Online Gambling in New York

New York is one of the biggest legal sports betting markets in the country, with 9 licensed mobile sportsbook apps generating $26.3 billion in handle during 2025 alone. Online casinos and online poker remain illegal in 2026, though state legislators are actively pushing iGaming bills through Albany. Daily fantasy sports are legal (minus prop-style contests, which were banned in October 2023). On the land-based side, New York has 4 commercial casinos, 7 tribal casinos, 9 racinos, and 3 brand-new downstate casino licenses approved in December 2025. Here is everything you need to know about gambling in the Empire State.

Online Sports Betting in New York (2026)

New York launched mobile sports betting on January 8, 2022, and the market has been a revenue machine ever since. The state posted $26.3 billion in total handle for 2025, generating $2.55 billion in gross gaming revenue and $1.32 billion in tax revenue for state coffers. That 51% tax rate on mobile sportsbook revenue is the highest in the nation, and it is the single biggest reason New York leads every other state in sports betting tax collections.

Nine licensed mobile sportsbook apps currently operate in New York. Retail sports betting launched earlier, in July 2019, at the state’s four commercial casinos. The NY State Gaming Commission oversees all licensed operators and enforces compliance. A few restrictions worth knowing: you cannot bet on New York college teams, and college player prop bets are prohibited statewide. You must be physically located within state borders to place a mobile wager, though you can register your account from anywhere.

The sports betting landscape in New York is dominated by FanDuel and DraftKings, which consistently account for the majority of monthly handle. But the remaining apps offer real competition on promotions, odds, and niche markets. Here are the top 5 sportsbooks available to New York bettors right now.

New York Sportsbook Comparison

The other four licensed apps are BetRivers, ESPN Bet, Bally Bet, and Resorts World Bet. Each fills a slightly different niche. BetRivers tends to post early lines and run straightforward promos. ESPN Bet benefits from its media integration. Bally Bet and Resorts World Bet are smaller players, but they round out the market and occasionally offer aggressive sign-up deals to gain share.

What Can You Bet on in New York?

All nine apps cover the major professional leagues and a wide range of international sports. Here is a breakdown of what is available and what is restricted.

• Professional sports: NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, MLS, WNBA, UFC, boxing, golf, tennis, auto racing, and esports
• College sports: Football and basketball are available, but you cannot wager on games involving NY-based college teams, and college player prop bets are banned statewide
• International sports: Soccer (Premier League, Champions League, etc.), cricket, rugby, and cycling are widely covered
• Entertainment and specials: Some apps offer odds on award shows, political events, and other non-sports markets
• Bet types: Moneylines, point spreads, totals (over/under), parlays, teasers, round robins, futures, same-game parlays, and player/team props for professional sports
• Live betting: Real-time in-game wagering with shifting odds is available on every licensed app and accounts for a growing share of total handle each quarter

Popular NY Sports Teams for Bettors

New York is home to some of the most bet-on franchises in professional sports. The sheer density of teams creates a year-round betting calendar that most states cannot match. Yankees-Mets Subway Series games are some of the highest-handle baseball events nationally, and Knicks playoff runs generate futures and prop volume that rivals LA and Chicago.

The 51% Tax Rate Question

The elephant in the room for New York sports betting is the 51% tax rate on mobile gross gaming revenue, the highest of any legal state by a wide margin. For comparison, New Jersey taxes mobile sports betting at 13%, Pennsylvania at 36%, and most other legal states fall somewhere between 10% and 20%. Operators have been vocal about the burden. DraftKings CEO Jason Robins has called New York’s rate “not sustainable long-term,” and several sportsbooks have pointed to thinner margins and reduced promotional spending as direct consequences.

Online Casinos in New York (2026)

iGaming Legislation Status

Online casinos are not legal in New York as of 2026. Despite the state’s massive success with mobile sports betting, iGaming legislation has stalled repeatedly in Albany. The most recent effort is SB 2164, introduced by Sen. Joseph Addabbo Jr. in the 2026 legislative session, which would authorize online casino gaming with a proposed 30.5% tax rate on gross gaming revenue.

Revenue projections for online casinos in New York are significant. Industry analysts estimate the state could generate approximately $1 billion per year in tax revenue from iGaming, based on population comparisons with New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Michigan. That figure has made the bill attractive to budget-conscious legislators, though Gov. Hochul has not publicly endorsed the measure.

If iGaming passes, the game library would likely mirror what is already available in neighboring states: online slots (the biggest revenue driver in every legal iGaming market), blackjack, roulette, baccarat, video poker, and live dealer games streamed from studio floors in real time. Live dealer has been the fastest-growing segment in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. New York’s population base of roughly 20 million people would make it the largest iGaming market in the country overnight.

