If you’re interested in reading the latest news about licensed online casinos in NY state, you’ve come to the right place. Unfortunately, most forms of real money online gambling currently aren’t legal in New York. What you’ll find below is more info on how soon online casinos will become legalized in NY and what legal gambling options you can enjoy in the Empire State.
As of October 2021, there are only two options for online gamblers in NY — horse racing and DFS. Let’s check them out briefly.
Horse racing lovers from New York can legally place bets online or via the TVG cable network, meaning horse racing is the only form of betting currently available legally on the web. This sport (and betting on it) has a long tradition in NY, which is why it’s legalized.
>The only form of online sports betting that’s currently legalized in the state of New York is Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS). At the moment, the two most popular DFS sites — FanDuel and DraftKings — are both available to NY residents.
Even though gambling is illegal in the state of NY, there are exceptions for almost every type of brick-and-mortar gambling.
>At the moment, New York is home to several commercial casinos and plenty of tribal casinos. In addition to that, you’ll find several racinos, which combine race tracks with casino gambling, offering games such as slots, blackjack, roulette, poker, and more. Some of the tribes operating tribal gambling properties are the Seneca Nation of Indians and the Oneida Indian Nation.
>You’ll find several land-based sportsbooks inside one of the brick-and-mortar casino resorts. These casinos partnered with some of the industry-leading sports betting providers to offer to bet at competitive odds. The good news is that NY is very close to legalizing this activity online.
Even though poker isn’t really officially licensed in NY, you’ll find plenty of great live poker options in some of the land-based casinos in New York. Some of these properties also offer live poker tournaments, in addition to cash games.
It’s completely legal to play bingo in the state of New York, and there are plenty of venues in the state offering bingo. The popular game has been legal ever since its inception, but you still won’t be able to play it online.
As mentioned above, horse racing has a long tradition in the state of NY, and it’s probably the only form of gambling that’s legal in every possible way. There are plenty of racinos where you can enjoy horse racing, in addition to casino games.
>More than a dozen land-based gambling properties in New York can be divided into three groups: commercial casinos, tribal casinos, and racinos. Here are some of them that are worth visiting if you go to NY.
>Located at 110-00 Rockaway Blvd, Queens, NY 11420, United States, Resorts World Casino is definitely the largest casino in NY. It’s a racino, with the casino being part of the Aqueduct Racetrack. The facility has 330,000 square feet of gaming space and features more than 6,500 slot machines.
Resorts World Casino also features several great dining options, as well as a hotel with plenty of different amenities. The hotel consists of 400 rooms, including 34 suites. Those interested in dining can visit Sugar Factory, Good Friends Noodle House, Food Court, Liberty Bar, and Bar 360.
Formerly known as Saratoga Casino and Raceway, this property is located at 342 Jefferson St, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866, United States. The casino offers a wide array of games, including 1,200 slots, video poker, electronic table games, and more. There’s even an exclusive VIP lounge, and loyal players can join the Saratoga Club for additional benefits.
Horse racing lovers can enjoy live racing, as well as simulcast wagering. Moreover, there are plenty of dining options that are parts of Saratoga, such as Garden Buffet, Lucky Joe’s, Fortunes, Perks Cafe, Mane Bart, and Morton’s The Steakhouse. There’s even a huge entertainment venue called Vapor which hosts some of the best acts from the region.
Seneca Niagara Resort & Casino is a tribal casino currently owned by Seneca Nation of New York. The casino features a 147,000 sq ft of gaming space, with 99 gaming tables and 4,2000 slot machines. Its address is 310 4th St, Niagara Falls, NY 14303, United States. The hotel features 604 deluxe rooms.
Apart from the huge game offer, the popular resort and casino also offer plenty of restaurants and other dining options, including Westen Door, Koi, La Cascata, Thunder Falls Buffet, Blues Burger Bar, Three Sisters Cafe, Morrie’s Express, and Tim Horton’s and Cold Stone Creamery.
Turning Stone Resort and Casino is tribal property owned and operated by the Oneida Indian Nation. The property is located at 5218 Patrick Rd, Verona, NY 13478, United States, and features a 125,000-square-foot gaming floor inspired by Las Vegas.
In addition to that, there are plenty of other signature attractions, such as the PGA-quality golf course, a showroom, a 5,000-seat arena, an RV part, walking trails, a spa, and more. Casino players can find various table games, bingo, keno, slot machines, and more. The award-winning property also features four different hotels totaling 709 rooms.
