Home Live & Online Casino Directory New York Casinos & Local Gambling Laws

New York Casinos & Local Gambling Laws

Throughout the long and storied history of New York State, there has been very little available in the way of casinos and legal gambling. Today, the state does offer a few gambling options, though most of the casinos that are closest to New York City are mere “Racinos” which do not offer table games in the traditional sense.

Many residents of New York prefer traveling to nearby destinations like Atlantic City to gamble because of this. There are, however, a few stand-alone casino resorts within the state that are run by Native American tribes. These “Indian Casinos” offer full-fledged gaming, though in the case of New York, they are generally located upstate several hours from NYC.

New York Casino Reviews

Tioga Downs Casino and Raceway Review

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Tioga Downs is host to a 5/8 mile standardbred horse track as well as a small casino that offers up slot machines and electronic games. It is the embodiment of a standard New York racino, having just over 700 electronic machines and running harness races most Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from May to September. Like …

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Saratoga Casino and Raceway Review

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The Saratoga Casino and Raceway started as just a horse track offering harness races. It opened in 1941 and is made up of a 1/2 mile track built for standardbreds. In addition to the horse racing track, they now have nearly 2,000 slot machines along with electronic table games, video poker and keno. They are currently not

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Turning Stone Resort Casino Review

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Turning Stone is a popular casino resort located in upstate New York within the town of Verona. Though it is a long way from NYC, it is just a short 45 minute drive East from Syracuse on the NYS Throughway (Exit 33). This makes it a popular destination for many residents around the greater Syracuse area.

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Empire City Casino Review

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Empire City Casino is located at Yonkers Raceway in New York and is on of the closest casinos to NYC. This makes it a popular weekend destination for many New York residents. Empire City is a classic example of a New York “Racino.” It features over 5,000 slot machines and virtual table games as well as

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Resorts World Casino New York City Review

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Resorts World Casino New York City is one of the state’s newest gambling options, which opened just a few years ago in 2011. It is currently a “Racino,” opening as an extension of the Aqueduct Racetrack. The Aqueduct is actually the 5th oldest horse track in the United States, and is is located across the

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Despite the fact that New York doesn’t have a local iGaming market yet, it’s one of the best states for internet gambling enthusiasts. The reasons for this are simple: according to Section 225 of New York Consolidated Laws, individual players simply can’t be punished for taking part in unregulated games of chance, even when there’s real cash involved.

The only problem that the local offshore sites’ customers might ever face are the local taxes – but in the end, you simply have nothing to worry about as long you pay the state its due.

While we can’t really tell you which New York-friendly iGaming site is going to be perfect for your personal needs, we can tell you how to avoid the ones that are mediocre or downright bad. If you’re looking for a poker room, you should avoid the sites with very few players, as the quality of cash games and the size of guaranteed tournament prizes is determined by the amount of traffic going through the site.

When it comes to casinos, you should focus on the ones that suit your tastes in terms of game selection and offer the best bonuses and promotions. Sportsbooks are slightly more complicated, as you’ll have to consider prices, event coverage, and the available markets, as well as live in-play betting options.

Gambling in New York

New York brick and mortar gambling industry is absolutely massive with numerous tribal casinos spread across the local landscape. Other than that, the Empire State offers pari-mutuel betting, which is available at the local race tracks, as well as charitable gambling events and a state-run lottery.

New York lawmakers haven’t introduced any iGaming-friendly legislation so far, but the state is expected to launch its own intrastate online gambling market in the near future.

Casinos in New York

Prior to 2013, the only kind of casinos legal in New York (NY) were tribal casinos and the so-called racinos– race tracks that are allowed to include video lottery terminals but no table games.

That changed when Governor Andrew M. Cuomo signed a law legalizing the building of seven new full-scale Class III casinos (with the inclusion of live table games). Four of those new licenses have been awarded and the casinos have opened:

  • Del Lago Resort & Casino in Waterloo: 2,000 slot machines, 99 table games, and a poker room with 14 tables
  • Rivers Casino & Resort in Schenectady: 50,000 square feet of gaming space, 1,150 slot machines, 67 table games, and a poker room with 16 tables
  • Resorts World Catskills in Monticello: 2,150 slot machines, 150 table games, and a 24/7 poker room featuring 19 tables
  • Tioga Downs Casino Resort in Nichols: A converted racino offering 1,000 slot machines, 32 table games, and a poker room with 12 tables

There are also six Indian casinos operating with a Class III license:

The other Indian casinos in the state offer Class II gaming, meaning they are limited to video lottery machines and electronic table games– the same kind of gaming offered at the state’s six racinos.

