All the major sports leagues (NBA, NHL, NFL, MLB, MLS, WNBA) are headquartered in New York City, along with many large financial and media companies. This combination would make New York a logical place to have the most innovative and exciting sports betting presence in the country. Instead, that honor, arguably, goes to New Jersey, where thousands of New Yorkers journey every weekend to legally bet on games using their smartphones.
State legislative leaders and Governor Andrew Cuomo believe that mobile sports betting could make New York the biggest sports betting market in the country, taking away market share from New Jersey and filling the state’s depleted coffers. With so many of the state’s 15.5 million residents of gambling age being passionate sports fans, it would be tough to bet against New York quickly becoming a leader in sports betting offerings and revenue.
Here you will findinformation on the current state of sports betting in New York along withdetails of possible expansion into mobile betting.
Jan 08, 2021 Governor Andrew Cuomo expressed that he is finally ready to move New York toward legalizing and regulating online sports betting. But given what happened with daily fantasy sports, the New York.
Retail, or land-based, sports betting has been offered on a limited basis in New York since July 2019 as part of the 2013 Upstate New York Gaming Economic Development Act, which authorized in-person legal sports betting at four upstate casinos if federal law were ever changed to allow it. Additionally, several tribal casinos offer retail sports betting. None of the facilities offer mobile betting, even onsite.
After the Supreme Court struck down the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992 (PASPA), the New York State Gaming Commission considered and approved sports betting at the four upstate casinos covered by the Act. Each casino was authorized to partner with a sports betting operator, and they began offering in-person sports betting in mid-2019 within weeks of regulatory approval.
Right now, you can’t bet on the Giants or Yankees on your phone in New York, hence the popularity of mobile betting just across the Hudson in New Jersey. However, Governor Cuomo wants those mobile bets and the revenue they bring to remain in the Empire State. The Governor’s office has estimated that about 20 percent of New Jersey’s sports betting revenue (more than $6 billion total in 2020) comes from New York residents. We aren’t talking about just a few bets here.
If you are planning a trip to New Jersey to place a few bets, here are the best available NJ sports betting bonuses:
To keep those bets in New York, in early 2021 the Governor announced a statewide framework for mobile sports betting in the state’s budget proposal. This will kick off a potentially contentious negotiation with legislative leaders during the 2021 session. Cuomo and his advisors believe sports betting could raise up to $500 million in annual revenue if the state runs it similar to the existing state lottery. Cuomo’s openness to mobile sports betting is a marked shift in opinion toward liberalizing the activity, largely driven by the state’s yawning budget deficit as a result of the COVID-19 crisis.
Cuomo’s proposal instructs the Gaming Commission to select “one or more providers to offer mobile sports wagering in New York.” Qualifications for the potential provider(s) include a partnership with an existing licensed commercial casino. This means that DraftKings, Bet365, BetRivers, FOX Bet, William Hill, and FanDuel would potentially be eligible as a provider under the Governor’s proposal.
Governor Cuomo and his team seem confident that a state-run mobile betting option would bring the most revenue into the state—up to $500 million per year. Some in the state legislature dispute that figure and believe that revenue and jobs for the state would be maximized under an open, competitive mobile betting model.
Legislative leaders wantadditional facilities to be eligible for up to 14 mobile sports betting“skins,” including professional sports venues like Madison Square Garden,tribal casinos, off-track betting parlors, and racetracks/racinos like YonkersRaceway. It is clear that the political will exists to expand sports betting toinclude mobile offerings, but the legislative push to legalize mobile sportsbetting may get bogged down in the political machinery of picking winners andlosers.
The two politicians who have pushed the expansion to mobile sports betting are State Assemblyman J. Gary Pretlow and State Senator Joseph Addabbo. Senator Addabbo is the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Racing, Gaming, and Wagering. Assemblyman Pretlow chairs the House Committee on Racing and Wagering. They partnered to introduce legislation that would allow for up to 14 sports betting apps in the state while implementing an 8.5 percent tax of sports wagering gross revenue and a 12 percent tax on mobile wagers. Under their proposal, the state would regulate and tax but would not administer mobile betting. This is much different than the Governor’s budget proposal that includes a state-administered, lottery-style system.
