Online Gambling in New York
For years, New York bettors have had to cross into New Jersey or Pennsylvania to place their online bets. However, change is coming to the Empire State, and we’re here to help NY players learn what to look for in a legal, real-money online gambling site, where to find the best bonus offers and how to avoid disreputable sites that don’t protect consumers.
New York is poised to allow legal online sports gambling in the near future, perhaps as soon as late 2021, and that might only be the beginning of an exciting new time for New Yorkers. EmpireStakes.com will only deal with online sportsbooks and casinos licensed by the New York State Gaming Commission. Our goal is to become a trusted resource for bettors of all skill levels and the most comprehensive New York wagering and gambling information site.
Latest Gambling News in New York
We strive to provide New Yorkers with the latest gambling news and developments, both through stories and social media. As betting sites launch and new issues and legislation emerge, we’ll have you covered.
We Are New York Gambling Experts
We have a team on the ground in New York with extensive knowledge of the state’s gambling market, from sports wagering to horse racing to casinos. We know the politics and the players because we've covered them for years. Our experienced team will evaluate and review New York's legal betting sites and apps as they go live, and report and update when new products and sites are introduced.
Everything You Need to Know About Gambling in New York
New York allows in-person betting at four land-based commercial casinos and several tribal casinos, and will have legal online sports betting soon. As the state’s gambling footprint expands, EmpireStakes.com provides the latest New York-specific gambling news , information and reviews of top online gambling operators to help bettors select safe and legal places to wager.
This is an exciting time in New York, with online sports gambling now supported by Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who reached an agreement with state lawmakers to include it in the fiscal 2022 budget deal. Potentially, New York can become the top legal sports betting market in the nation.
What will New York online sports betting look like? What other state venues might become sports betting retail outlets? Those are important questions, and EmpireStakes.com will monitor and report on the latest developments. We also provide helpful resources such as licensing information, rules changes and revenue figures from the New York State Gaming Commission , along with news from the state’s commercial and tribal casinos and racinos.
Launch Dates
A look at the legal forms of gambling in New York and when they were launched:
In-Person Gambling
- Video lottery terminals and electronic table games in the New York City vicinity are offered at Empire City Casino at Yonkers Raceway and Resorts World in Queens. The Yonkers facility was the first to open in 2006.
- Full casino gambling at four commercial casinos in different regions of upstate New York began in December 2016, joining upstate tribal casinos, which first opened in 1993. The casinos offer slots, casino games, poker, bingo and keno.
- Retail sports betting launched in 2019 at commercial and tribal casinos.
- Pari-mutuel wagering is available at 11 New York thoroughbred or harness racing tracks and nearly 200 off-track betting locations across the state. Saratoga Race Course is the third-oldest track in the U.S. — it opened in 1863.
Online Gambling
- The hope is mobile sports betting will launch in late 2021.
- New Yorkers can wager on horse racing via online pari-mutuel wagering platforms such at NYRA Bets, which launched in 2016.
- New York has permitted and regulated daily fantasy sports (DFS) wagering since 2016. A state appellate court ruled in 2020 that DFS is not legal gambling in NY, but the ruling was appealed, and operators continue to accept wagers.
- New York, which began operating a state lottery in 1967, launched a mobile app in 2021, allowing players to download state lottery tickets from their smartphones.
- Online casinos are not being discussed, but social online sweepstakes casinos, which offer free casino-style games with no real money changing hands, are legal to New York players and have been for a few years.
NY Gaming Operators
There are four commercial casinos and seven tribal casinos currently in New York:
| Casino | Owner/License Holder |
|---|---|
| Rivers Casino Schenectady | Rush Street Gaming |
| Tioga Downs Casino | American Racing and Entertainment (Jeff Gural) |
| del Lago Casino | Peninsula Pacific Entertainment |
| Resorts World Catskills | Kien Huat, Genting |
| Point Place Casino | Oneida Indian Nation |
| Turning Stone Casino | Oneida Indian Nation |
| Yellow Brick Road Casino | Oneida Indian Nation |
| Seneca Buffalo Creek Casino | Seneca Nation of Indians |
| Seneca Allegany Casino | Seneca Nation of Indians |
| Seneca Niagara Casino | Seneca Nation of Indians |
| Akwesasne Mohawk Casino | Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe |
Potential Online Operators
As New York moves closer to legal online sports betting, BetRivers, Draftkings and FanDuel are among the most likely mobile operators. All already have partnerships with the state’s land-based commercial sportsbooks: BetRiver sports betting with Rivers Casino Schenectady; Draftkings sportsbook with del Lago Casino; and Fanduel sports app with Tioga Downs Casino. In addition, Caesars operates sportsbooks at the state’s Oneida Indian Nation casinos. The state’s selection of operators will depend on whether New York adopts a competitive mobile marketplace or more of a single-operator approach similar to New Hampshire.