Native American Casinos

In upstate New York, far from the city, is where you will find a handful of Native American casinos which offer more gaming options than their Racino counterparts. Most all Native American casinos in New York will generally offer resorts and hotel rooms in addition to gaming.

These types of casinos offer many resort-style amenities including pools and spas in addition to top-notch restaurants and entertainment. This is different from Racinos which generally do not offer any resort or hotel options. New York’s Indian Casinos will also offer table games like blackjack with live dealers vs. the electronic variations you’ll find at Racinos.

New York Sportsbooks & Sports Betting

Sports betting in New York is illegal but also remains in a state of confusion. According to the 2013 law, the new casinos built in the state can offer sports betting. In fact, most of them are wired and ready-to-go and already have sportsbook partners.

However, the NY legislative session ended in 2018 without any clarity on the issue. What do they do with the Indian casinos that are also desperate to open their own sportsbooks? And what about online sports betting?

All of those questions were supposed to be answered but weren’t. Now, New Yorkers are in a lurch. According to gaming analyst Eilers & Krejcik, even though many of those issues might get ironed out in the near term, it could be another three years before the laws include online betting.

Fantasy Sports Gambling and eSports

While daily fantasy sports (DFS) were gaining popularity in 2015 and 2016, New York became the center of the battle between players, operators, state legislators, and existing gambling laws. When NY passed the Interactive Fantasy Sports Bill later in 2016, it was seen as a good thing throughout the industry.

In short, DFS is legal and regulated in the state. However, in the two years since the initial law was passed, a registration process for new companies has yet to be created by the gaming commission. Companies like FanDuel and DraftKings, which were in the market before the legal question was answered, are in on a temporary permit. New competitors remain unable to register.

To play DFS in New York, you must be at least 18 years old.

It is illegal to gamble on eSports in New York.

Animal Racing

Horse racing has a long and storied history in the state, with the crown jewel being Belmont Park, the host of the Belmont Stakes– the final leg of the Triple Crown.

Other than at Belmont, there is live horse racing at these venues:

  • Aqueduct Racetrack
  • Batavia Downs
  • Finger Lakes Gaming & Racetrack
  • Goshen Historic Track
  • Monticello Raceway
  • Saratoga Racecourse (with two separate tracks for thoroughbred and harness racing)
  • Tioga Downs
  • Vernon Downs
  • Yonkers Raceway

Five off-track betting (OTB) corporations run the simulcast pari-mutuel wagering in NY, and among those five corporations there are 170 OTB locations in the state.

In order to place a bet on a horse race in New York, you must be 18 years of age or older.

Greyhound racing is illegal.

New York Poker Games

All four of the commercial casinos in New York have legal poker rooms, and three of the six Class III Indian casinos have a poker room. There are no other legal for-profit rooms in the state. Social poker games, as long as no one is making a profit, are legal.

Online poker is illegal in New York.

Lottery

New York’s lottery began in 1967, making it the third-oldest lottery in America behind Puerto Rico (1934) and New Hampshire (1964). Proceeds help fund public education.

Along with scratch-off games, the state offers the following draw games:

  • Numbers
  • Win 4
  • Take 5
  • Pick 10
  • Lotto
  • Quick Draw
  • Cash 4 Life (multistate)
  • Mega Millions (multistate)
  • Powerball (multistate)

Prizes must be claimed within one year of the drawing. You must be 18 years of age or older to play. You must be 21 or older to purchase tickets where alcohol is served.

Bingo

Along with the many Class II Indian casinos offering bingo, there is also a charitable carveout in the law to allow nonprofit organizations to conduct fundraising bingo games.

