Age

• 21 for casino and sports betting.
• 18 for lottery, pari-mutuel betting, and charity bingo and pull-tabs.

Gambling Laws

• Horse race Advanced Deposit Wagering (ADW) is permitted;
• New York has not passed State legislation to legalise online gaming though New York is actively considering legislation;
• New York has not passed legislation to legalize land based and online sports betting
• Online is not permitted commercially with the exception of ADW

Gambling Taxes

The State imposes a 15% gross win tax

Regulation and Governance

New York State Gaming Commission

Gambling Legislation

New York Constitution and Consolidated Laws

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New York Gambling Market Developments

December 1999

Five restrictive Internet gambling related Bills were introduced in the State Senate during 1999 but did not progress.

January 2007

The New York State Racing and Wagering Board (NYSRWB) adopted new rules regarding Internet and mobile phone betting.

May 2010

Reports suggest the government was looking to add online poker and casino when federal legislation permitted.

December 2010

Due to OTB’s closure an emergency rule change was introduced to allow advanced deposits for telephone and Internet wagering. Previously ID was required to prove residency in person, by mail or fax.

Lottery was scheduled to offer online subscription service from 2011; initially draw games only.

December 2013

PokerStars was lobbying to allow poker to be permitted in New York.

March 2013

As part of the yearly budget documentation it was written that the Senate supported legislation to permit online poker. “The Senate supports authorizing and regulating internet gaming for games of skill, including poker, to reflect recent changes in the classification of these games.” The change of classification related to the DixCristina case, where poker was ruled a game of skill but later overturned to be classified as a game of chance.

March 2014

Senator John Bonacic introduced Bill S6913, to regulate online poker. The Bill includes a clause to exclude those operators that took bets prior to 2007, unless specifically authorized by local or federal law. Its author does not expect it to pass in 2014. The Bill provides ten licenses for a ten-year term, with a US$10m fee and a 15% gross gaming revenue tax. Regulating is due within 180 days of the law passing and licenses issued in another 180 days. Interstate compacts are specifically permitted which would allow sharing of liquidity with other states.

May 2014

An Assembly Companion Bill was introduced to mirror S6913, that states, poker is a game of skill citing the DiCristina ruling. The court “assessed that under federal law poker was predominantly a game of skill”, though it was later overturned on appeal. It included game definition (Texas Hold’em and Omaha only) and a ‘bad actor’ clause excluding companies operating after 31 December 2006. Tax was set at 15% gross win and US$10m license fee.

December 2014

The Gaming Facility Location Board recommended the approval of three casino projects in the Catskills, Finger Lakes and in Central New York, though declined a fourth resort, to promote competition and reduce the risk of market saturation. A total of 16 applications were reviewed in the process, which included bids from Caesars, Genting, Penn National Gaming and Churchill Downs. Successful applicants included a US$360m project, to be built by Empire Resorts (of the Genting Group); a $300m project in Schenectady, west of Albany; and the $425m Lago Resort Casino in Tyre. The casinos would be expected to open by the end of Q1 in 2017. Each project would be subject to approval from; the Gaming Commission, police background checks and environmental reviews, before the next stages of development could begin. The license fee for the new operators would be a one-off payment, which would range between $20-70m, depending on location. Taxation would also vary on location and would range from 37-45% for slot machines and 10% on table games. The majority of tax proceeds would be circulated to educational purposes, with the remainder split between municipal and county governments.

January 2015

Governor Caumo, issued a letter to the Gaming Commission and the Gaming Facility Location Board, requesting consideration over a fourth casino license to a proposal over the Southern Tier; specifically, the Bingamton area. The letter expressed that the panels should permit a qualified applicant to submit a new bid for a fourth casino license within the Southern Tier, which would be subject to Gaming Commission approval. The panel has received the letter and is reviewing it.

Following the review of Caumo’s request, the Gaming Commission announced it would reopen proposals for a fourth gaming license for the Southern Tier of New York. The Gaming Commission stated, that for a new bid to be successful, it would have to be enhanced, against the three that had already been approved, so to increase competition within the market, and reiterated that zero approvals was a possible outcome. The Gaming Commission, did however, express it would not take into consideration license requests in the Catskills/Hudson Valley Region or the Capital Region.