Revenue Projections

The revenue case for New York iGaming is straightforward when you look at what neighboring states are already pulling in. Here is how the numbers compare.

Scaling those numbers to New York’s population and income demographics, most analysts project the Empire State could generate $2.5 to $4 billion in annual iGaming GGR once the market matures. That would translate to $750 million to $1.2 billion in tax revenue at the proposed 30.5% rate.

Sweepstakes Casino Ban

New York banned sweepstakes casinos in December 2025, removing a gray-market alternative that had been growing fast. Sweepstakes sites like Chumba Casino, LuckyLand Slots, and Stake.us had been operating under a legal model that used virtual currencies and sweepstakes promotions to skirt real-money gambling definitions. The new law classified these platforms as illegal gambling operations within the state, forcing them to geoblock New York users.

The move was partly about consumer protection (sweepstakes sites had no responsible gambling requirements, no age verification standards, and no NYSGC oversight) and partly about clearing the competitive landscape for a future regulated iGaming market. If you are going to sell licenses to operate legal online casinos, the last thing you want is unlicensed competitors already serving the same customer base for free.

Online Poker in New York (2026)

Online poker is not legal in New York. Like online casino gaming, poker would need to be authorized through new legislation, and it is generally expected to be included as part of any broader iGaming bill rather than pursued as standalone legislation. SB 2164 does not explicitly carve out online poker, but previous versions of iGaming proposals have included it.

New York is not a member of the Multi-State Internet Gaming Agreement (MSIGA), the interstate compact that allows poker player pools to be shared across state lines. States like New Jersey, Nevada, Delaware, and Michigan participate in MSIGA, creating larger and more liquid poker games. If New York eventually authorizes online poker, joining MSIGA would be a logical step, given the state’s massive player base would instantly make it the biggest contributor to any shared pool.

The December 2025 sweepstakes ban also eliminated sweepstakes poker sites, which had operated in a legal gray area. Players looking for legal poker options in 2026 are limited to live poker rooms at the state’s commercial and tribal casinos, several of which run daily tournaments and cash games across a range of stakes.

Daily Fantasy Sports in New York (2026)

Daily fantasy sports have been legal in New York since 2016, when the state passed the Interactive Fantasy Sports Law. The law was challenged in court but ultimately upheld by the NY Court of Appeals in 2022, settling the legal question for good. There is one significant restriction: prop-style DFS contests (sometimes called “pick’em” games) were banned in October 2023. These contests, popularized by platforms like PrizePicks and Underdog, were deemed too similar to sports betting by regulators. Traditional salary-cap DFS contests remain fully legal and widely played.

Major DFS platforms currently operating in New York include:

• DraftKings DFS — The largest DFS platform in the state with the widest contest selection
• FanDuel DFS — Strong NFL and NBA contest offerings, integrated with the FanDuel sportsbook app
• Underdog Fantasy — Salary-cap “Best Ball” contests (prop-style pick’em contests are no longer available in NY)

New York is one of the largest DFS markets in the country by participation, which is no surprise given the state’s population and sports culture.

Land-Based Casinos & Tribal Gaming in New York

New York has one of the most extensive land-based gambling landscapes in the Northeast, with a mix of commercial casinos, tribal casinos, and racinos spread across the state. The big news in this space is the approval of three new downstate casino licenses in December 2025, which will bring full-scale casino gaming to the New York City metro area for the first time.

Commercial Casinos

New York’s four commercial casinos opened between 2016 and 2018 after voters approved a constitutional amendment in 2013 authorizing up to seven full-scale commercial gaming licenses. The four upstate properties are Rivers Casino & Resort in Schenectady, del Lago Resort & Casino in the Finger Lakes region, Tioga Downs Casino Resort near the Pennsylvania border, and Resorts World Catskills in Sullivan County. All four offer table games, slot machines, and retail sportsbooks.

Tribal Casinos

Three tribal nations operate seven casinos across New York. The Oneida Indian Nation runs Turning Stone Resort Casino (one of the premier casino destinations in the Northeast), Yellow Brick Road Casino, and Point Place Casino. The Seneca Nation operates Seneca Niagara Resort & Casino, Seneca Allegany Resort & Casino, and Seneca Buffalo Creek Casino. The St. Regis Mohawk Tribe operates Akwesasne Mohawk Casino Resort near the Canadian border.

Racinos

New York has 9 racinos, which are horse racing tracks that also operate video lottery terminals (VLTs). These include Resorts World New York City at Aqueduct (the highest-grossing gaming facility in the state), Empire City Casino at Yonkers, and Saratoga Casino Hotel. Racinos are limited to VLTs and electronic table games, as they do not hold full commercial casino licenses.

