1. New York Online Gambling
  2. Is Gambling Legal In New York City
  3. Where Is Gambling Legal
  4. Online Gambling New York Legal
  5. Is Gambling Illegal In New York City

Gambling Legal In New York City, online gambling abroad, las vegas old slot machines, slot rewards 100% up to $200 - Redeem it 5 times! T&C's apply Fair go Casino is a top online casino, custom made for Australian players and has awesome games and bonus offers. History of New York sports betting. While legal sports betting in New York has operated since summer 2019, the state has had a bill in place to legalize the industry since 2013. Lawmakers passed S5883, also known as the Upstate New York Gaming Economic Development Act, seven years ago. The legal gambling age in New York is 18+ years of age. However, many gambling locations have limited their customers to 21+ so that they can legally serve alcohol on the game room floor without having to worry too much. The New York State gambling winnings tax lies somewhere around 3% depending on the amount won. Gambling Responsibly in New York.

Contents

New York has been a traditionally hesitant state when it comes to gambling expansions. Commercial casinos didn’t make their way to the state until after a 2013 voter referendum. New York sports betting has been a hot topic in the state all year. While it is now legal, the state has neglected to bring mobile sports betting to the state. Something that will surely be a huge blow to the state’s sports betting revenue as residents of New York City will continue to travel to New Jersey as opposed to heading upstate to one of four commercial casinos.

What Type of Betting Are Legal in New York?

Daily Fantasy Sports

In 2016 New York began regulating online fantasy sports as a game of skill. A recent court ruling threatened Daily Fantasy Sports in the state, but they are still legal, for now. DFS giants like FanDuel and DraftKings have permits to operate in New York.

Horse Racing

Horse racing is an American staple when it comes to betting. For a long period of time now, horse racing has withstood any kind of legislative attacks, and it looks like for the near and distant future, this will not change. You can bet on-track while you enjoy a race and come in to place a bet. However, there are off-track options that include online betting. This is one of the few online betting operations available in the entire State of New York.

Physical Sports Betting

Sports betting was legalized back in 2013 at commercial casinos. However, to launch, the state had to wait for the Supreme Court Ruling in 2018 that overturned the federal ban on sports wagering.

2019 was the year that sports betting officially launched at physical locations in Upstate New York. There are several places to bet, including at the popular DraftKings and FanDuel sportsbooks located at del Lago Resort Casino and Tioga Downs, respectively.

The full list of physical sportsbooks are:

  • DraftKings Sportsbook at del Lago Resort Casino
  • FanDuel Sportsbook at Tioga Downs
  • Rivers Sportsbook at Schenectady
  • Point Place
  • Turning Stone
  • Yellow Brick Road Casino
  • Resorts World Catskills
  • Akwesasne Mohawk Casino

You must be 21 years of age to bet on sports in the State of New York.

Lottery

The New York State Lottery is run both online and in-person! New York State Lottery is for all players 18 years and older and has several different games. The Lotto draws you can expect from New York include the Powerball and Mega Millions, which are the big winners, but the state also offers the New York Lotto that has drawings Wednesdays and Saturdays.

There are also tons of draw games, including WIN4, Cash4Life, Take 5, Quick Draw, and many more in the state. New York does run an online site and application for its lottery that you can use. However, you can get physical tickets at convenience stores and other locations.

What Types of Betting are Illegal in New York?

Online Sports Betting

New York tried to make a late-session push to legalize mobile sports betting but fell short. Governor Andrew Cuomo believes an amendment to the state’s constitution will be required in order to legalize mobile sports betting. This is a big hit to New York by missing out on the opportunity to legalize state-wide mobile sports betting.

Online Casinos

Online real-money casinos are not legal in New York at this time. The state does allow for free-play casinos to operate. New York residents can play a number of commercial and Native American casino free-play games. Most sites offer free virtual credits to players or give them the option to win or purchase virtual credits. Players can’t earn money playing these free casino games.

Online Poker

New York has made a number of attempts to legalize online poker in the past few years, but everything has fallen short. Some bills attempted to classify online poker as a game of skill, therefore making it legal, much like DFS. None of these bills have passed yet but the efforts are continuing in New York. Petitions are available for New York residents to sign online to try and bring legal online poker to the state.

Future of New York Betting

DFS seems to be a bit of a touchy subject in New York. While they are currently classified as a game of skill, there have been attempts to overrule that classification. While they are safe for now, DFS sites may have a rocky road ahead of them. Sports betting is now legal in the state at physical locations, but online hasn’t made its way to New York just yet. Maybe after another year New York can figure out the constitutional amendment argument and will see how much money they are leaving on the table by neglecting to legalize online sports betting.