February 2015

The Gaming Facility Location Board opened the bidding to private enterprises for a casino license in the Southern Tier, which would be subject to Gaming Commission approval before the end of March 2015.

March 2015

Finger Lakes Racing Association made an application at the Albany County Supreme Court, for a judgment to annul the New York Gaming Facility Location Board’s determination that Lago Resort & Casino, was eligible for a gambling license from the Gaming Commission; and requested a preliminary and permanent injunction to prevent the Gaming Commission from awarding a license to Lago Resort & Casino going forward.

May 2015

State Senator John Bonacic, introduced S5302, to authorize and regulate most forms of online poker in New York. The bill does not contain a bad actor clause and sets out provisions for a $10m licensing fee for a maximum of 10 operators, 15% GGR tax, interstate compacts for the pooling of liquidity, and criminal liability and taxation for operating without a license. This is the second time in three years, that Bonacic has introduced such legislation; which has been sent to the Senate Racing, Gaming and Wagering Committee for consideration.

July 2015

Tioga Downs made the sole application for a $145m casino resort in the Southern Tier, prior to the 5 July deadline. The racino issued a similar bid for a casino license in 2014, which was rejected by the Gaming Commission.

August 2015

State Senator John Bonacic organized a hearing on September 9th to discuss online poker, with legislators and key figures from the New York gambling industry. His aim for the session was to convince the State Racing, Gaming and Wagering Committee to seriously consider passing online poker legislation in 2016.

September 2015

The hearing on the legalization of online poker was took place on 9 September 2015 but failed to convince legislators to move forward at the time.

The 2nd US Court of Appeals, ruled in favor of the Seneca Indian Nation, in a use of land dispute. Various parties alleged that the land upon which the Seneca Buffalo Creek Casino is built did not qualify for use as a gaming resort. The ruling comes before a $40m expansion is scheduled to start in October 2015.

October 2015

Attorney General Eric Schneiderman began investigating the possible advantages that employees of daily fantasy sports companies could use, to unfairly bet on rival sites. The investigation was launched after an employee of Draft Kings, used unreleased data, to win $350k. A number of politicians across the United States have called for regulatory framework to ensure the games are fair and safe for consumers. The State Gaming Facility Location Board, approved Tioga Downs’ application to convert the current racino into a full-scale casino resort. The resort will include 50 gaming tables, 1000 video lottery terminals and 161 hotel rooms, construction will begin in November 2015.

State Representative, Felix Ortiz, introduced a bill to give the state gaming commission jurisdiction over fantasy sports gaming. Assembly Bill A08554, seeks to add daily fantasy sports to the list of gambling activities governed by the commission, under the definition of “gaming activity”. The bill has been referred to the state Racing and Wagering Committee for consideration.

November 2015

Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, issued cease and desist letters to daily fantasy sports operators accepting wagers in the state, following results of his October 2015 investigation. The investigation found, daily fantasy sports, constituted illegal gambling under state law and notable operators were guilty of using deceptive advertising, as well as specifically targeting demographics susceptible to problem gambling. The season-long fantasy sports games were not implicated by this action;

Senator Michael Razenhofer introduced a bill to exempt daily fantasy sports from being classified as gambling, under New York law. The bill, S06092, seeks to exclude any fantasy or simulation sports game or educational game from the definition “contest of chance.” It has been submitted to the Committee on Rules for consideration.

December 2015

Assemblyman Dean Murray introduced a bill to authorize fantasy sports wagering. If enacted, Bill A08587, would categorize daily fantasy sports as a game of skill and therefore exempted from the state’s current prohibition on sports betting. However, the bill acknowledges that federal laws, namely PASPA, would have implications on the operations of fantasy leagues even if it is passed. After its first hearing, the bill was referred to the Committee on Racing and Wagering, after which it will be returned to the Senate during the next regular session;

The New York Supreme Court, upheld Attorney General Eric Schneiderman’s motion and issued, Draft Kings and Fanduel with an injunction to enjoin and restrain them from accepting entry fees, wagers or bets from consumers in New York. The companies immediately appealed the decision with an appellate court and were granted an emergency stay of the ruling handed down by the Supreme Court. Whilst, no new players from New York can deposit funds in the companies, existing customers with funds in their accounts can continue to play until the case is reviewed early next month;

Senator David Carlucci introduced a bill to give the state gaming commission jurisdiction over fantasy sports gaming. Bill S6305 seeks to categorize the activity as gaming and therefore be governed and regulated by the New York State Gaming Commission. The bill was referred to the Senate Racing, Gaming and Wagering Committee for consideration.