New York Casino Properties

Downstate Casino Expansion

In December 2025, the NYSGC approved three downstate casino licenses, opening a new chapter for gambling in the New York City area. The approved projects represent billions of dollars in combined investment and are expected to create thousands of jobs.

• Resorts World NYC — Expanding its existing Aqueduct racino into a full-scale resort casino with table games, a hotel tower, expanded dining, and event space. Investment: ~$500 million. Expected opening: late 2027 or early 2028.
• Hard Rock Queens — A new ground-up development with a branded hotel and a live entertainment venue. Investment: ~$700 million. Expected opening: 2028 to 2029.
• Bally’s Bronx — The most ambitious ground-up build, with plans for a casino floor, hotel, restaurants, and community benefit spaces. Investment: $600 million+. Expected opening: 2028 to 2029.

Each licensee is required to pay a $500 million licensing fee to the state on top of construction costs. Resorts World NYC is first in line given it is expanding an existing building, while Hard Rock and Bally’s are building from scratch.

The Seneca Revenue-Sharing Dispute

The Seneca Nation’s relationship with New York State over casino revenue sharing has been one of the longest-running disputes in American tribal gaming. Under the original 2002 compact, the Senecas agreed to share 25% of slot machine revenue from their three Western New York casinos with the state and local governments. In 2017, the Senecas stopped making payments, arguing that the revenue-sharing provision had expired.

The dispute went to federal arbitration, and in 2019 an arbitration panel ruled that the Senecas owed roughly $255 million in back payments. A renegotiated compact in 2023 extended the agreement through 2043, but the episode highlighted the complex dynamics between tribal sovereignty and state revenue expectations.

New York Gambling History: How We Got Here

New York’s relationship with gambling stretches back more than 200 years, and it has never been simple. Here are the key milestones that shaped the state’s gambling landscape into what it is today.

Early Prohibition Era (1821-1938)

1821: New York became one of the first states to outright ban gambling, a prohibition that would persist in various forms for more than a century.

1894: A constitutional amendment strengthened the gambling ban, cementing New York’s anti-gambling stance heading into the 20th century. For most of this period, gambling in the state was either illegal or confined to the margins.

Gradual Opening (1939-2000)

1939: The first crack in the prohibition came when New York legalized pari-mutuel wagering on horse racing.

1966: The state lottery launched, giving New Yorkers their first taste of state-sanctioned gambling that did not involve a racetrack.

1993: New York signed its first tribal gaming compact with the Oneida Indian Nation, eventually leading to the development of Turning Stone and other tribal properties.

Modern Expansion (2001-Present)

2001: Racinos were authorized, allowing horse racing tracks to install video lottery terminals. This was a revenue play designed to support the struggling racing industry while generating tax dollars for education.

2012: The New York State Gaming Commission (NYSGC) was created, consolidating gambling oversight under a single regulatory body for the first time.

2013: Voters approved Proposition 1 (57% to 43%), amending the state constitution to authorize up to seven commercial casinos. The amendment was pitched almost entirely on economics: new jobs, new tax revenue, and a way to keep gambling dollars from leaking to NJ, PA, and CT.

2016-2018: The four upstate commercial casinos opened. By most estimates, they reached only 50-60% of their original GGR projections during their first several years, a cautionary tale that shaped how Albany approached the downstate licenses.

2019: Retail sports betting launched in July at the state’s commercial casinos, following the Supreme Court’s 2018 PASPA ruling.

• 2022: Mobile sports betting went live on January 8 — $1.6 billion wagered in 30 days. The 51% tax rate was controversial, but the revenue numbers silenced most critics quickly.
• 2025: Sweepstakes casinos banned. Three downstate casino licenses approved (Resorts World NYC, Hard Rock Queens, Bally’s Bronx), continuing decades of gradual but steady gambling expansion.

New York Gambling Laws & Regulations (2026)

The New York State Gaming Commission (NYSGC) regulates all forms of gambling in the state, from horse racing and the lottery to commercial casinos, tribal gaming (in coordination with federal oversight), and mobile sports betting. The NYSGC was established in 2012 by merging the former Racing and Wagering Board with the Division of Lottery. All gambling laws in New York are codified under the Racing, Pari-Mutuel Wagering and Breeding Law and the New York State Tax Law.

Tax Rates by Gambling Vertical

Where Does the Money Go?

