Online Gambling in New York (2023)

New York Online Gambling (2023)

New York has joined ranks with other states in the US to accommodate online gambling. Players within state lines can now comfortably play and withdraw wins at some of their favorite gambling sites. Although there are certain gray lines regarding online gambling, players will be delighted that they no longer need to travel across borders to neighboring states like New Jersey and Pennsylvania or play at unreliable foreign gambling sites anymore. 

This guide provides the necessary information you need to start gambling comfortably in the Empire state. It includes an insight into the online gambling environment, top bookmakers and casinos to help you get substantial cash prizes, and an overview of each gambling category.

Current State of Gambling in New York

Online gambling is now started in New York. The legislation gave licenses to nine sportsbooks to commence operations in the Empire State, with only five with active status at the moment. This development allows residents who enjoy the gambling adventure at land-based casinos to extend it online. Also, fans who enjoy watching sports events can get awesome entertainment betting on such games. 

Although in-person casinos are entirely legal, online casinos are still unregulated in New York. however, the Empire State is home to over 12 casinos; tribal venues, commercial casinos, and racinos. Game lovers can opt for slot and table games at these locations. Video lottery terminals (VLT) are present at racinos. Sweepstakes and social casinos are the online options available. 

If you’re a fan of online sports betting, then the excitement is on! New York has legalized online sports betting on January 8, and five sportsbooks are already active in offering sports betting to residents in New York.

Laws that Govern New York Online Gambling

The legislation of online gambling in NY is still lagging compared to other states, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Currently, state legislators have passed a law legalizing the activities of online sportsbooks in the state, but the state is not issuing licenses to online casinos.

A peculiar thing about the state of New York is that there are no laws outrightly banning the activities of online gambling. However, the current state of New York’s legislation on online gambling is rather complex. According to NY laws, gambling is an activity where an individual stakes a valuable item to predict the outcome of an event of chance or a future event entirely out of his control.  

There are also no laws that spell out penalties for engaging in online gambling activity in unique rooms like the New York sports betting sites or New York poker rooms.

In addition, New York is still the home to online horse betting and several social casino and sweepstakes casino sites. 

Here’s a timeline leading to the legalization of online sports betting in New York:

• April 2021: Governor Kathy Hochul signs online sports betting bill into law.
• January 6, 2022: online sportsbooks like FanDuel and Draftkings begin offering pre-launch bonuses for new signups within state lines.
• January 8, 2022: DraftKings, FanDuel, Caesars, and BetRivers go live.
• January 17, 2022: BetMGM sportsbook also goes live with online sports betting in New York.

Who Governs Online Gambling Operations in New York

The New York State Gaming Commission is charged with the responsibility of governing lawful gaming and horse racing activies in the state. They ensure the credibility, integrity, and safety of all gaming practices and products.  The Commission was started on February 1, 2013, and is tasked with regulating all aspects of gaming in the state, which includes horse racing, lottery, commercial gaming, charitable gaming, and online sports betting. 

The Commission understands that the gambling space is evolving and increasing on a global scale, therefore, ensures the necessary regulatory structures are in place for New York punters to have the best experirnce. Furthermore, we believe online gambling will also be regulated by the Commission when it becomes legal in NY.

Why Playing on NY Legalized Betting Sites is Better than Offshore Betting Sites

Since the NY legislation has not fully legalized online casinos and iGaming in general, some alternatives are safe and entirely legal in the Empire State. Online casino games can be enjoyed in several sweepstakes and social casinos, legal under federal law. All games are found on regular online casino sites. However, some sweepstakes coins can be used to wager on the games.  

Due to the lapses created by regulation, it is possible for New York players to search for offshore betting sites. While we cannot stop this from happening, we also cannot guarantee its authenticity. This is why we suggest players stick with legal New York options. 

With legal gambling operators, you are guaranteed fair play, easy withdrawals of winnings, effective and efficient customer support, and much more. Majorly, these operators are legal and licensed. In essence, their operations or activities are watched by the New York State Gaming Commission. Their operations are guided by law. 

The games offered on these platforms are regularly checked for fairness, so you have a chance to win too. As mentioned earlier, online gambling sites operating in New York also have speedy customer support where you can get answers to your questions and resolve your complaints. 

Most times, offshore gambling sites, not legalized or approved by the NYS Gaming Commission do not answer to any regulatory body.  There is also no assurance that you can withdraw cash wins after playing iGames or winning a sports bet. Why would you take such a risk?  

Overview of the Gambling Categories in NY

This section will look at each product that makes up online gambling in New York. We’ll also describe the legal situation of each gambling product and the operators you can play at. 

Legal Online Sportsbooks in New York

Online sports betting is currently legal in NY, and five sportsbooks are now actively offering sports betting options to the residents in the state. Ideally, there are nine sportsbooks we expect to be in operations when everything is in place. The New York Gaming Commission receives bids for online sports betting licenses and has the sole responsibility of regulating sports betting activities. 

The sportsbooks remit 51% of their revenues as taxes to the state government. The five sportsbooks currently active in the Empire state are:

DraftKings Sportsbook NY

Since sports betting became active in January 2022, DraftKings has been taking bets in NY. Although they just began their online operations, they have been operating in retail mode at del Lago. The betting app is fast and can easily be used by anyone, even newbies. 

The operator uses the same app in all states, so there’s no need for multiple downloads when traveling across state lines. DraftKings app is a subsidiary of their daily fantasy sports firm. 

Caesars Sportsbook NY

Caesars is live and accepting sports bets from NY residents. If you enjoy playing at Point Place, Turning Stone, and Yellow Brick Road retail casinos in NY, then Caesars should not be new to you. In addition, the mobile casino is one of a kind, offering an excellent user experience. 

