Is Online Sports Betting Legal in New York?
Internet sports wagering isn’t legal in New York. You can visit neighboring New Jersey or Pennsylvania to enjoy regulated online betting.
New York’s lack of online sports gambling is surprising, considering its openness to the matter. NY betting legislation dates back to 2009.
New York became one of the first states to legalize sports betting in 2013. However, this voter referendum didn’t include anything about online wagering.
Will New York Legalize Online Sports Betting?
New York acted quickly to approve sports gambling in 2013. It preemptively legalized sports betting while waiting for a federal ban (PASPA) to be lifted, which happened in 2018.
However, efforts to regulate online betting have fallen flat. State Sen. Joseph Addabbo introduced unsuccessful legislation in 2019 and 2020.
The latter bill is still active. It’s unlikely to pass, though, considering that Gov. Andrew Cuomo isn’t on board.
In 2019, Cuomo noted that mobile sports gambling is in violation of the state constitution. He believes that another referendum would need to be passed before mobile betting could be approved.
The effort is there to regulate online sports betting. Nevertheless, we don’t see New York internet sports gambling becoming legal until 2022 at the earliest.
NY Casinos with Sports Betting
The Empire State allows commercial and tribal casinos to operate land-based sportsbooks. Meanwhile, racetracks, racinos, and off-track betting (OTB) facilities can’t currently offer sports wagering.
That said, the following NY casinos provide retail betting.
- Akwesasne Mohawk Casino (Hogansburg)
- DraftKings Sportsbook at del Lago Resort Casino (Waterloo)
- FanDuel Sportsbook at Tioga Downs Casino Resort (Nichols)
- Point Place Casino (Bridgeport)
- Resorts World Catskills (Monticello)
- Rivers Casino (Schenectady)
- Turning Stone (Syracuse)
- Yellow Brick Road Casino (Chittenango)
When New York regulates online betting, it will surely require internet operators to partner with an existing land-based sportsbook. The options above would serve as potential partners for each internet bookmaker.
Likely New York Online Sportsbooks
New York features serious potential regarding mobile betting. It boasts 19.45 million residents and an economy worth over $1.5 trillion annually.
It would no doubt draw many of the finest online sportsbooks available. DraftKings and FanDuel are no-brainers for the NY market.
Both are top-tier betting sites in other states. Given that they already hold retail licensing in New York, they’d easily transition to mobile betting.
Other possible internet bookmakers that would serve this market include:
- Barstool Bets
- BetAmerica
- BetMGM
- BetRivers
- Caesars
- PointsBet
- theScore
Using New York Sports Betting Apps
Mobile sportsbooks are drawing far more action than retail betting locations in other states. That said, you can expect prospective NY betting sites to offer Android and iOS apps.
How would you download a NY betting app?
iOS and Android casino apps feature a slightly different download process. They vary based on whether you visit the mobile sportsbook or an app store.
You’d obtain a New York iOS betting app as follows:
- Visit the App Store with your iPhone or iPad.
- Look for the relevant sportsbook.
- Download the app.
You’d obtain a New York Android betting app as follows:
- Go to the betting site’s homepage with your mobile device.
- Select the Android icon.
- Follow the download instructions.
What if no app is available?
Some NY online sportsbooks might not offer an Android and/or iOS app. In this case, you’d use instant betting at the relevant bookmaker.
Instant betting refers to placing wagers through your mobile browser (e.g., Safari). It’s similar to using an app, except everything takes place in your web browser.
Registering for an account
You’d need to complete registration before being able to place bets. Referencing other markets, bookmakers commonly request the following pieces of information:
- Name
- Mailing address
- Date of birth
- Phone number
- Social Security number
- Username
- Password
Bonus codes are optional on these forms. You enter a bonus code if there’s a specific offer that you’d like to obtain.
Likely NY Online Bets that Would be Available
Each New York internet bookmaker would assuredly offer several different types of bets, including the following:
- Moneyline
- Spread
- Totals
- Parlay
- Teaser
- Round robin
- Proposition bet
- Live betting
What Online Betting Markets would New York allow?
The Empire State would provide many markets to mobile sports gamblers. Here are the likely NY mobile markets:
- Australian rules football
- Baseball
- Basketball (NBA & college)
- Bowling
- Boxing
- Cricket
- Darts
- Football (NFL & college)
- Golf
- Hockey
- Mixed martial arts
- Olympics
- Rugby
- Sailing
- Soccer/World Cup
- Softball
- Tennis
- Volleyball
Wagering on NY Teams would be huge
The Big Apple boasts eight professional sports teams. Buffalo also features a couple of pro squads.
