New York

New York Online Gambling & Sportsbooks in 2022

2022 has been a huge year for change within New York, after much difficulty a bill was finally passed to allow for online mobile sports betting at the start of 2022 and has went on to find a lot of success.

This good news has also passed over to online gambling and online casinos too as the state is putting together a board of individuals to oversee safety regulation within the state, and residents may be able to access online gambling at a legal online casino as early as 2023.

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Best Bonuses in New York Online Casinos

Bonuses are part and parcel of the ‘online casino experience.’ However, not all bonuses are built equal. Some are underwhelming and come with unfair bonus terms and conditions, including excessive wagering requirements.

Fortunately, our experts have sifted through them all to bring only the best online casino bonuses to New York gamblers. Rest assured, New Yorkers can qualify for plenty of bonus money, free spins, and more when playing online casino games!

Not sure which New York online casino to choose? No problem, since each recommendation comes with our in-house guide that summarizes the essentials of these New York online casinos.

Best New Casinos in New York

Playing at a new casino online that accepts players from New York can be a great way to go! But where do you begin with your online casino gaming? Fortunately, we’ve listed our best new casinos online for New Yorkers below.

These are licensed US dollar & Bitcoin casinos, offering plenty of great slots, table games, and other casino games. These trustworthy NY online casinos allow safe and easy USD & BTC deposits and withdrawals. Just try to find an upstate commercial or statewide tribal casino that’s as easy or convenient!

New York Gambling Overview

New York state law is one of the most liberal when it comes to gambling. And boy, is it ever big business with $3.7 billion in revenue for fiscal 2019-20 alone!

The New York State Gaming Commission regulates all gaming in New York: pari-mutuel wagering (on-track and off-track facilities), racinos, commercial casinos, lotteries, VLTs, and charitable gaming.

New York has authorized seven commercial casinos and negotiated Compacts allowing for Class II/III tribal casinos. Five commercial casinos currently operate in upstate New York: Yonkers, Vernon, Yonkers, Bridgeport, and Islandia. Although there are no casinos in New York City, efforts to introduce one in 2023 continuously crop up.

New York does not have a legal definition of online gambling or mobile sports betting. Thus the practice remains prohibited under New York law.

Charitable Gaming

In 2017, charitable gaming underwent some significant revisions as part of a drive to modernize the hobby. For example, the maximum payout of ‘bell jars’ rose to $6,000 from $3,000.

Also, the threshold to allow unlicensed raffles was raised from $20,000 to $30,000. However, a license may be required where the net proceeds exceed $5,000 (single raffle) or $30,000 (multiple raffles within a calendar year). This type of activity falls under Category 1.

Category 2 raffles with proceeds below $5,000 for a single event or $30,000 per calendar year do not need a license or to report their financials.

The maximum allowable bingo prize was raised from $1,000 to $5,000. In addition, the top prize per bingo event rose from $1,000 to $15,000.

Raffle tickets can be sold online and through mobile devices effective June 16, 2018.

Interactive Fantasy Sports

Interactive fantasy sports are not considered games of chance in New York because they require background knowledge and skill. Therefore, daily fantasy sports do not meet the New York definition of gambling. Interestingly, the same could be said for some online casino games – blackjack is highly strategic, for one – but online casinos remain illegal for now.

IFS operators must register with the New York State Gaming Commission. Operators offering the service before November 10, 2015, may continue to operate with a permit.

Land-based Casinos

New York has approved a total of seven commercial casinos. However, there are only five in operation, all in upstate New York. Here, players can find thousands of slot machines, hundreds of table games, including high-limit rooms, and more. Approved games include baccarat, blackjack, craps, roulette, poker, etc.