Online poker and online casinos could be a little further away from coming to New York than online sports betting. There hasn’t seemed to be too much desire to pursue online poker and casinos as there was for online sports betting. Sports betting may make its way online before poker and casinos game do. Once sports betting does, if it does, then New York residents can start to get excited about more online gambling expansions.

How the Coronavirus Pandemic Has Changed New York Betting

The pandemic has been horrible for the entire world; however, one thing that is particularly suffering is the tax revenue for governments all over the world. This includes New York State, which is projected to need to find over $15 billion in revenue over the coming years to make up for the deficit it is facing.

When it comes to finding new revenue streams, New York seems to be opening the doors for tons of different ideas and may even offer fast tracks for things that were projected to take years. One of these things is online betting, and specifically, online sports betting.

In a meeting during Q4 of 2020, Governor Cuomo, who has never endorsed online sports betting, mentioned expanding sports betting as a possible solution. This would be a massive change if New York State can get its executive branch to back online sports betting. This is one avenue in which New York could see online sports betting become legalized in 2021.

New York Betting FAQ

  • Are there casinos in New York?
  • Is sports betting legal in New York?
  • Can I bet with DraftKings Sportsbook in New York?
  • Can you bet on sports from your phone in New York?
  • Are there any online casinos in New York?
  • Does New York have a lottery?
  • Is there Daily Fantasy Sports in New York?
  • What DFS apps are available in New York?
  • What is the legal betting age in New York?
  • What states offer mobile betting around New York?
  • When will online sports betting launch in New York?
Are there casinos in New York?

Yes, New York has legal commercial and tribal casinos in its Upstate region. Many of these casinos provide amenities such as hotels, spas, and dining options. However, if you are in New York City, the casinos in New Jersey would be just about the same distance away as the Upstate casinos.

Is sports betting legal in New York?

Yes, sports betting was legalized in 2013 for the commercial casinos and tribal casinos in the state. The betting officially launched in 2019, following the lifting of the federal ban on sports betting. There are currently only physical sportsbooks in the state, and you can find these at the Upstate casinos.

Can I bet with DraftKings Sportsbook in New York?

You can bet at a DraftKings physical sportsbook at the del Lago casino in Upstate New York. However, you cannot bet online with DraftKings’ online sportsbook in New York State. Currently, there is no online sports betting throughout the entirety of the state, except for on-site betting at the casino.

Can you bet on sports from your phone in New York?

No, New York State is strictly limited to in-person betting at physical sportsbooks. The hope is that Governor Cuomo changes his mind and supports online sports betting, which will give a big push to the movement to legalize online sports betting in the coming years.

Are there any online casinos in New York?

No, online betting is not legal in New York State. Online wagering, including slots, tables, etc., are all illegal in the state currently. There may need to be an amendment to the State Constitution if lawmakers and voters wish to change this. There are some online apps that work in a sweepstakes format that can mimic the casino experience, but you will not find BetMGM Casino, Betfair, or any real online casino in the state.

Does New York have a lottery?

Yes, the New York Lottery runs online and in-person. You can buy into the New York lotto or the Powerball or Mega Millions lottery as well. New York also has a myriad of smaller games to play. Currently, the online platform for the New York Lottery is a bit barebones and not the easiest to navigate.

Is there Daily Fantasy Sports in New York?

Yes, New York had a long process to get daily fantasy sports into the state, and it took loads of legal back and forth. However, you can play daily fantasy sports in New York State and New York City online with your favorite applications.

New York Online Gambling

What DFS apps are available in New York?

New York has all the major daily fantasy sports applications. The two largest, FanDuel and Draftkings, have been operational for a while now and offer a full slate of contests to the Empire State. Yahoo Daily Fantasy Sports has also entered the market. If you want to play a prop-based daily fantasy game, then you can also choose Monkey Knife Fight in New York.

What is the legal betting age in New York?

To bet in New York, you need to be 21 years of age or older. This goes for all casinos and sportsbooks. If New York legalizes online sports betting or online casinos, then this will also be the legal age. However, for the New York Lottery, the legal age is 18.

What states offer mobile betting around New York?

If you are in New York, you could easily travel to Rhode Island to bet on DraftKings Sportsbook, online or in-person; however, New Jersey is the largest sports betting market in the United States at the moment. Offering physical and online sportsbooks, New Jersey has every single major sportsbook that is in the United States, i.e., FanDuel, DraftKings, BetMGM, William Hill, and more.

When will online sports betting launch in New York?