January 2016

An appellate panel of the New York Supreme Court, ruled that daily fantasy sports operators could continue to offer their services in New York until the legal dispute, brought by Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, is heard in the full Supreme Court in May;

Assemblyman Gary Pretlow introduced a bill to regulate online poker. Assembly Bill 9049 seeks to define online poker as a game of skill and therefore exempt it from current prohibition. The bill sets out the consumer protection safeguards and minimum standards that must be met by operators offering the game. Following its first reading the bill was referred to the Racing and Wagering Committee for consideration.

March 2016

Attorney General, Eric Schneiderman, announced FanDuel and Draft Kings will cease and desist from offering all “paid contests” in the State until the appellate court hears the appeal brought by the operators in September.

May 2016

Senator John Bonacic, Chairman of the Senate Racing, Gaming and Wagering Committee, introduced a bill to regulate daily fantasy sports. The bill, S06793A, would define DFS as a game of skill and sets out a number of regulatory requirements necessary for operators.

To be eligible for a license, operators with over 5000 customers would be required to pay a registration fee of $500k or 5% of GGR from the past 12 months, operation, in New York. Licenses will be granted for 10 years with tax set at 15% of GGR.

June 2016

Assemblyman Gary Pretlow, Chairman of the Assembly Racing and Wagering Committee, introduced a bill to regulate daily fantasy sports. A10736, will give oversight of the game to the State Gaming Commission and stipulates a number of consumer protection requirements. The bill would implement a graduated license fee system based on revenue earned in the state and sets a flat tax rate of 15% GGR. The Assembly must pass the bill by 16 June if it is to progress in this legislative session.

The Senate voted in favor of bill S5302, which would authorize and regulate online poker in the state. The bill was introduced by Senator John Boniac, in May 2016, it must be passed by the Assembly before 16 June 2016, to be considered by the Governor this legislative session.

Daily fantasy sports bill A10736, was passed by both houses of the legislature and sent to the Governor for final approval. The legislative session ended as the bill was passed, therefore the governor has 30 days to decide to enact or veto it, instead of the usual 10 day period.

July 2016

The New York Lottery launched Gold Castle. Players purchase tickets for the game from a land-based lottery retailer. In addition, being a traditional scratch off the ticket they may be scanned via either an online or a mobile application.

August 2016

Governor Andrew Cuomo signed daily fantasy sports bill A10736 into law. Operators who were offering DFS contests in the state prior to 10 November 2015, were granted temporary permits to resume operations immediately until the Gaming Commission grants or denies their full license application;

The Gaming Commission approved Tioga Downs’ application to operate a ‘full-service’ casino. Tioga Downs already offered horseracing and gaming machines at its facility in the Southern Tier but applied for an expansion to offer all casino games in July 2015. The operator estimated the expanded facility would open in January 2017.

November 2016

The Gaming Commission approved regulations for the operation of table games in northern New York casinos. The first casino expected to open, Tioga Downs, brought forward its planned launch date which is now expected before the end of 2016.

December 2016

Governor Andrew Cuomo vetoed a bill that would have permitted charitable raffles to sell tickets and advertise online. The bill was passed by the legislature in June; however, the Governor did not enact it as the state’s constitution requires voters in each county to have approved charitable gaming before it can be offered there.

Tioga Downs officially opened its full-service casino floor on 2 December 2016, making it the first of the northern state casinos to launch.

January 2017

Senator Anthony Avella introduced a bill to authorize sports betting on professional and collegiate events. SB1282 would permit sports betting at licensed on/off track wagering facilities and casinos provided the proceeds are used to support educational causes.

Senator John Boniac reintroduced legislation to classify online poker as a game of skill therefore allowing it to be legally offered in the state. SB3898 establishes regulations and minimum licensing standards as well as imposing a 15% gross win tax on operators.

March 2017

The Senate included the legalisation of online poker in its FY2018 budget proposal. However, the budget proposals of the Assembly or Governor did not include any reference to iPoker, for the measure to be included in the final budget it would need to be added to the Assembly’s budget before 31 March 2017.