Upstate Commercial Casinos	Address	Website
Resorts World New York City Casino	110-00 Rockaway Blvd. – Jamaica, NY 11420	rwnewyork.com
Jake’s 58 Hotel & Casino	3635 Expy Dr. N. – Islandia, NY 11749	jakes58.com
Empire City Casino Yonkers Raceway	810 Yonkers Ave. – Yonkers, NY 10704	empirecitycasino.mgmresorts.com
*Point Place Casino	450 452 NY-31 – Bridgeport, NY 13030	pointplacecasino.com
Vernon Down Casino & Hotel	4229 Stuhlman Rd. – Vernon, NY 13476	vernondowns.com

*New casino in 2021

In addition to commercial casinos, New York State has eight federally recognized native tribes in New York. However, only three of these can offer legal Class III gaming: Seneca Nation, Oneida Nation, and Saint Regis Mohawk. A further 10 Class II tribal gaming facilities are operated by the Oneida Nation, Seneca Nation, and Cayuga Nation.

Class III Tribal Casinos	Address	Website
Turning Stone Casino	5218 Patrick Rd. – Verona, NY 13478	turningstone.com
Seneca Niagara Casino	310 4th St. – Niagara Falls, New York 14303	senecaniagaracasino.com
Seneca Buffalo Casino	1 Fulton St. – Buffalo, NY 14204	senecabuffalocreekcasino.com
Seneca Allegany Casino	777 Seneca Allegany Blvd -Salamanca, NY 14779	senecaalleganycasino.com
Yellow Brick Road Casino	800 West Genesee Street – Chittenango, NY 13037	yellowbrickroadcasino.com
Finger Lakes Gaming & Racetrack	5857 Route 96 – Farmington, NY 14425	fingerlakesgaming.com
Batavia Downs	8315 Park Rd. – Batavia, NY 14020	bataviadownsgaming.com
Hamburg Gaming at the Fairgrounds	5820 South Park Avenue – Hamburg, NY 14075	hamburggaming.com

Lottery

The New York Lottery is the largest and most profitable in North America, directing almost $3.5 billion towards New York education. The state lottery represents two-thirds of all gaming receipts for the fiscal year 2019 -20.

New Yorkers can find draw games, scratch-off games, and a ‘Second Chance Program’ on eligible scratch-off and drop games. Examples of statewide draw games include New York Lotto, Take 5, and Win 4.

Tickets can be purchased at participating lotto retailers. However, individual lottery tickets cannot be purchased online. In addition to local products, New Yorkers can also purchase interstate tickets such as Cash4Life, Powerball, and Mega Millions.

Prizes over $5,000 are subject to New York withholding taxes as well as federal income taxes.

Pari-Mutuel Racing

New York allows pari-mutuel wagering on both thoroughbred and standardbred horse racing. Gaming facilities date back to as early as 1863 with the opening of Saratoga Springs. Off-track betting is permitted at one of New York state’s 5 off-track betting (OTB) sites: Western Regional, Capital District, Catskill Regional, Suffolk Regional, and Nassau Regional.

This is in addition to 6 racetrack facilities that offer VLTs.

(Racinos) Casinos & VLTs	Address	Website
Resorts World Catskills	888 Resorts World Drive – Monticello, NY 12701	rwcatskills.com
Saratoga Casino & Raceway	342 Jefferson St. – Saratoga Springs, NY 12866	saratogacasino.com
Tioga Downs Casino	2384 W River Rd – Nichols, NY 13812-1406	tiogadowns.com
Rivers Casino And Resort	1 Rush Street – Schenectady, NY 12308	riverscasino.com
Del Lago Resort And Casino	1133 Route 414 – Waterloo, NY 13165	dellagoresort.com

Sports Betting

Sports betting in New York is legal but currently restricted to in-person betting at the five upstate New York casinos. In April 2021, online sports betting was approved for the fiscal year 2022 budget. The New York Lottery is expected to run online sports betting by licensing it out to a limited number of mobile betting operators. The legality of this business model and the lack of competition have been challenged.

Full-scale sports betting, including online sports betting, is currently being studied. Although the results were expected to be released in June 2020, this has been delayed.