New York residents and visitors would assuredly bet serious money on NYC and Buffalo teams. The following teams would certainly draw lots of wagers:
- MLB
- New York Mets
- New York Yankees
- NBA
- Brooklyn Nets
- New York Knicks
- NFL
- Buffalo Bills
- New York Giants (play in New Jersey)
- New York Jets (play in New Jersey)
- NHL
- Buffalo Sabres
- New York Islanders
- New York Rangers
The Empire State doesn’t allow betting on in-state college teams. Therefore, you can only wager on out-of-state colleges when in New York.
Online eSports Betting Unlikely in New York
The NY State Gaming Commission hasn’t given approval on esports betting. The Gaming Commission is unlikely to break this stance for online esports gambling.
Depositing at NY Betting Sites
Legal US mobile betting markets offer roughly the same set of deposit options. Therefore, New York bookmakers would likely provide the following banking methods:
- ACH: You transfer funds from your bank to an internet sportsbook.
- Cash at the cage: You visit a land-based NY casino and deposit.
- Neteller/PayPal/Skrill: Some or all of these e-wallets would be available.
- PayNearMe: You visit a local 7-Eleven and buy a deposit slip.
- Play+ card: Bookmakers can issue you a branded prepaid card.
- Visa/Mastercard/Discover: Major credit cards would also be available for deposits.
You’d likely be able to cash out with most of these options, too—minus PayNearMe and credit cards. You could also request a paper check.
NY betting sites would surely require you to provide extra identification when making withdrawals. This additional step helps verify your age and prevents other people from cashing out funds from your account.
New York Sports Betting Bonuses
Probable bonuses that would be available in New York’s mobile betting market include:
- Match-deposit bonus: An online sportsbook matches your deposit up to a specified limit (e.g., $250).
- No-deposit bonus: A betting site gives you a bonus after signing up.
- Odds boost: The bookmaker reduces vig on a wager.
- Risk-free bet: If you place a losing bet, you can earn back the funds.
- VIP program: You collect rewards based on your wagering volume.
You need to satisfy terms and conditions on bonuses in every market. New York would definitely impose T&Cs on bonus offers, too.
History of Sports Betting in New York
New York’s history with sports gambling dates back to 2009. State Sen. Eric Adams introduced a bill (S 6061) to legalize sports wagering within the same year.
The legislation sought to allow sports gambling at racetracks and off-track betting parlors. However, S 6061 never made it past the committee level.
Sen. Adams and other politicians introduced more betting legislation from 2010 to 2012. All of these bills failed in committees as well.
The 2013 ballot featured a referendum to expand gambling. The referendum called for seven commercial casinos and legal retail sportsbooks at commercial and tribal casinos.
Voters passed the measure with 57% approval. This successful vote put commercial casinos in play immediately.
However, sports gambling had to wait until PASPA was lifted. The Supreme Court struck down this federal ban in May 2018.
The New York State Gaming Commission finalized rules and regulations for the betting market in 2019. Rivers Sportsbook (Schenectady) accepted the state’s first legal wager in July.
That same year, State Sen. Joseph Addabbo introduced an online sports betting bill. Gov. Andrew Cuomo cautioned, though, that another constitutional amendment was required for mobile betting.
Addabbo introduced more internet betting legislation in 2020, but his bill is unlikely to pass, given the need for another voter referendum.
FAQs
Yes. DraftKings operates a retail sportsbook at del Lago Resort Casino.
Of course, DraftKings is best known for its online betting brand. The company can’t roll out a mobile app until New York legalizes internet gambling.
New York’s minimum gambling age is 18 years old. However, some tribal casinos and sportsbooks require you to be 21+ years old for alcohol-serving purposes.
We expect the Empire State to stick with the 18-year-old minimum if it does legalize internet sports gambling.
Internet sports gambling isn’t featured in the 2013 gambling expansion bill that covers retail betting. Voters would need to approve a referendum before mobile betting could become a reality.
Yes. You simply need to be within New Jersey’s state lines to bet online in the Garden State.
New Jersey is a great option for mobile bettors who live in the NYC area. For those who live elsewhere on the southern border, Pennsylvania also features legal online betting.
Yes. The Empire State taxes gambling winnings as regular income. The state tax rate varies from 4% to 8.82% based on your annual income.
No. The New York State Gaming Commission doesn’t allow esports betting. However, the Gaming Commission could approve esports gambling at some point.