June 2017

Legislation to authorize online poker was amended to include a bad actor clause which would exclude operators who targeted the US market after the enactment of UIGEA from the licensing process. SB3898, introduced in January by Senator John Boniac, would prevent any operator who offered any form of online gaming after 31 December 2006 from being awarded a license in the state. The amended bill was approved by the Senate Finance Committee and progressed to the full Senate for consideration.

The Senate voted in favor of SB3898 to authorize and regulate online poker. The bill progressed to the Assembly for consideration.

Online poker bill, SB3898, was not voted on in the Assembly before the end of the legislative session on 21 June 2017 and was consequently dropped from the legislature.

November 2017

Assemblyman Gary Pretlow, Chairman of the Assembly Racing and Wagering Committee, announced legislators were considering alternate ways to legalize sports betting in the state, other than by constitutional amendment. If PASPA is repealed, the Assembly would be required to pass a constitutional amendment bill to be voted on in the next statewide ballot in Q3 2019 which is currently the earliest date the activity could be legalized.

January 2018

Legislation to authorize and regulate online poker was reintroduced to the Senate. SB3898 remained unchanged from the previous legislative session and was referred to the Committee on Racing Gaming and Wagering for consideration.

The Senate Committee on Racing Gaming and Wagering held a public hearing to discuss the potential of sports betting in the state. A number of parties gave testimony, notably Dan Spillane, representing the NBA, who proposed five essential components to be incorporated in sports betting legislation. The proposals included; adequate consumer protection and anti-manipulation controls, the right of the league to restrict wagering on their own events, a mandatory 1% gross turnover tax to be paid to the leagues and the authorization of online channels for betting.

March 2018

Senator John Boniac introduced SB07900 to authorize and regulate sports betting provided PASPA is repealed. The bill would permit both land-based and online sports betting from the state’s casinos, racetracks and off-track betting facilities and establish an 8.5% gross win tax plus an additional integrity fee of 0.25% of turnover tax which would be directed to the governing bodies of the sports leagues. The bill would entrust the regulation and administration to the New York State Gaming Commission.

April 2018

Assembly member Clyde Vanel introduced A10322 to establish a legislative task force to study the implementation and regulation of online sports betting. The bill was referred to the Committee on Racing and Wagering for consideration.

October 2018

The Albany County Supreme Court ruled that the 2016 legislation classifying daily fantasy sports as permitted games of chance, violates the existing prohibition on sports betting.

The ruling stated that daily contests operated by DFS operators are akin to gambling, and therefore require an amendment to the state constitution to be authorized in the state of New York.

January 2019

State Senator Addabbo introduced SB18 to authorize online poker games. SB18 would classify online poker as a game of skill and would allow existing land-based commercial and tribal gaming operators to apply for a total of 11 licenses to offer the game. The Bill proposed a tax rate of 15% of gross win and did not limit the number of skins that may be offered under each license.

State Senator Addabbo introduced SB17 to authorize land-based and online sports betting. The bill would permit the operation of land-based and online sports betting by the state’s casinos, racetracks and off-track betting facilities and establish an 8.5% gross win tax plus an additional integrity fee of 0.2% of turnover tax which would be directed to the governing bodies of the sports leagues; Governor Cuomo issued a statement of intent in support of authorizing sports betting in the upstate casinos, announcing that it would help generate activity in the facilities.

Following his State of the State announcement, Governor Cuomo included sports betting at an authorized casino in the 2019 Budget Proposal. State legislation would require the budget to be approved by 1 April 2019.

On 28 January 2019, the New York State Gaming Commission progressed regulations that would authorize the state’s four licensed casinos to operate sports betting. The Commission clarified that sports betting would be land based only at in-venue lounges (minimum 500sq feet); online sports betting would be prohibited, as well as wagering on horse racing, amateur or youth sports event (except college sports approved by the Commission), and non-sporting events.

February 2019

Assemblyman Pretlow introduced Bill A4924 to authorize online poker by classifying the activity as a game of skill. The Bill prescribed a one-time licence fee of $10m for a term of ten years and set a tax rate of 15% gross win.

March 2019

Assemblyman Pretlow introduced Bill A06113 to authorize sports betting on mobile devices in licensed casinos and at designated sports betting facilities within the state. The Bill proposed a tax rate of 8.5% gross win, as well as a 0.2% royalty fee on turnover from sporting events conducted by governing bodies.