There is no definitive date for a sports betting launch in New York. Both 2019 and 2020 saw pushes from lawmakers to get a bill through that would legalize online sports betting. However, there was simply not enough support there. Now that the pandemic has forced the Governor to look at alternative revenue streams, there is a better chance for movement to be made in the 2021 legislative season when it comes to online sports wagering.

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Introduction to New York Slot Machine Casino Gambling in 2020

New York slot machine casino gambling consists of eleven tribal casinos, eight pari-mutuel racetracks with slot machines, four casino resorts, and two nearby Canadian casinos.

A theoretical payout limit exists for the seven Class III tribal casinos. Return statistics are publicly available for the eight racinos and four casino resorts.

This post continues my weekly State-By-State Slot Machine Casino Gambling Series, an online resource dedicated to guiding slot machine casino gambler to success. Now in its third year, each weekly post reviews slots gambling in a single U.S. state, territory, or federal district.

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Relevant Legal Statutes on Gambling in New York*

The minimum legal gambling age in New York depends upon the gambling activity:

  • Land-Based Casinos: 21/19/18
  • Poker Rooms: 21
  • Bingo: 18
  • Lottery: 18
  • Pari-Mutuel Wagering: 18

The legal gambling age is 21 for casinos owned by the Seneca Nation of Indians, but 18 for other casinos in New York. At Canadian casinos in the province of Ontario, the minimum legal gambling age is 19. For the province of Quebec, it’s 18.

Until 1993, tribal casinos in the state of New York had only Class II bingo halls. That year, the St. Regis Mohawk Tribe negotiated a state-tribal compact for Class III Vegas-style slot machines.

As a result, all Class III tribal casinos have video lottery terminals (VLTs) controlled by the New York State Lottery. While these electronic games appear to be typical video slot machines, the results of a bet are instead determined off-site by a central lottery system.

*The purpose of this section is to inform the public of state gambling laws and how the laws might apply to various forms of gaming. It is not legal advice.

Slot Machine Private Ownership in New York

It is legal to own a slot machine privately in the state of New York if it is 30 years old or older.

Gaming Control Board in New York

Created in 2012, the New York State Gaming Commission has merged from the New York State Division of Lottery and the New York State Racing and Wagering Board.

Currently, this Commission regulates all aspects of gaming activity in the state of New York including charitable gaming.

Casinos in New York

There are eleven tribal casinos, eight pari-mutuel racetracks with slot machines, and four casino resorts in the state of New York.

The largest casino in New York is Empire City Casino at Yonkers Raceway with 5,300 gaming machines.

The second-largest casino is Resorts World Casino New York City with 4,995 gaming machines.

The State of New York has an extraordinary gaming industry because of the many types of casinos available to its residents. New York has tribal casinos with and without tribal compacts, casino resorts, racinos, cruise ships, and even readily accessible international casinos just across the border to Canada.

Commercial Casinos in New York

The eight racetracks with slot machines (racinos) in New York are:

  1. Batavia Downs Gaming & Hotel located in Batavia found 44 miles east of Buffalo.
  2. Empire City Casino at Yonkers Raceway found 22 miles North-northeast of New York City.
  3. Finger Lakes Gaming & Racetrack located in Farmington found 64 miles west of Syracuse.
  4. Hamburg Gaming at The Fairgrounds found 13 miles south of Buffalo.
  5. Jake’s 58 Hotel & Casino located in Islandia found 50 miles east of New York City.
  6. Nassau Downs at Resorts World Casino New York City located in Jamaica, Queens found 17 miles east of New York City.
  7. Saratoga Casino Hotel located in Saratoga Springs found 139 miles east of Syracuse.
  8. Vernon Downs Casino Hotel located in Vernon found 39 miles east of Syracuse.

The four casinos resorts in New York are:

  1. del Lago Resort Casino located in Waterloo found 47 miles west of Syracuse.
  2. Resorts World Catskills located in Kiamesha Lake found 96 miles northwest of New York City.
  3. Rivers Casino & Resort Schenectady found 128 miles east of Syracuse.
  4. Tioga Downs Casino Resort located in Nichols found 102 miles south of Syracuse.

Tribal Casinos in New York

The seven tribal casinos with Class III Vegas-style slot machines in New York are:

  1. Akwesasne Mohawk Casino Resort located in Hogansburg found 176 miles northeast of Syracuse on the Canadian border.
  2. Point Place Casino located in Bridgeport found 15 miles northeast of Syracuse.
  3. Seneca Allegany Casino & Hotel located in Salamanca found 63 miles south of Buffalo.
  4. Seneca Buffalo Creek Casino located in Buffalo.
  5. Seneca Niagara Casino located in Niagara Falls found 19 miles northwest of Buffalo on the Canadian border to Quebec.
  6. Turning Stone Casino Resort located in Verona found 35 miles east of Syracuse.
  7. Yellow Brick Road Casino located in Chittenango found 16 miles west of Syracuse.