NY Gambling Laws and Regulations
Key points of New York casino and sports betting laws:
- Bettors must be 21 years of age or older to wager at the state’s upstate commercial casinos and sportsbooks. (18 or older to wager at racinos and some tribal casinos).
- New York State Gaming Commission regulates state casinos and sports betting.
- Full on-site casino gaming, poker and sports betting is available at four commercial upstate casinos along with tribal casinos. The state’s racinos are permitted to offer only video lottery terminals and/or electronic table games.
- Online sports betting, online poker and online casino games are not legal. A pair of online sports betting bills are under consideration in the State Legislature, both of which would create more than a dozen potential mobile operators and add retail kiosks at sports stadiums.
- No sports wagering on college games involving New York-based teams.
New York Gambling Revenue
During January 2021, New York’s four commercial casinos generated $27.2 million in slot revenue and $6.3 million in table game revenue, according to the New York State Gaming Commission. Sports betting revenue was $3.6 million, the best month ever recorded by the state’s sportsbooks. New York only releases revenue figures and not total handle.
The state’s two biggest racinos, Resorts World New York in Queens and Empire City Casino at Yonkers Raceway, reported combined 2019 gaming revenue of $1.49 billion, or about 55% of the total statewide commercial gaming market, according to the American Gaming Association. That’s without non-electronic table games and sports betting, which the racinos are not permitted to offer.
Responsible Gambling
Part of our mission is to be a resource for gambling education and provide support information to New York bettors who may have a gambling problem. We provide contacts for support groups such as the National Problem Gambling Helpline (1-800-522-4700) and the New York National Council on Problem Gambling, as well as links for ways to help prevent gambling addiction, such as setting deposit and wagering limits and how to self-exclude from wagering for any period of time. The state has responsible gambling programs as well.
FAQ
Online sports betting will be legal and available in New York soon, but online casino gambling and online poker are not currently legal.
The minimum legal age to gamble at the state’s commercial casinos is 21. At racinos and some of the state’s tribal casinos, the minimum age is 18.
You can gamble at four commercial casinos and seven tribal casinos in upstate New York and at racinos around the state that allow video lottery terminals and electronic games.
While you won’t need to be a New York resident, you will need to be physically located inside the state to place a wager when online gambling launches in New York. Operators use geolocation software to confirm your location.
Most pro and college sports and several international sports. The only restrictions are no betting on college games involving New York-based schools.
Offshore online gambling sites are unregulated and risky. Withdrawals can be problematic because U.S. financial institutions cannot knowingly enter into transactions with them. Offshore sites may abruptly shut down, resulting in loss of funds with no recourse for account holders.
Tax rates vary for the state’s four commercial casinos, ranging from 37 to 45% on slot revenues. All are taxed at 10% for table games and sports betting revenues. Tribal casinos pay a separate gaming tax rate, negotiated through compacts. In a pair of legislative bills introduced in January 2021, mobile sports betting revenue, if legalized, would be taxed at 12%.
Yes. New York is home to nearly a dozen thoroughbred and harness racing tracks across the state, many off-track betting locations, and allows online wagering through platforms such as New York Racing Association-owned NYRA Bets.
Contributors
Lou Monaco
Reviewer since December 2019
Lou Monaco had been East Coast Scene columnist for Gaming Today in Las Vegas since June 2019, covering the East Coast sportsbook scene with emphasis on NJ and PA. He also currently is a part-time writer for the high school sports department for NJ Advanced Media (NJ.com) in Iselin, NJ. Lou has over 30 years sports experience with previous stints at ESPN SportsTicker, Daily Racing Form and Oddschecker.