The Gaming Commission finalized draft regulations to allow the state’s four licensed casinos to operate sports betting. The regulations were submitted for a 60-day public comment period after which the casinos would require final approval from the Commission before they could begin accepting wagers. According to the latest timeline it could be possible for the casinos to launch their sport books on Memorial Day Weekend (25-27 May 2019).

April 2019

Plans to authorize mobile sports betting were removed from the state’s finalized 2020 Budget, however, Bill A06113 which would authorize and regulate the activity, was still live in the legislature.

The Del Lago Resort & Casino became the third of the four New York casinos to gain approval from the New York Gaming Commission to lower its inventory of slot machines by 15%. The casino asked for the reduction in order to offer sports betting when it is regulated in the state. It has penned a deal with DraftKings to offer on-premises sports betting to its customers and said it would likely raise the number of slot machines back up once construction of the sports betting facilities is complete.

May 2019

Legislators made several amendments to existing sports betting bills live in the 2019 legislative session. A06113 and SB17 were amended to clarify that tribes would be permitted to offer sports betting as well as to include a 12% gross win tax on mobile sports betting activity and a $12m initial licensing fee. The bills retained their 0.2% integrity fee on turnover.

The New York Senate Racing, Gaming and Wagering Committee voted to advance a bill that would legalize in-person and mobile sports betting in the state. SB17 was introduced in January by Senator Joseph Addabbo and passed the Committee by a vote of 6-0 and will now progress forward to the Senate Finance Committee for further debate. If it came into law the bill would have two different tax rates: 8.5% on gross revenue for in-person bets placed on casino premises and 12% for bets placed on mobile. However, continued opposition to the bill from Governor Andrew Cuomo remained a major obstacle to its further progress, according to Robert Williams, New York Deputy Secretary for Gaming.

June 2019

Land based sports betting was originally legalized in New York via a 2013 law permitting new commercial casinos in upstate areas.

The New York Gaming Commission approved regulations governing sports betting in the state and cleared the way for the licensing process for the New York’s four (4) upstate casinos to begin.

The decision concerned the casinos based around the town of Schenectady: Tioga Downs, del Lago Resort, Rivers Casino and Resorts World Catskills.

If licensed they would be permitted to operate sports betting on casino premises only.

The New York Senate passed Senator Joseph Addabbo’s bill to legalize mobile betting in New York and must now be approved by the state Assembly before the end of the state’s legislative session on 19 June.

July 2019

On 16 July the Rivers Casino and Resort in Schenectady became the first licensed venue in New York to accept legal sports bets, six (6) years to the month after land based sports betting was legalized in the state. Rivers Casino is owned and operated by Rush Street Gaming who have launched sport books in both New Jersey and Pennsylvania as well;

Tioga Downs in Nichols followed Rivers Casino in holding a soft launch of their Fanduel sport book on 17 July. The full opening was on 19 July;

At the time of writing it is not known exactly when Resorts World Catskills and the Del Lago Resort and Casino in Waterloo will commence their sports betting operation, but it is expected to be prior to the start of the NFL season.

August 2019

The Oneida Indian Nation launched retail sport books at its Turning Stone Resort and Pont Place Casinos on 1 August 2019 in partnership with Caesars Entertainment. The Tribe also announced it intended to launch a sport book at its Yellow Brick Road Casino prior to the start of the NFL season on 5 September 2019.

The del Lago Resort and Casino launched its retail sportsbook in partnership with DraftKings on 23 August 2019.

September 2019

Resorts World Catskills launched its retail sportsbook on 5 September 2019;

The Oneida Indian Nation also launched its latest sportsbook in time for the start of the NFL season. The Lounge with Caesars Sports opened at Yellow Brick Road Casino and became the third Oneida Indian Nation venue to feature a sportsbook after Turning Stone Resort in Verona and Point Place Casino in Bridgeport.

The Gaming Commission set out the scope of a wide-ranging review of the state’s gambling industry. The Commission issued an RFP for a company to assess the current performance of the state’s gambling industry as well as the possible impact of several proposals including:

• Allowing OTB and VLT operators to offer sports betting;
• Permitting online sports betting, lottery games and slots;
• Awarding three (3) additional casino licenses;
• Amending the VLT and commercial casino tax rates.