The four tribal casinos with Class II bingo-style gaming machines in New York are:

  1. Lakeside Entertainment located in Union Springs found 41 miles southwest of Syracuse.
  2. Seneca Gaming – Irving located in Irving found 29 miles southwest of Buffalo.
  3. Seneca Gaming – Oil Spring located in Cuba found 69 miles southeast of Buffalo.
  4. Seneca Gaming – Salamanca located in Salamanca found 63 miles south of Buffalo.

Other Gambling Establishments

As an alternative to enjoying New York slot machine casino gambling, consider exploring casino options in a nearby state. Bordering New York is:

  • North: The Canadian Provinces of Ontario and Quebec
  • East: Connecticut Slots, Massachusetts Slots, and Vermont Slots
  • South and West: Pennsylvania Slots and New Jersey Slots

Each of the links above will take you to my blog for that neighboring U.S. state to New York.

Canadian casinos are across the international border from the State of New York in the Niagara Falls region near Buffalo as well as in Montreal near upstate New York.

Otherwise, cruise ships with onboard casinos depart from the New York Manhattan Cruise Terminal for international destinations.

Our New York Slots Facebook Group

Are you interested in sharing and learning with other slots enthusiasts in New York? If so, join our new New York slots community on Facebook. All you’ll need is a Facebook profile to join this closed Facebook Group freely.

There, you’ll be able to privately share your slots experiences as well as chat with players about slots gambling in New York. Join us!

Payout Returns in New York

Each casino type in New York has its own gaming regulations, so theoretical payout limits and return statistics have several varieties. I’ll review them.

  • Class II competition-style gaming machines at tribal casinos are subject to the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, a federal law, which does not set payout limits nor require public reporting of return statistics.
  • Class III Vegas-style slot machines at tribal casinos are subject to tribal-state gaming compacts stating VLTs are controlled off-site by the New York State Lottery. These VLTs have a minimum theoretical payout limit of 92%. No return statistics are publicly available.
  • Commercial casino resorts do not have theoretical payout limits. Return statistics are publicly available as weekly and monthly reports. See the Commercial Gaming Reports tab at the NY State Gaming Commission.
  • Commercial racetracks with their video slot machines do not have theoretical payout limits. Return statistics are publicly available as weekly and monthly reports. See the Video Gaming Reports tab at the NY State Gaming Commission.

Regarding monthly return statistics for the commercial sites, player win percentage is available only after performing a simple calculation. Specifically, divide Credits Won by Credits Played and then multiply the result by 100% to get Player Win%.

The monthly Player Win% for February 2020 at each casino resort was:

  1. del Lago: 90.4%
  2. Resorts World Catskills: 90.7%
  3. Rivers: 90.8%
  4. Tioga Downs: 91.6%

In February 2020, the highest return for a casino resort was at Tioga Downs with 91.6% while the lowest return was at del Lago with 90.4%.

The monthly Player Win% for February 2020 at each commercial racetrack with video slot machines was:

  1. Batavia Downs: 91.6%
  2. Empire City: 93.4%
  3. Finger Lakes: 92.1%
  4. Hamburg Gaming: 91.5%
  5. Jake’s 58: 93.8%
  6. Nassau Downs: 97.4%
  7. Saratoga: 92.2%
  8. Vernon Downs: 91.8%

In February 2020, the highest return for a pari-mutuel racino was at Nassau Downs at Resorts World New York City with 97.4% while the lowest return was at Hamburg Gaming with 91.5%. For the same month, the overall state total was 94.1%.

Summary of New York Slot Machine Casino Gambling in 2020

Online gambling new york legal

New York slot machine casino gambling consists of eleven tribal casinos, eight racinos, four casino resorts, multiple cruise ships sailing out of New York City to international destinations, and two nearby casinos across the border to Canada.

VLTs at Class III tribal casinos have a minimum theoretical payout limit of 92%. None of the tribal casinos offer return statistics, but casino resorts and racinos have weekly and monthly reports available online.

Annual Progress in New York Slot Machine Casino Gambling

Over the last year, there has been little change in the slots gaming industry in the state of New York.

Related Articles from Professor Slots

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  • Previous: New Mexico Slot Machine Casino Gambling
  • Next: North Carolina Slot Machine Casino Gambling

Is Gambling Illegal In New York City

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By Jon H. Friedl, Jr. Ph.D., President
Jon Friedl, LLC