First, they must apply through the state’s gaming commission and then with the municipality where they want to host a game. The regulations for legal bingo include:

  • No more than 18 days of bingo in a calendar quarter
  • No more than three bingo games per day
  • Profits must be deposited in a special Bingo Checking Account the next business day

There are more than 200 bingo halls in New York, and you must be at least 18 years old to play.

History of New York Casinos

New York State has had just a handful of casinos for most of its history, mainly in Native American areas located upstate. It wasn’t until 2013 when an amendment was passed to expand legal gambling in the state. The new amendment calls for just 4 new gaming licenses to be given out, mainly in upstate New York locations near the Catskill mountains and Albany.

The passing of the amendment was in part due to the effects the recession had on the state. The amendment, which received 57% voter approval, will allow for the slow expansion of legalized casinos. This will in turn generate much needed jobs for local residents. A large majority of all casino revenues are also distributed to help schools and educational programs within the state.

For many years, New York has been missing out on the massive amounts of revenue generated by gambling in nearby states such as New Jersey which is just a short drive from NYC. It seems that the idea of opening more casinos in the state is catching on fast and gaining some momentum. It will definitely be interesting to see what happens over the next several years, and there have already been many talks regarding turning some of the state’s Racinos into full fledged casinos that offer more variety in the way of table games.

As we briefly touched on above, many casinos within New York started out as horse racing tracks. This means a large majority of casinos here are considered “Racinos.” These types of casinos do not offer the traditional games that are available in other popular states such as New Jersey or Nevada. While some Racinos do offer “table games” they are electronic and completely automated.

In addition to the automated table games, many of the “slot machines” at New York Racinos are actually video lottery terminals, which utilize a system similar to the lottery but look like traditional slot machines. This is the most common type of casino that you’re likely to find in New York. Many of them also offer horse betting and live horse races, but do not allow sports betting. Even though the machines in Racinos use a different system than other casinos, they still have many of the most popular slot machines like Wheel of Fortune and the likes.

One of the newest, most popular and controversial casinos in New York is the Resorts World Casino which is conveniently located at the Aqueduct Racetrack in Queens (by JFK Airport). It opened its doors in 2011, and has quickly become a popular destination for home-state residents as well as many people traveling through the JFK International Airport. They have even built a train which runs direct from the airport to the casino, and it is currently the only casino and racetrack within the New York City Limits.

General New York Gambling Rules

– In New York, you must be 18 years of age to gamble at casinos. This is currently the topic of debate, as several lawmakers are looking to raise the age to 21.
– In New York, you must be 21 to drink or buy alcohol at casinos.
– Though drinks (alcoholic or otherwise) at most casinos are usually free, tipping the waiter or waitress is a common courtesy.
– Smoking is permitted in some casinos, though it is not permitted in all. It is important to be wary of all marked non-smoking areas, and to know the rules before entering.

New York Online Gambling FAQ

The first step you should take is to sign up for a gambling account, which will allow you to make a deposit to the site. Keep in mind that the site’s staff will verify your personal information, which might take some time. However, you won’t have to go through this process again.

Your on-site account isn’t all that different from an e-wallet in that the money remains at your disposal at all times, so you’re free to request a cash out via the cashier menu whenever you deem necessary. Requests of this kind tend to take about 48 hours to process.

 

The default payment methods is a bank wire transfer, so all in all, you should receive your money within less than 14 days.

Offshore sites accept all New York residents who are at least 18 years old.

If you want to gamble for real money, you should start by filling out the registration form available on the site that you’d like to sign up with. Once you’re done, you should confirm your identity, which will allow you to make the first deposit.

New York residents are allowed to register from anywhere in the United States.

New York-friendly sites can be accessed from anywhere in the United States, but you should avoid playing real money games from states that have already banned internet gambling, such as Washington or Utah.

Your best bet would be to read Section 225 of New York Statutes.

Most US-facing offshore sites require you to make your first payment using a standard credit card.

Most sites allow you to choose between cashing out via bank wire and via a check by mail.

Your money is perfectly safe as long as you stick to trustworthy sites, such as the ones listed here. If you want to go beyond our list, we recommend treating every new site with caution.

New York Charitable Gambling, Las Vegas Nights, New York Dept. State, Sweepstakes Registration, Misc. Records Unit, New York Lottery and New York State Racing and Wagering Board.

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