The sportsbook operator also dishes out excellent rewards and bonuses, unmatched with other top sportsbooks apps. Other rewards include a monthly free bet and one extra for birthday celebrations are among them. They also have an amazing customer support team,  always available on the app to offer assistance. 

BetRivers Sportsbook NY

BetRivers Sportsbook is another top operator that has launched in the Empire state. BetRivers operates the app for the Rivers gaming group, a conglomerate of casinos currently based in Schenectady. 

When it comes to the customization of parlay bets, BetRivers is unmatched. You can use the Jackpot Parlay option for lottery tickets if you want. They also offer an intense rewards program for its existing players called iRush Rewards. 

FanDuel Sportsbook NY

On January 8, FanDuel started actively accepting sports bets. Before they received a license to operate an online sportsbook, they had been active in New York in retail bets and gambling, and New York is one of their most vital states offering Daily Fantasy Sports. Little wonder why they are headquartered in the Empire State. 

The sportsbook app is user-friendly, very interactive, and programmed with great features to make betting convenient. New Yorkers would definitely enjoy carrying out their betting on the app. Easy navigating, regular promotions, and reward programs are perks that lure NY sports bettors to this sportsbook. Asides from this, you can monitor your bets slip, place bets and, explore in-betting features. Also, the live stream feature is an excellent selling point for the bookie operator.  

BetMGM Sportsbook NY

Straight from the stables of MGM Resorts International, the BetMGM sportsbook app offers a kind of flexible betting you can only dream of. While the option of cashout is available on almost all sportsbooks, BetMGM takes things further by adding the “Edit my Bet Feature.” Both features are bound to give you a pleasant experience. In essence, you can add some games, drop others, and increase your potential cash prize.

WynnBet Sportsbook NY

WynnBet holds a provisional license to operate but is not currently active. The sportsbook app is from the stables of the Wynn and Encore casino chains company. It’s fast, has good navigation, and supports new bettors. They come with juicy reward programs and bonuses as noticed in states where they are already active. We are certain that New Yorkers would not get anything less.

Other notable sportsbook operators include:

• BallyBet Sportsbook NY
• PointsBet Sportsbook NY

Legal Online Casinos in NY

As stated, New Yorkers can substitute the unregulated real online casino experience with either a sweepstake or social casino. These options allow you to enjoy all the fun and fanfare associated with the online casino site platforms. You can also win real cash prizes through sweepstakes or social casinos. Some of the sweepstakes and social casinos in NY include:

Chumba Casino

This casino allows you to enjoy casino-style games in NY without the risk of attracting law enforcement. With Chumba casino, you can sift through over 80 slots games and a vast range of table games without staking your real money. The best thing about it is that you can win real cash prizes when you accumulate the sweepstakes coins called Sweeps Coins. 

You can also play with Gold Coins on the platform. As long as you’re 21 years and older, you can play at this casino. 

Funzpoints Casino

This social casino offers New York players a new and improved method of enjoying casino-themed games for free. You don't have to put a burden on your bank account or risk losing any real money. This operator offers you pure entertainment for your time. 

Essentially, Funzpoints casino comes in two game modes; demo and real money modes. New sign-ups at the casino will receive a welcome bonus, including a deposit match offer restricted to the real money mode. The free game mode offers users up to 250 points, equivalent to $2.50, acceptable on all the games on the platform. 

If you upgrade to the real money or paid mode and make a real money deposit, the points received will get a bump in value, up to $20.

Other top social casinos currently active in New York include:

• Global poker casino
• LuckyLand casino

Online Poker in NY

Currently, online poker is not regulated in the state of New York. Poker enthusiasts can enjoy the game at land-based casinos, but there is no provision in New York’s legislation for online poker platforms. Gamblers in New York who want to enjoy the fun of online poker will have to wait a little while until the legislation pulls some weight around the gambling product.   

An alternative means to enjoy online poker is to register at a social casino or sweepstakes site like Global Poker. You can purchase Gold Coins and use them to play at online poker rooms on this site. You can also receive the coins as rewards during tournaments and convert them into cash prizes. The higher you accumulate, the higher the cash prizes will be. 

There are many commercial casinos where you can play at their poker rooms during tournaments. There are no chances of a bill legalizing online poker reaching the legislature any time soon, however, we are certain they will look into it. 

Online Lottery in NY

New York has many lottery games available to players 21 years and older. The lottery games are only available offline, and tickets can be purchased through the online mobile app, physical tickets, or scratch-offs at retail locations. 

Players looking to play online lottery can do so on social casinos and sweepstakes casinos. Chumba Casino, LuckyLand Casino, B Spot & Play Casino, and Funzpoints Casino are available to enjoy online lottery.

The offline lottery games are divided into two: the draw games and the lotto games. The draw games are valid only in New York, while the lotto games can be played across many states in the United States. 

Online Horse Racing Betting in NY

It is safe to say that New York is the home for horse racing, and the Empire State is the most involved in this form of gambling than other states in the US. Online horse racing betting is valid in NY and can be played across several horse betting sites active in the state on mobile or PC. One of the top horse racing betting sites is TVG.

TVG

Since 1999, TVG has provided horse racing bets to almost all parts of the United States. This site is a part of the sportsbook giant, FanDuel which falls under Flutter Entertainment. The operator offers live streams on all races, lots of updated data to help bettors place informed bets, and also include top betting tips. You can access the site through your mobile browser or PC. 

The site offers different bonuses and reward programs for new and existing players. Some of the promotions include Multiway insurance, Super 5 free pick ‘em contest, and Money Back Madness.