Legalized Gambling In Ny
- Racing (1959), Lottery (1966), Off-track betting (1970), Tribal Casinos (1993), Racinos (2001), Commercial Casinos (2013)
- $4.2 billion
- $10.8 billion
- 18 for lottery and racing, 18-21 for casinos. No minimum age for charity gaming.
- New York bans smoking in all indoor businesses. It does not apply to tribal casinos.
- Horse racing is the only form of legalized online gambling in New York
New York gambling law does not specifically outlaw online gambling. Thus, players can enjoy real money play at NY online casinos, poker rooms, and sportsbooks without fines or prosecutions. Running an online internet-gambling website is illegal in New York, so don’t become an operator. Otherwise, you’re free to play online. New York Gambling Age: 18 for lottery and racing, 18-21 for casinos. No minimum age for charity gaming. Smoking ban: New York bans smoking in all indoor businesses. It does not apply to tribal casinos. New York Online gambling: Horse racing is the only form of legalized online gambling in New York.
New York Casino Locations: New York City, Hogansburg, Batavia, Yonkers, Hamburg, Farmington, Union Springs, Akwesasne, Monticello, Ozone Park, Saratoga Springs, Salamanca, Buffalo, Irving, Cuba, Niagara Falls, Nichols, Verona, Vernon and Chittenango. With 14 New York casinos, and more on the way, there are plenty of gambling options for residents and visitors.
New York gambling is one of the most profitable industries in the country. It’s lottery sales are in the $9 billion range each year. Resorts World is the most profitable slots-only New York casino in the country.
New York voters approved a massive gambling expansion in November 2013. This will add seven more New York casinos in resort corridors within the state. The licensing process began in 2015. There are already nine New York racinos and five Native American casinos.
New York also permits horse racing and charity gaming. There are four tracks that hold regular races. Several others continue with off-track betting to maintain racino status.
Paying Gambling Taxes in New York
Did you know that your gambling income is taxable? OnlineUnitedStatesCasinos has gathered everything you need to know about paying your gambling taxes straight from a Certified Public Accountant. For more information please visit our exclusive Gambling Taxes article.
New York Casinos Map & Guide
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Types of New York Online Gambling Allowed
The only form of legal online gambling New York is off-track betting on horses. TVG, TwinSpires, BetAmerica, and XpressBet all accept these types of bets. There are some restrictions on races held within New York. Those are off the board to encourage attendance at the tracks.
Daily fantasy sports are illegal in New York, according to State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman. He declared the contests illegal in November 2015. DraftKings and FanDuel were ordered out of the state. These two sites decided to challenge the opinion. The courts issued a stay that permitted the companies to remain in the state. It seems that a decision has been made and DFS sites can legally operate in New York.
Online casinos, poker, and sports betting sites that accept New York players are not licensed. These websites are widely believed to be illegal in the state.
Types of Live New York Gambling
- Slots: Yes
- Blackjack: Yes
- Poker: Yes
- Craps/Roulette: Yes
- Horses: Yes
- Lottery: Yes
The New York Lottery is among the most profitable in the country. It sells instant games through scratch-offs and lotto drawings. There are statewide lotto games that include Take5, Win 4, and Pick 10. The New York Lottery also sells lotto tickets for interstate drawings. These include Mega Millions and Powerball. There are more than 18,000 lottery retailers in the state.
There are four New York racetracks that offer live racing; Belmont Park, Saratoga Race Course, Yonkers Raceway, and Aqueduct Racetrack. Off-track betting and slots, video poker and electronic table games are also available at these venues. There are five other mostly-shuttered tracks that also offer New York racinos.
There are five Native American casinos in Upstate New York that offer casinos. These establishments are permitted to offer more casino games than the tracks. In addition to slots, video poker and electronic table games, these venues may offer live poker, craps, roulette, blackjack and other table games that use cards and are banked by the house. There are plenty of other New York casinos spread throughout the state that players can visit.
The only other form of gambling legal in New York is through charities. Raffles, bingo, and pull-tab games are permitted.
New York Gambling Laws
The New York Constitution only permits forms of gambling that are specifically legalized by voters. Other than that, New York gambling laws state that games of chance are illegal. Most gambling crimes are a misdemeanor in the state. Promoting gambling is a ClassE felony. The state attorney general of the U.S. Attorney’s Office may initiate charges against individuals or companies that commit crimes related to gambling.
New York gambling laws forbid sports pools and games determined by a material degree of chance. This is the language that daily fantasy sports sites are fighting. These companies claim that the outcome of daily fantasy sports contests is mostly skill and not any material degree related to chance.
The New York Constitution permits state lotteries, live horse racing, off-track betting, Native American casinos, and racinos. In 2013, voters approved the addition of seven resort New York casinos.