If you think all that potential tax revenue will motivate those in Albany to quickly come to an agreement to create an open, competitive market for mobile sports betting that would maximize revenue, don’t go downloading the FanDuel or DraftKings app just yet. Bills that amend the state constitution, as the Pretlow/Addabbo measure would do, must be passed by both the Assembly and Senate, signed by the Governor, and then voted into law by the public. Even if the stars aligned and open, competitive mobile betting legislation was passed by the legislature and signed by Governor Cuomo, the earliest New Yorkers could start betting from their couches would be 2022.
However, the state must pass a budget by April 1, 2021, which is the beginning of the 2022 Fiscal Year. Since Governor Cuomo included his state-run mobile betting proposal in his budget, he has significant leverage. The legislature will negotiate with the Governor over the finer points of the budget, but if his preferred mobile-betting option is not included in the final version, it is possible that the Governor could veto the entire budget.
This is where politics comes in. Addabbo and Pretlow introduced their version of mobile betting legislation not only because they believe that an open, competitive market would bring in the most revenue and create the most new jobs. They also want a negotiating position in order to balance the Governor’s leverage. If their legislation is not considered and passed through the legislature by April 1, and the Governor’s state-run mobile betting proposal remains in the budget, technically, Governor Cuomo would be able to proceed with state-administered mobile betting later this year. This would mean that bettors would only have between one and four options to choose from. Look for both sides to try to hammer out an agreement before April 1, 2021.
The bottom line is that mobile betting has a good chance of coming to New York sometime in 2021 or 2022, and somewhere between 1 and 14 operators will be competing (or not competing) for new customers. Once approved, New York will instantly be one of the largest markets in the country. Clear as mud, right?
If mobile betting does come to New York, the operators with existing casino partnerships will have the inside track. This would include the following brands:
Gaming Partner | New York Partnership | Type |
---|---|---|
DraftKings Sportsbook | Del Lago Resort & Casino | Commercial |
Bet365 | Resorts World Catskills | Commercial |
BetRivers | Rivers Casino | Commercial |
FanDuel Sportsbook | Tioga Downs Casino | Commercial |
BetMGM | Empire City Casino/Yonkers | Commercial |
William Hill / Caesars | Points Place Casino | Tribal |
William Hill / Caesars | Turning Stone Casino | Tribal |
William Hill / Caesars | Yellow Brick Road Casino | Tribal |
Kambi (tech) | Seneca Allegany | Tribal |
Kambi (tech) | Seneca Buffalo Creek | Tribal |
Kambi (tech) | Seneca Niagara | Tribal |
Not to get too in the weeds here, but BetMGM could potentially be left out of the competition for mobile betting in New York. The other five brands have established partnerships with land-based casinos that already offer retail sports betting. MGM bought Yonkers Raceway anticipating that they would be included in any future expansion to mobile sports betting, but state law requires wagers to be placed at a gambling facility located in the state. Current law and the state constitution has been interpreted to allow for any potential mobile bets to be accepted at existing casinos that use on-site computer servers to process all their wagers. This would not currently include MGM/Yonkers Raceway because MGM houses its servers in Nevada.
Sorry for all the hypotheticals, but that’s pretty much what we are working with in New York at this point. If we are really going to future-trip, let’s look at a few brands in neighboring states like Pennsylvania and New Jersey who aren’t aligned with New York casinos yet, but may look for a way in as online sports betting legislation progresses. They include:
These brands could end up partnering with OTBs and stadiums if the Addabbo/Pretlow legislative proposal becomes law. If up to 14 skins are authorized, the market will fill quickly. But that could be a long shot, as discussed previously, so we are only guessing right now whether these brands will ever enter the New York market.
All NY bettors are invited to check out any of the four upstate casinos that offer legal sports betting in the state. While they’re not exactly close to NYC, they are available for those willing to road trip it.
The DraftKings Sportsbook at Del Lago is one of the biggest in the state, with 1,000 square feet of LED video screens to enjoy every sport available on television. 23 betting kiosks and four betting windows are available to take your wagers, and they offer real-time live odds boards.
The Sportsbook 360 at Resorts World is over 6,000 square feet in size with a center bar surrounded by 32 jumbo flat screen televisions. They offer socially distanced seating, so you can watch your favorite team at the bar after placing your bet at one of the 21 betting kiosks or the betting counter.
Just outside of Albany, Rivers Casino was the first to offer sports betting after it became legal in 2019. Rivers Casino offers a large sports book with kiosks and betting windows. You can wager on any number of sporting events, from football to MMA, but like most sportsbooks, they only accept cash.
