New York online casino players can expect real-money casino apps in the near future, with State Sen. Joseph P. Addabbo Jr. telling Bonus.com that he and Assemblyman J. Gary Pretlow will introduce a revised online casino bill before the end of this year. Our hope is that the state will legalize it in 2024.
In the meantime, New York casino players can win cash prizes online playing slots, table games like blackjack and roulette, and more at the best sweepstakes casinos. These are a great precursor to the more traditional online casinos that could enter the state in the coming months.
Online Casino Gaming for Cash Prizes in New York
As mentioned above, sweepstakes and social casinos are great options for players currently living in New York to play casino-style games to redeem cash prizes. Below are some of the best options.
of Gold Coins for $10
Must be 18+ to play. Additional terms and conditions apply. Gambling problem? Call or text 1-800-GAMBLER. Visit the National Helpline website for more resources, including an anonymous online chat.
How We Rank the Best New York Online Casinos
Licensed & Regulated
First and foremost, all New York online casinos we review must be licensed and regulated by a legitimate authority. If they are not a legal online casino or legitimate sweepstakes casino, they won’t be considered for our list, period.
Security & Data Protection
Next, we take a look at security and data protection. We want to ensure that any New York online casino we recommend protects its players’ personal and financial information. We also want to make sure that they utilize strong encryption on their website.
Game Selection
Now that the two most important parts are out of the way, we take a look at game selection. Not only do we consider whether or not they have slots, table games, and live dealer games, but also the variety within each category. We look at themes, minimum and maximum bets, features, and more.
Welcome Offers
When we can, we will always try to negotiate an exclusive welcome offer for our players. Even when we can’t, we take into consideration each online casino’s welcome offer. This includes looking past the initial dollar amount at the terms and conditions to ensure that the bonus is fair and attainable, amongst other considerations.
Loyalty & Rewards Program
While not mandatory, a solid loyalty & rewards program adds a lot to the player experience. When ranking, we look at whether or not a program is offered, how points and credits are earned, and what those points can be redeemed for.
Reputation
Every online casino operator holds a reputation, whether it’s from other states or even other countries. When our casino experts are ranking New York online casinos, they utilize their knowledge of those online casinos from other legal states to make decisions.
New York Online Gambling Snapshot
Type of Betting Legal Status in New York State
Social Casinos Legal
Sweepstakes Poker Legal
Online Sports Betting Legal
Online Horse Race Betting Legal
Daily Fantasy Sports Legal
Online Lottery Legal (via the Jackpocket app)
Real-Money Online Poker Illegal
Real-Money Online Casinos Illegal
Online Casino Games in New York
Slots in New York
New York online casino players have access to hundreds of slots at the casino-style sites like WOW Vegas above. You do not need to make a purchase to play free slots at these sites, and you can redeem premium coins for cash prizes. Some players at the best sites above have walked away with six-figure cash prizes, with some progressive jackpot slots online in New York totally close to a million.
Table Games in New York
As the most popular table game at retail casinos in New York, players can expect access to online blackjack at all casinos online except for those that are slots-only. Players enjoy blackjack for the great odds, straightforward strategy, and exciting side bets, all of which can be found at NY online casinos. Players can also play roulette, the iconic casino game where players guess on where the ball will land. In addition, some of the sweepstakes casinos above do offer games like baccarat and pai gow.
More New York Online Casino Games
Players can also find a variety of unique games at sweepstakes and social casinos, many of which don’t even make an appearance at land-based retail casinos. These include titles such as Keno, Dice, War, Plinko, and much more. They are often referred to as “Originals”.
History of Gambling in New York
Like many other states, the history of legal gambling in New York begins with pari-mutuel wagering, which began on Apr. 15, 1940. Following that, the New York Lottery launched in 1967, earlier than many other states around the country. After some time with no further advancements, the first land-based casino in the state, Turning Stone Resort Casino, opened for business in 1993. Since then, a plethora of land-based casinos have opened throughout the state. The first retail sportsbooks began to open in NY in 2019.
As for online gambling, the story began when the New York state government began to lay out the framework for online NY sportsbooks in 2021. Online sports betting officially launched in New York in early Jan. 2022. Almost immediately, NY surpassed Nevada and NJ with $2.4 billion in wagers in the first five weeks of betting. Fresh off the heels of NY’s sports betting launch, New York State Senator Joseph Addabbo introduced S.B. 8412, a bill to legalize New York online casinos, in Feb. 2022. Online casinos would be regulated by the New York State Gaming Commission. The bill didn’t manage to slip into the year’s legislative session, however, Sen. Addabbo introduced S.B. 4856 in another attempt to legalize online casinos in Feb. 2023.
Retail Casinos in New York
Casino Name Location Sportsbook
Akwesasne Mohawk Casino Hogansburg Sticks Sports Book & Grill
Batavia Downs Casino Batavia N/A
Del Lago Resort and Casino Tyre Twinspires Sportsbook
Empire City Casino at Yonkers Raceway Yonkers N/A
Finger Lakes Gaming and Race Track Farmington N/A
Jake's 58 Hotel & Casino Islandia N/A
Lakeside Entertainment Union Springs N/A
Mohawk Bingo Palace and Casino Akwesasne Sticks Sports Book & Grill
Monticello Gaming & Raceway Monticello N/A
Point Place Casino Bridgeport Caesars Sportsbook
Resorts World Catskills Kiamesha Lake Sportsbook 360
Resorts World New York City Ozone Park N/A
Rivers Casino & Resort Schenectady Rivers Sportsbook
Saratoga Casino and Raceway Saratoga Springs N/A
Seneca Allegany Casino Salamanca The Sports Lounge
Seneca Buffalo Creek Casino Buffalo The Sports Lounge
Seneca Gaming and Entertainment Irving Irving N/A
Seneca Gaming and Entertainment Oil Spring Cuba N/A
Seneca Gaming and Entertainment Salamanca Salamanca N/A
Seneca Niagara Casino Niagara Falls The Sports Lounge
The Fairgrounds Gaming Hamburg N/A
Tioga Downs & Casino Nichols FanDuel Sportsbook
Turning Stone Resort & Casino Verona Caesars Sportsbook
Vernon Downs & Casino Verona N/A
Yellow Brick Road Casino Chittenango Caesars Sportsbook
New York Online Casinos – Bottom Line
New York online casinos are clearly on the horizon with an advocate like Sen. Addabbo on their side. It appears that 2024 could be the year that legalization finally passes in the state, opening up the possibility of real money online casinos for New York players. In the meantime, however, players already have the ability to play at sweepstakes and social casinos as well as take part in online sports betting, which is a nice variety of current gambling options.
More Resources for New York Online Gamblers
New York Online Casinos FAQs
The New York State Gaming Commission. This government department is charged with regulating all lottery, gaming, horse racing, and charitable gaming in the state of NY.
21 or 18. The gambling age in New York is 18 for lottery, horse race betting, and sweepstakes casinos. Some retail tribal casinos also allow players 18 and up. Otherwise, the NY gambling age in 21 and up. This includes at all commercial retail casinos as well as online sportsbooks. Always review the legal age to gamble when visiting a different state, as each has different regulations.
Yes. Your tax rate is based on your annual income and consists of brackets from 4% up to 10.90% for only the wealthiest New Yorkers.
Yes, you can. You can travel to New Jersey and play at the state’s online casinos as long as you’re within The Garden State’s borders. This will be confirmed using geolocation, which is your phone’s GPS.