List of New York Casinos
There are four New York racetracks that offer live racing and race books, and six other racetracks that offer full casino services. There are other Native American New York casinos that are spread throughout the state, with plenty of casinos in Upstate New York.
Find the casino nearest to you by looking at our general guide below, or use our New York casinos map for more detailed directions.
| Casino | Size | Address | Website |
|---|---|---|---|
| Akwesasne Mohawk Casino Resort – Hogansburg | 1,800 Slot Machines | 873 NY-37 | mohawkcasino.com |
| Batavia Downs – Batavia | 785 Slot Machines | 8315 Park Rd. | www.bataviadownsgaming.com |
| Del Lago Casino – Waterloo | 1,950 Slot Machines | 1133 State Route 414 | dellagoresort.com |
| Empire City Casino – Yonkers | 5,300 Slot Machines | 810 Yonkers Ave. | www.empirecitycasino.com |
| Finger Lakes Gaming & Racetrack – Farmington | 1,500 Slot Machines | 5857 NY-96 | www.fingerlakesgaming.com |
| Hamburg Gaming – Hamburg | 900 Slot Machines | 5820 South Park Ave. | www.the-fairgrounds.com |
| Lakeside Entertainment – Union Springs | 80 Slot Machines | 271 Cayuga St. | www.lakesidegaming.com |
| Monticello Casino & Raceway – Monticello | 1,000 Slot Machines | 204 NY-17B | www.monticellocasinoandraceway.com |
| Resorts World Casino – Jamaica | 3,000 Slot Machines | 110-00 Rockaway Blvd. | www.rwnewyork.com |
| Resorts World Catskills – Monticello | 2,150 Slot Machines | 888 Resorts World Dr. | rwcatskills.com |
| Rivers Casino & Resort – Schenectady | 1,150 Slot Machines | 1 Rush Street | riverscasinoandresort.com |
| Saratoga Gaming and Raceway – Saratoga Springs | 1,700 Slot Machines | 342 Jefferson St. | www.saratogacasino.com |
| Seneca Allegany Casino – Salamanca | 1,800 Slot Machines | 777 Seneca Allegany Blvd. | www.senecaalleganycasino.com |
| Seneca Buffalo Creek Casino – Buffalo | 800 Slot Machines | 1 Fulton St. | www.senecabuffalocreekcasino.com |
| Seneca Gaming – Irving | 650 Slot Machines | 11099 Erie Rd. | www.senecagames.com |
| Seneca Gaming – Oil Spring | 110 Slot Machines | 5374 W Shore Rd. | www.senecagames.com |
| Seneca Gaming – Salamanca | 250 Slot Machines | 768 Broad St. | www.senecagames.com |
| Seneca Niagara Casino – Niagara Falls | 3,600 Slot Machines | 310 4th St. | www.senecaniagaracasino.com |
| Tioga Downs – Nichols | 800 Slot Machines | 2384 W. River Rd. | www.tiogadowns.com |
| Turning Stone Resort Casino – Verona | 2,000 Slot Machines | 5218 Patrick Rd. | www.turningstone.com |
| Vernon Downs – Vernon | 800 Slot Machines | 4229 Stuhlman Rd. | www.vernondowns.com |
| Yellow Brick Road Casino – Chittenango | 400 Slot Machines | 800 W. Genesee St. | www.yellowbrickroadcasino.com |
History of New York Gambling
Gambling in New York was first recorded in 1655. That is when a horse track at Newmarket located in the Hempstead Plains opened. That area is known as Queens today. Horseracing did not remain legal from that time, however, Belmont Park, one of the most well-known tracks in the world, opened in 1905 and has operated ever since.
Betting at Belmont Park did not become fully legal until 1959. It was the first form of legalized gambling in the modern era in New York.
A state lottery was created by voters in November 1966. It passed by more than a 60 percent margin. The first tickets were sold the following year. It has since raised more than $35 billion for the state’s public schools.
New York became the first state outside Nevada to permit off-track betting on horses. This type of wagering would become a staple in New York City. That local government opened more than 100 betting shops that accepted wagers on races across the country. These were a part of life in the largest city in America. TV shows like Seinfeld and Law and Order regularly featured these establishments. Regional casinos, including one at Aqueduct, cannibalized the revenues once enjoyed by New York’s OTBs.
The expansion of gambling machines to tracks like Aqueduct put an end to these businesses. The last New York OTB betting shop closed in 2010. There have been some private attempts to reopen the most profitable storefronts in recent years.
Online Gambling
New York was home to the most infamous online gambling bust in the world. Preet Bharara of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York filed indictments against the three largest U.S.-facing online poker rooms on April 15, 2011. This action shut down Full Tilt Poker and Absolute Poker. It ran PokerStars, the largest poker site in the world, out of the U.S. market. This generated $547 million in fines for the U.S. Government. The action was called Black Friday.