Del Lago Resort and Casino is a commercial casino-hotel owned by Peninsula Pacific Entertainment located at 1133 NY-414, Waterloo, NY 13165, United States. Inspired by the Italian Villa theme, this property features 100,000 square feet of gaming space, where you can find more than 1,700 slots, 66 table games, and 14 poker tables. In addition to that, the popular property has several bars and restaurants, including the great Portico by Fabio Viviani.
The resort also features an entertainment venue called The Vine and a hotel with 205 rooms.
Akwesasne Mohawk Casino (AMC) is a tribal gambling enterprise owned by the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe. The property is located at 873 NY-37, Hogansburg, NY 13655, United States, and features a 140,000-square-foot gaming floor with 1,800+ slot machines and 30 table games. Some of the games you’ll find are blackjack, casino poker, Pai Gow, roulette, and more.
The resort features 150 luxury rooms and suites and other amenities, such as spas, diner, and more. There are several notable restaurants that are part of Akwesasne Mohawk Casino Resort, such as Native Harvest Buffet, Maple Room Steak House, Rapids Food Court, Sticks Sports Bar and Grill, and Cascades Lounge.
If you don’t mind traveling a bit outside of New York, you’ll find plenty of legal online gambling options.
>Pennsylvania is the biggest state to have legalized and regulated all online gambling activities, meaning you’ll be able to engage in all three gaming verticals – online poker, online casinos, and online sports betting. There are currently seven online casinos in PA, and they offer all kinds of online casino titles, including online slots, table games, and even live dealer titles. New York is 94.6 miles away from Philadelphia, so it’s a 1 hr 50 mins drive (probably less) if you want to engage in online gambling.
New Jersey was the first state to legalize online gambling, and it has the longest tradition as well. All three verticals are legal, as NJ has the most competitive online gambling market. There are currently nine casinos operating in the state and several sportsbooks and independent poker sites. New York is approximately 67.3 miles away from Trenton, and there are frequent lines between the two states, making NJ the best possible option for NY online gamblers.
West Virginia may be a much smaller market compared to PA and NJ, but it still legalized all three verticals of online gambling. There are currently four active online casinos in the state, as well as other gambling options, but not as nearly as in the previous two states. Unfortunately, You’ll have to drive for approximately six to eight hours and go through Pennsylvania if you want to reach WV, so PA is definitely a much better option for someone whose sole interest is engaging in online gambling activities.
Delaware is also one of the states that legalized online casinos, sportsbooks, and online poker. However, it’s a pretty small market. All three land-based gambling properties are licensed to offer online gambling. Even though sports betting is legalized, no online sportsbooks are available — just one retail sportsbook. To reach Delaware, a New Yorker has to go through PA or NJ, meaning that this also might not be the best choice if your only goal is to engage in online gambling.
New York’s relationship with legal gambling have a long and somewhat rocky history. Here’s a short overview of all the important dates.
This was the first time that a gambling option received legal backing in NY.
The New York State Lottery got the green light, with the first lottery draw beginning the following year.
The State Racing and Wagering Board was formed in NY to oversee horse racing and related activities.
>Native American Tribes were allowed to open land-based casinos in New York, with the first brick-and-mortar casino opening its doors the same year.
All online gambling sites that offered their services in NY were banned and closed. From that point onward, no online gambling activities were allowed.
>Commercial casinos were legalized in Upstate New York in order to develop the northern part of the state.
>With COVID badly affecting state coffers, Gov. Cuomo signs deal legalizing online sports betting in principle. Several bids are made for licenses, including a joint superbid from rivals FanDuel, DraftKings, and BetMGM. The goal is to have mobile sports betting in time for the Super Bowl LVI in 2022.
Right now, it seems that the first logical step to be taken in New York is the legalization of online sports betting. This has been discussed on numerous occasions and even the ex-Gov. Andrew Cuomo supported it but still changed his mind by the end of his tenure. The new Governor, Kathy Hochel, still hasn’t made any remarks regarding her stance on online gambling.
Still, with New Jersey and Pennsylvania next door, New York has a certain pressure to legalize online gambling. After all, it’s a huge market, and legalizing online gambling would mean becoming a serious competitor to NJ and PA, as well as stopping tax revenue from leaking across state lines. And that’s exactly the reason why lawmakers in the Empire State have to think through every step carefully.
Sports betting is likely to become legalized before online casinos, but we expect the latter vertical to also become legal in the next couple of years. Until then, residents of NY who want to gamble online will have to settle for the next best thing — land-based casinos. Alternatively, they can travel to one of the neighboring states (mainly NJ and PA), which are the leaders in the US when it comes to online gambling progress.