The FanDuel Sportsbook is located in the Casino Resort and offers eight betting windows with seating for more than 50 customers. FanDuel’s top-rated platform offers bettors the most competitive lines and betting options around.
New York also has three Indian tribes that own and operate casinos in the state. The tribes are not regulated by the state Gaming Commission and can offer sports betting under the federal 1988 Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, which allows sports betting for tribes if the state authorizes it for non-tribal entities. Because New York authorized sports betting for non-tribal casinos in the 2013 Gaming Economic Development Act, all tribes in the state are free to offer in-person sports betting at their casinos.
Each Oneida Nation casino features The Lounge with Caesars Sports, an upscale, Caesars-branded sports book and lounge that has food, cocktails, and dozens of oversized LED screens showing all the sports you could ever want and some you may have never even heard of. Kiosks and a betting counter are available to take your wager(s).
All three Seneca Nation casinos have a sports lounge with betting kiosks and counters open until Midnight. The casinos have many special events, including socially distanced viewing parties for Buffalo Bills playoff games and other sporting events
The Mohawk Casino features Sticks Sports Book & Grill, which has a full bar, dozens of televisions, odds boards, and a large seating area. Kiosks and betting counters are available to place almost any type of wager, from a straight moneyline bet to a 12-team parlay.
Whenever mobile betting does make it to the Empire state, funding your account and withdrawing your winnings will be pretty straightforward. You will likely have access to several different payment methods, including:
Is sports betting legal in New York?
Yes, sports betting is legal in New York at four upstate casinos and several Indian casinos. These casinos offer in-person betting only. Online/mobile sports betting may be coming to the state soon, but is not yet available.
Who can place a bet on sports in New York?
Bettors aged 21 and over who are physically located in a casino that offers sports betting can place a bet on the sport of their choice.
Since I can only bet in-person in New York, where can I go to place my bet?
You can bet on sports in-person at four upstate casinos and seven Indian casinos:
When will NY mobile sports betting be available?
Our best guess right now is that online sports betting may be available in New York sometime in 2021 or 2022. This could include anywhere from just one to as many as fourteen different online sportsbooks.
How many online sportsbooks are coming to New York?
It depends on the Governor and legislative leaders. Under the Governor’s budget proposal, the state will administer mobile sports betting and will have between 1 and 4 licensed partners (DraftKings, FanDuel, etc.). Separate legislation has been introduced that would allow for up to 14 licensed partners in an open, competitive market.
Will New York mobile sportsbooks offer bonuses for new players?
If the mobile market is open and competitive, as proposed by state legislative leaders, there will likely be bonuses and enticements for new customers to join their service. If a state-run mobile option ends up emerging, the chance for a welcome bonus significantly diminishes because the operator(s) will have less incentive to entice new customers to join the service.
How will I be able to deposit online?
In order to set up an account, youwill need to share some personal information with the potential provider(s).This could include your SSN and other identifying information. Once you haveshared that information, you will be able to make a deposit and/or withdrawal usingone of the banking options described above.
With a population of nearly 20 million, it’s no surprise that New York has one of the biggest
online betting markets in the country. Today, we’re going to be explaining how to find the best
New York betting sites and which sites are available to players within the state. We’ll
also be covering the legality of New York betting websites and talking about a few ways
to stay safe when making bets online.
The top betting sites in New York that are listed below are well-known for being extremely
safe and easy to use. Check them out today and see why so many people are joining!
Rank | Gambling Site | Deposit Bonus | Get Started | |
#1 | 100% Up To $2,500 | Visit Site | ||
#2 | MyBookie | 50% Up To $1,000 | Visit Site | |
#3 | 100% Up To $1,000 | Visit Site | ||
#4 | Bovada Sports | 50% Up To $250 | Visit Site | |
#5 | 50% Up To $1,000 | Visit Site |
If you’re not quite ready to jump into the betting action and would like to learn more about what
each site offers, we highly recommended reading our in-depth reviews offered throughout GamblingSites.org.
If you want a brief summary of each, then look no further than the following list of the best NY sports betting
sites. We’ve done the testing to make sure these truly are the best and also explain the strengths of each.
Keep reading if you’d like to learn more about how we pick our top 5 sports betting sites for New York and the various criteria we use to test each site.
US players have access to some amazing online betting sites. Most of the top websites accepting
US players offer odds on just about every major sporting event taking place around the world. With
that being said, it’s important to make sure that the site you’re thinking about joining offers
some basic features.