Sports betting tax revenue is directed to the state’s general fund, with earmarks for education and youth sports programs. The $1.32 billion in mobile sports betting tax revenue collected in 2025 represented a significant budget line item. Commercial casino tax revenue supports local host communities, education, and property tax relief. Lottery and VLT revenue has historically been one of the largest contributors to New York’s education budget, generating billions annually.

How to Start Gambling Online in New York

Getting started with legal online sports betting in New York takes about 5 minutes. All nine licensed apps follow a similar registration process. Here is a step-by-step walkthrough for first-time bettors.

Step 1: Choose a Licensed Sportsbook

Pick one of the nine NYSGC-licensed apps: FanDuel, DraftKings, BetMGM, Caesars, Fanatics, BetRivers, ESPN Bet, Bally Bet, or Resorts World Bet. Each has slightly different strengths in odds, promotions, and user experience. Many experienced bettors maintain accounts on 2-3 apps to line-shop for the best odds on any given wager.

Step 2: Register Your Account

Download the app from the App Store or Google Play (or visit the mobile web version). You will need to provide your full legal name, date of birth, last four digits of your Social Security number, and a valid home address within the United States. The app will verify your identity and age electronically. You do not need to be physically located in New York to create your account, but you must be within state borders to place a wager.

Step 3: Fund Your Account

All licensed apps accept multiple deposit methods. Deposits are instant in most cases. Credit card deposits are restricted under New York regulations. Common options include:

• Debit cards (Visa, Mastercard)
• Bank transfers (ACH / online banking)
• PayPal
• Venmo
• Apple Pay
• Play+ prepaid cards

Step 4: Claim Your Welcome Bonus

Most apps automatically apply their new-user promotion when you make your first deposit or place your first bet. Read the terms carefully, as bonus bets typically have a 7-10 day expiration window and cannot be cashed out directly. T&Cs apply to all welcome offers.

Step 5: Place Your First Bet

Make sure your phone’s location services are enabled so the app can verify you are within New York state lines. Browse the available markets, select your wager, enter your stake, and confirm. Your bet slip will show the potential payout before you submit.

Responsible Gambling Resources in New York

New York takes responsible gambling seriously, and the infrastructure to support it has grown alongside the state’s expanding gambling market. The state allocated $9.3 million in its FY2025-26 budget specifically for problem gambling prevention, treatment, and research programs.

The primary helpline is 877-8-HOPENY (877-846-7369), which is available 24/7 for anyone experiencing gambling-related problems. You can also text HOPENY to 467369. The helpline is operated by the NYS Office of Addiction Services and Supports (OASAS), which oversees problem gambling treatment programs across the state.

New York’s Voluntary Self-Exclusion (VSE) program allows individuals to ban themselves from all regulated gambling activities in the state for a period of 1 year, 5 years, or a lifetime. The program covers commercial casinos, tribal casinos (by agreement), racinos, and mobile sportsbooks.

• 877-8-HOPENY (877-846-7369) — 24/7 helpline for gambling-related problems
• Text HOPENY to 467369 — Text-based support option
• OASAS — Administers statewide problem gambling treatment programs
• Voluntary Self-Exclusion (VSE) — Ban yourself from all regulated gambling for 1 year, 5 years, or a lifetime (online, by mail, or in person)
• National Council on Problem Gambling — Additional resources and referrals

Gov. Hochul’s 2026 budget also includes youth protection measures aimed at preventing underage gambling, including enhanced age verification requirements for online platforms and public awareness campaigns targeting teenagers and college students.

How Does New York Compare to Neighboring States?

New York’s gambling market exists in a competitive regional corridor. How it stacks up against neighboring states matters for both bettors and lawmakers evaluating future legislation.

New Jersey remains the gold standard for legal online gambling in the U.S. NJ has had legal online casinos and poker since 2013, generating over $2 billion in annual iGaming revenue. Its 14.25% online gaming tax rate is far lower than what New York’s SB 2164 proposes. For New York residents near the state line, NJ’s online casino apps are usable when physically located in New Jersey.

Pennsylvania legalized online casinos, poker, and sports betting as part of a 2017 gaming expansion. PA’s iGaming market has grown steadily, with its 36% slot tax and 54% table game tax making it one of the highest-taxed iGaming states. Pennsylvania also permits online poker through PokerStars and BetMGM Poker, an option not available to New Yorkers.

Connecticut launched online sports betting and iGaming in 2021 through its two tribal nations. The market is smaller but provides another nearby state where online casino gaming is legal. Massachusetts launched mobile sports betting in March 2023 with no current plans for online casino legislation. The bottom line: New York leads the region in sports betting revenue but lags behind NJ, PA, and CT on online casino and poker — and that gap is the primary driver behind iGaming legislation in Albany.

Frequently Asked Questions