Video Lottery Terminals (VLTs)

New York law permits video lottery terminals at one of the state’s 8 VLTs facilities, racinos, and OTB locations. Since being introduced, it has become an essential source of state revenue. These are similar to slot machines, although configured according to lottery laws and regulations.

New York Casinos Map

 

 

New York Gambling History

New York state voted to amend the Constitution to allow pari-mutuel wagering in 1939 by a margin of more than 2-1. Nearly two decades later, in 1957, New York’s Constitution was amended through a referendum by a 3:2 split to introduce charity bingo games to be regulated by state/local governments. By 1975, Amendment 7 was approved, expanding charity gaming to include certain games of chance.

The Charitable Gaming Act was signed into law in December 2017, requiring regulations to be approved in June 2018. However, as of the end of May 2021, the rules have yet to be created. The Act would allow people to purchase charity raffle tickets using a debit/credit card and legalize online purchases.

The New York Lottery was launched in 1967, with proceeds going towards public education. It was authorized a year earlier by 60% of New Yorkers in a referendum to amend the state Constitution.

The first four video lottery terminal (VLTs) facilities began operating in 2004. Four more followed in 2006, and three more facilities were opened at the Aqueduct Racetrack and some off-track betting parlors.

The New York State Gaming Commission was created in 2012 by merging the New York State Division of Lottery, New York State Racing, and Wagering Board. It went live on February 1, 2013. That same year, a statewide referendum to amend the New York Constitution to allow up to 7 commercial casinos was approved. Furthermore, sports betting was authorized at five on-site locations. Regulated sports betting only became available in July 2019.

In 2015, the New York attorney general filed a suit against FanDuel and DraftKings, calling DFS illegal gambling. With the appeal still pending, legal exceptions to the prohibition were enacted (Chapter 237) based on the following:

• IFS are not games of chance because they require skill.
• The outcome of wagers remains under the control of the player with sufficient knowledge and skill.

On February 6, 2020, Chapter 237 was ruled unconstitutional. However, it also determined that the New York Legislature has the right to decriminalize IFS gambling.

The Interactive Fantasy Sports Bill was signed by Gov Andrew Cuomo in August 2016. It assigned the task of implementing a mandatory registration system to the New York State Gaming Commission. It bumbled the job by severely limiting competition leading to a monopoly enjoyed by DFS operators FanDuel and DraftKings.

In January 2021, Gov Andrew Cuomo expressed his interest in legalizing and regulating online sports betting. Time will tell what the outcome will be. No announcement has been forthcoming on online casino gambling, although it will always be more controversial to legalize online casinos than it is to permit betting on contests of skill.

New York Gambling FAQ

Does New York have land-based casinos?

New York has five commercial casinos located in Upstate New York, 8 Class III tribal casinos, 10 Class II tribal casinos, and 5 racinos offering VLTs.

Does New York offer fantasy sports contests?

Because fantasy sports contests are considered skill games, they are permitted under New York law.

Where can I play video lottery terminals in New York?

Video lottery terminals (VLTs) are found at 8 dedicated VLT facilities, 6 racetrack casinos, and some off-track betting locations.

Does New York permit sports betting?

Sports betting is legal in New York but limited to the state’s five commercial casinos and in person. Online sports betting is currently illegal.

What is the legal gambling age in New York?

The legal gambling age in New York varies by activity. For example, to participate in lotteries, fantasy sports, or charitable gaming, a New Yorker must be 18+. On the other hand, sports betting, pari-mutuels, and casinos are lawful for players 21+.

Conclusion

Although New York permits a reasonable selection of gambling activities, online casinos are not one of them. You could trek to a land-based casino, but that might not be practical if you just want to play a few rounds of slots or table games.

Indeed, online casinos have several competitive advantages over land-based casinos. No doubt, New Yorkers that already play at online casinos know this well. While technically, online casinos are not legal, we hope that this will change in time.

Until they do, some New Yorkers are playing at offshore online casinos instead. If you’re also interested, we can recommend the best online casinos and bonuses. Also, don’t forget to visit our New York gambling page regularly for updates.