In November 2013, New York voters approved the addition of seven commercial casinos in the state. These licensees will be able to spread the same games as Upstate New York casinos.
Daily Fantasy Sports Dispute
In November 2015, New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman determined that daily fantasy sports violated state law. FanDuel and DraftKings dispute this opinion. Both filed suit against the state for declaratory judgment. The case is working its way through the court system. In the meantime, the companies received a stay that allows them to remain in the New York market. Payment processors have run for the door while the legal battle continues.
New York Casinos & Gambling FAQ
New York has legalized live horse racing, off-track betting, a state lottery, tribal casinos, racinos and commercial casinos.
The minimum New York gambling age is 18 years to play the lottery or bet on horses. The minimum gambling age in New York for casinos is 18 years; unless alcohol is served, then it is 21 years. Charity gaming has no minimum age.
The only form of legal online betting in New York is off-track betting on horses.
TVG, TwinSpires, BetAmerica and XpressBet are all licensed to accept wagers in New York.
Racetracks with gaming licenses may spread slots, video poker and electronic table games.
The state’s tribal casinos and future commercial ones may spread slots, video poker, electronic table games, live poker, craps, roulette, blackjack, Three Card Poker, Four Card Poker, Pai Gow, baccarat and any other table game approved by regulators.
U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara of the Southern District of New York filed indictments against PokerStars, Full Tilt Poker and Absolute Poker on April 15, 2011. The charges were connected to illegal payment processing. The action put Full Tilt Poker and Absolute Poker out of business. Full Tilt was bailed by PokerStars through a $731 million settlement. Absolute Poker players and those that deposited through UltimateBet were stiffed.
New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman published an opinion that daily fantasy sports sites are illegal in November 2015. FanDuel and DraftKings refute this assertion. The case is working its way through the court system. In the meantime, daily fantasy sports sites remain in the market.
To see how far regulated gambling in the USA has come, we have made this timeline to show over 90 years worth of history. From the legalization in Nevada, up to the present day and a look at the states who are still to legalize gambling.
1931 – Introduction of legalized gambling in Nevada.
1949 – First government-sanctioned sportsbook opens in Las Vegas
1975 – First brick-and-mortar sportsbook inside a casino opens in Las Vegas, Nevada.
1961 – Wire Act passed to target racketeering. The act made it expressly illegal to use wire communication (phones, telegrams, and other means) to pass information that assisted in betting on sports.
1984 – Congress reduces tax on sportsbooks from 2% to 0.5%, making them even more economically viable.
1993 (January 1st) – Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) passed, expressly prohibiting states from either allowing or offering any sports betting services related to either professional or amateur sports. The entire state of Nevada is “grandfathered”, meaning Vegas sportsbooks are exempt of the legislation.
Supreme Court ruling on PASPA back in 1993
1996 – First online bet is placed at Austrian-based Intertops sportsbook.
2006 – Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) passed, criminalizing the act of accepting money from any person who was a part of an unlawful online gambling operation occurring on US soil. Online books are forced to go “offshore”.
2011 (April 15th) – Criminal case brought against three of the largest online poker companies operating, effectively wiping out the entire industry in the U.S.
2012 (January) – New Jersey Governor Chris Christie signs legislation allowing sports betting in the state, a move that would ultimately help lead to repeal of PASPA.
2013 – New Jersey online casinos and poker sites begin operating.
2018:
March 10th – West Virginia legalizes sports betting, making way for August 2018 launch.
West Virginia was one of the first states to legalize sports betting
May 14th – U.S. Supreme Court repeals federal law (PASPA) preventing individual states from regulating sports betting. The law had been passed on January 1st 1993.
June 5th – Legal sports betting begins in Delaware at the state’s three casinos. The Delaware Lottery is charged with regulation and oversight of the industry.
June 14th – First retail sportsbooks open in New Jersey.
August 1st – Legal sports betting begins in Mississippi albeit limited to water- and land-based casinos.
August 6th – DraftKings Sportsbook app, created under a partnership with Kambi and casino license of Resorts, becomes first legal online option for New Jersey bettors. playMGM and SugarHouse Sportsbooks launch in the same month.
August 30th – soft launch of retail sports betting in West Virginia at the Hollywood Casino at Charles Town, as a result of partnership with Penn Gaming National and DraftKings. Full launch two days later.
September – New Jersey online bettors get five further options: BetStars Sportsbook (later rebranded to FOX Bet Sept. 2019), FanDuel Sportsbook, William Hill Sportsbook, Caesars Sportsbook, 888 Sportsbook.
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September 13th – FanDuel opens retail sportsbook at The Casino Club at The Greenbrier (a private club) in West Virginia.
October 16th – sports betting starts at the tribally-owned Santa Ana Star Casino Hotel, New Mexico.