Here are four of the most important things to look for before joining one of the
betting sites in New York.
Ensuring that a NY betting site offers a wide range of different betting odds is one of the easiest things to check for in a betting site. Most
of the top New York online betting sites allow you to scroll through the website before even becoming
a member!
The menu of an internet sportsbook will often feature all or most of the available sports to
bet on. Clicking on any of these sports tabs will bring up the odds for the different events of that
particular sport. All of the legit NY betting sites will provide betting odds for
sporting events that will take place in the future.
If you want to bet on the Super Bowl early, for example, make sure to find a website that allows
you to bet on it months in advance! As we mentioned before, this is one of the easiest things to find
out. Scroll through the online betting site and make sure there are odds offered on a variety of
different events, or at least the sport that you plan to wager on.
This may not be as easy to find out as the odds offered, yet it’s even more important.
Finding safe New York betting sites should be priority number one. A site could offer
the best odds, but if it doesn’t provide a secure payment system, it’s not even worth looking
into.
There are a number of ways to find out more about a NY betting site’s deposit options. You can check
out our full list of online gambling site reviews, where we dive into each specific site’s payment system.
You can also check out these sites for yourself to learn more about what forms of payment are
accepted.
All of the good betting sites in New York will accept credit cards as a deposit option.
If the site you’re looking at doesn’t allow deposits to be made with a credit card, we don’t
recommend joining it. You should also make sure that fees for deposits are not too high.
Checking out a New York betting site’s money withdrawal options is also extremely important.
Most US betting sites recommend using Bitcoin as a withdrawal method. Don’t let that
turn you off. Bitcoin payouts are easy and quick! Some sites, including Bovada sportsbook,
even provide an entire page that explains how to use Bitcoin for sports betting payouts!
Take the time to read up on New York sports betting website reviews before trying the
sites out. Word spreads quick, and if a site withholds a player’s winnings, it will come
to light.
The design and functionality of a website are hugely important. Every online sports betting
site is different, yet the good ones will always make it easy to find the sport you
want to bet on. If a site crashes or has a user interface that makes it difficult to place
your bets, move on to another one.
Fortunately, this is another thing that’s extremely easy to look for in New York sports
betting sites. Simply scrolling through the homepage of an internet sportsbook will tell a
lot about its functionality.
Design may not seem like an important thing to watch for. Some NY betting sites will flood their
homepage with bonus offers and recommended wagers. Others are more simplistic and provide
odds for live sporting events taking place. Check out a few sites and make sure that the
one you want to join has a sleek design and an easy-to-use interface.
Promotions are oftentimes the best way for a site to attract new players and retain
existing ones. Every company will offer different bonuses. We feel that it’s important
to join a New York sports betting site that offers bonuses to both new and existing
members.
Welcome bonuses are extremely popular. They generally come in the form of a first
deposit bonus. This means that whatever a new player deposits into their account will
be added onto by the online betting site.
Bonuses for members who have already joined a New York betting site are a little rarer. A number
of betting sites in New York will offer fun tournament-style bonuses. Others
will simply add onto a deposit you’ve made every few months.
It’s important to note that players don’t need to use bonuses. In fact, these
bonuses can occasionally make it difficult to withdraw the money that you win.
Generally speaking, bonuses are a great way to add a little money into your betting
account. Honest New York betting sites will always provide the details and
conditions of a bonus.
The popularity of online sports betting is growing across the United States. A
number of states, including New Jersey and Pennsylvania, have completely opened up
their online sports betting markets. Many others have pending legislation to allow
this popular form of internet betting.
In case you didn’t know, the US Supreme Court
ruled PASPA unconstitutional back
in 2018. This opened the doors for individual states to completely legalize sports
betting.
In late January, New York’s Governor, Anthony Cuomo, approved legislation for
sports betting inside casinos. Unfortunately, New York has not taken the steps to
begin regulating internet sports betting, although that’s not stopping people here from
betting on their favorite sports online. There are two main reasons why
betting sites in New York are growing more popular every single year.
Online betting is easier than land-based gambling in just about every way.
For one, it allows sports fans to place wagers on their favorite teams and players
from the comfort of their own home. These bets can even be made on the go using
your smartphone!
The state of New York is still working out the details of sports betting
inside casinos. It may be months before any sporting wagers are actually available
inside these establishments. New York betting sites are available right
now and don’t require a long drive to a nearby casino just to place a bet!