October 2019

The Gaming Commission confirmed the review of the state’s gambling industry would be delayed until Q1 2020 and set a target date of 1 April 2020 for the findings to be released.

November 2019

The New York State Gaming Commission will consider whether to level the tax rates Indian tribal casinos and commercial casinos pay as it reviews responses to a request for proposal for a broad study of the gambling industry across the state. A decision by the Commission to equalize the rates would likely prove very contentious for the tribes, who pay 25% of their slots revenues to the state, whereas commercial casinos pay between 37% and 45% of their slots revenues and a 10% flat fee on table games.

The Seneca Nation of Indians said it could begin offering sports betting at lounges in its three western New York casinos by the end of the year. Construction and staff training were ongoing at its venues in Niagara Falls, Buffalo and Salamanca and openings could be staggered over the coming weeks, the group told local media outlets.

December 2019

International Game Technology (IGT) launched the sports betting offering of the Akwesasne Mohawk Casino Resort in Akwesasne. The casino is the third venue to roll out IGT’s PlaySports technology in the state. The deal was agreed through The Stars Group’s market access agreement with the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe, which operates the casino. That deal included a component for Stars to power a retail betting product at the venue, which appears to have been entrusted to IGT. The Seneca Tribal Nation opened a new retail sportsbook at its Buffalo Creek Casino resort and the Seneca Allegany Sports Lounge at the Seneca Allegany Resort and Casino.

The tribe’s Niagara Resort and Casino is expected to open a sport betting lounge and bar soon.

January 2020

State Senator Addabbo has once again introduced SB18 to authorize online poker games, after the same bill failed to progress in 2019. SB18 would classify online poker as a game of skill and would allow existing land-based commercial and tribal gaming operators to apply for a total of 11 licenses to offer the game. The Bill proposed a tax rate of 15% of gross win and did not limit the number of skins that may be offered under each license. The licenses are valid for 10 years, and cost $10 million each, and there is no express ‘bad actor’ clause in the legislation. However, lawmakers in New York have filed bills to legalize online poker every year since 2014, all without success.

Governor Andrew Cuomo announced his draft 2021 budget proposals and decided not to include the regulation of online sports betting. The Governor did include plans to allow operators to offer automated betting kiosks and allow betting windows in other areas of their properties outside of their sports lounges. The New York Supreme Court upheld a 2018 ruling that found Daily Fantasy Sports games are illegal under state law and require a constitutional amendment to be authorized. In August 2016 Governor Andrew Cuomo signed legislation declaring the activity was a game of skill and therefore could be legally operated without a voter-approved constitutional amendment. However, in October 2018 the Albany Supreme Court ruled that DFS was classified as gambling and therefore illegal. It is expected that the state will appeal the decision and DFS operations will be allowed to continue through this process. Assemblyman Gary Pretlow, who chairs the Assembly Racing and Wagering Committee, is pushing to accelerate the issuance of downstate casino licenses. Currently, the state can issue up to seven commercial casino licenses, but after 4 casinos were opened upstate, there was a moratorium of 7 years before the 3 downstate casinos can be licensed, to spark economic development upstate. This moratorium is set to run until 2023, but the new proposals would end this moratorium early, with the existing casinos getting compensation from license fees from the downstate casinos.

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FAQ

Is it legal to gamble for real money online in New York?

Gambling laws vary for each type of game. Online games are not permitted to be offered by onshore gaming operators. As a result, online operators are based offshore at regulated and licensed jurisdictions. NY players are accepted by the offshore operators. In regards, to player legality, the laws neither explicitly declare online gambling as illegal or legal. As a result NY players can continue to enjoy playing online games.

What is the legal minimum age to play at real money online casinos?

Legal minimum ages vary from online casino to online casino, however their requirement is that the higher of the player’s jurisdiction the the online casino’s own legal minimum is taken to be the determine age limit. Therefore, for New York players the legal minimum age is 21.

Can I play at New York Daily Fantasy Sport Sites?

Yes you can. Even though the State has explicitly declared DFS to be illegal, DFS operators continue to accept New York players. There is no risk to players for participating in DFS in regards to fines and penalties, for it is the operator which bears all the responsibility.

Is sports betting legal in New York?

Sports betting is legal with sports books open at the various land based casinos. Sports bettors from NYC find this a nuisance, and therefore drive across the border to New Jersey, where online sports betting is legal via mobile apps.