November 17th – William Hill in partnership with Hollywood Casino launch Pennsylvania’s first retail sportsbook.
November 21st – William Hill launches third retail sportsbook in West Virginia in partnership with Mountaineer Casino Racetrack & Resort.
December 11th – PointsBet NJ Sportsbook soft launch (full launch Jan. 2019). The Australian company introduces a new way to bet – ‘PointsBetting’ – to a U.S. audience.
December 15th – SugarHouse Sportsbook and Rivers Sportsbook PA launch out of temporary locations in Pennsylvania.
December 28th – First sports betting app, BetLucky.com, launches in West Virginia.
2019:
March 7th – BetLucky.com ceases operations due to legal dispute between owner Delaware North and supplier, Mionmi. Bettors in the Mountaineer State left without mobile options until Aug.26.
March 13th – FanDuel launch retail sportsbook at the Valley Forge Casino.
May 3rd – Legal sports betting in Montana signed into law; launch pending regulations being finalized.
May 8th – Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb signs a sports betting bill into law, allowing statewide wagering.
Legalized Gambling States
May 28th – Mobile betting begins in Pennsylvania with launch of SugarHouse Sportsbook betting app.
May 13th – Sports betting legalized in Iowa.
June – Parx Sportsbook and BetRivers online/mobile sportsbooks launch in Pennsylvania.
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June 28th – Illinois Gov. J.B. Prtitzker signs sports betting bill into law, but industry not expected to launch until 2020.
July 1st – Legal sports betting starts in Arkansas at the Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort. Mobile wagering not allowed in the state currently.
July 1st – Online sports wagering legalized in Tennessee. All betting must be done online or via a mobile device as no casinos in the state. Expected launch in second half of 2020.
July 12th – New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu signs sports betting bill into law. Target launch date is July 1, 2020.
July 16th – Almost six years after first becoming legal, New York sports betting becomes reality at the Rivers Casino, Schenectady. Mobile/online betting currently off the table, but that could change in 2020.
July 22nd – FanDuel Sportsbook PA goes live in Keystone State.
July 26th – Sports betting is legalized in North Carolina but only at retail locations initially. Early 2020 launch anticipated.
August 15th – legal sports betting – both retail and mobile – starts in Iowa at eight of the state’s authorized casinos (18 of the 19 casinos given approval). Bettors have to first register in person and through to Jan. 1 2021.
August 26th – FanDuel Sportsbook mobile app goes live in West Virginia.
August 27th – legal sports betting hits the West Coast with launch of retail sportsbook at the tribally-owned Chinook Winds Casino Resort in Lincoln City.
August 28th – DraftKings Sportsbook mobile app goes live in West Virginia.
September 1st – retail sports betting starts in Indiana, with ceremonial first bets placed at the Caesars Indiana Grand Casino in Shelbyville by Gov. Holcomb.
September 4th – Rhode Island launches mobile sports betting at one casino with legal minimum age set at 18. Bettors have to first create accounts in person.
September 12th – Fox Sports launch FOX-Bet-branded app in Pennsylvania, the first of its kind by a U.S. media company.
September 24th – Kindred Group, in partnership with Mohegan Sun Pocono, launch Unibet-branded retail sportsbook.
October 3rd – Draftkings and BetRivers (Rush Street Interactive) launch mobile apps in Indiana.
October 3rd – Ted Leonsis, the owner of Capital One Arena, Washington D.C., signs deal with William Hill. Construction of sportsbook – the first inside a U. S. Sports venue – to begin after all required regulatory approvals.
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Legalized Gambling In Ny State
October 11th – The Meadows officially becomes the 10th Pennsylvania casino with a retail sportsbook, following a soft launch two days earlier.
October 16th – Oregon State Lottery launches Scoreboard app, becoming first lottery in the U.S. to offer online sports betting.
October 20th – after a rocky start, the Scoreboard app hits one million dollars in wagers and despite absence of any NCAA games. Bettors must visit the Chinook Winds Casino to place these in person.
October 22nd – FanDuel launch mobile betting product in Indiana through a partnership with Blue Chip Casino and Belterra Casino.
As of 2019, October 24th, there are 13 U.S. states with legal, regulated sports betting industries (either retail, mobile or both), as follows:
Nevada, Delaware, New Jersey, Mississippi, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Arkansas, New York, Iowa, Indiana, Oregon and New Mexico*.
*not strictly legal but offered under existing tribal gaming compact.
Projected to legalize in 2020
11 states in total: Colorado, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, North Dakota, Ohio and Virginia.
Projected to legalize in 2021
Seven states in total: Alabama, Arizona, California, Connecticut, Florida, Maryland and Texas.
Legal sports betting nowhere in sight
14 states in total: Alaska, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Minnesota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin and Wyoming.
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