The convenience of online sports betting is likely the biggest reason why
thousands of new players are joining these sites every month. It can be done
from anywhere in the state with an internet connection.
Nearly all of the safe New York sports betting sites will provide more
betting options than a traditional sportsbook found in Las Vegas. A good online
sportsbook will provide betting odds for all US sports leagues including the
NFL, MLB, NBA, and more. These sites will often provide odds on random novelty
things such as politics, too!
New York sports fans can expect to find amazing odds on sports teams based in
the state. Want to bet on the Yankees online? How about a wager on the Giants
winning the Super Bowl? Online sportsbooks allow these bets to be made
throughout the year.
There’s no doubt that the massive number of different odds offered is a key
reason why New York betting sites are growing more popular. Check out any
of the New York betting websites available here to see for yourself how many different things you
can put money on.
Historically speaking, this state has been extremely strict on the betting
industry. As we mentioned earlier, many lawmakers in New York are pushing for
more betting options. Sports wagering will soon be coming to the state’s casinos,
and in time, we may see the state’s gambling authority completely regulating the
online sports betting operations here.
New York is one of the few US states to actually crack down on unregulated
internet gambling activities.
“A person “advances gambling activity” when, acting other than as a player,
he engages in conduct which materially aids any form of gambling activity. Such
conduct includes but is not limited to conduct directed toward the creation or
establishment of the particular game, contest, scheme, device or activity involved,
toward the acquisition or maintenance of premises, paraphernalia, equipment or
apparatus therefor, toward the solicitation or inducement of persons to participate
therein, toward the actual conduct of the playing phases thereof, toward the
arrangement of any of its financial or recording phases, or toward any other
phase of its operation. One advances gambling activity when, having substantial
proprietary or other authoritative control over premises being used with his
knowledge for purposes of gambling activity, he permits such to occur or continue
or makes no effort to prevent its occurrence or continuation.”
At face value, this means that online gambling is banned throughout the state.
New York is more concerned with foreign betting sites operating than the players
making bets.
The state law allows for the prosecution of anyone betting on sports over the
internet. As of this writing, however, there have been no reports of individual players
being arrested for this activity. It’s clear that the state wants offshore websites
to stop offering their services here.
Players are highly unlikely to face any trouble from accessing one of the New York sports
betting sites.
The best way to protect yourself when betting on sports in New York online is to
do research! Never join one of the different New York betting sites currently
available without reading more about its reputation. The sites that we feature at
the top of this page are highly regarded for their safety.
Below are five easy tips to ensure your New York online sports betting experience is safe and fun.
Every one of the NY betting sites is different. Many are
perfectly safe, yet a few are known to be a little shady. To make things
easier, check out the sites that we recommend at the top of this page.
Sometimes we find ourselves craving that big payout from an online sportsbook that we may not necessarily have the funds for.
Be careful not to overextend yourself when placing bets at a NY gambling website. Only you can protect yourself from gambling too much.
This is particularly important when first getting into sports betting. It can
be tempting to bet on a sport you don’t watch if the odds are great, but this
is one of the easiest ways to lose money.
Just because you’ve looked through the different New York betting sites
and joined one doesn’t mean you have to stay there forever. If you have difficulties
with payments or don’t like a website’s design, be willing to move to another one!
We mentioned earlier that promotions can be a great way to boost your earnings.
Unfortunately, these promotions can occasionally make it difficult to withdraw cash.
Read up on a promotion’s details before you decide to utilize them!
It’s an extremely exciting time for the US online gambling industry. More states are
beginning to open up this popular market. New York is clearly loosening its restrictions
on sports betting, and in time, we may see this industry completely legalized.
Most of the top US online betting sites
are available inside this state. Scroll up to the top of this page and check out the New York
betting sites that we highly recommend.
Every online sportsbook is different. The most important things to look for are the number of different odds available, a good payment system, solid website functionality, and good promotions for both new and existing members.
Betting online is considerably easier than inside a casino. It can be done from the comfort of your home, and betting sites in NY tend to offer more betting options than traditional land-based sportsbooks.
New York is tougher on internet betting than most other states. Online sports betting is technically banned, yet the state has not prosecuted anyone for making sports bets online.
The more research you do, the better your sports betting experience will be. Make sure you look into a website before you join one, never bet more than you’re willing to lose, wager on sports you actually understand, always be willing to move to a different sportsbook, and read into the details of a promotion before you decide to use it.