A lot of players in and around the State of New York still want to know if online gambling is legal in NY. The answer is yes! There are lots of legit online casinos in New York that you can visit to play your favorite games for real money.
The New York gambling laws are very flexible towards wagering on the internet. Casinos in NY accept bets from everything such from traditional slots machines and classic table games to high stakes poker rooms and sports gambling. If a little cabin fever has got you down in the dumps, we provide updates on when New York casinos are reopening after the lockdown as a result of COVID-19.
Go through our list of NY online casinos, as well as some of the popular brick-and-mortar gambling venues you can visit near you.
Gambling in New York
The gambling laws in New York are one of the most liberal in the United States. The gambling industry is filled with commercial and tribal casinos that you can visit. Moreover, you can place a bet at pari-mutuel racetracks around the state for a chance to win big. The best places to find a mixture of casino slots and bets on races (racinos) such as Tioga Down and Aquaduct are some of the most popular spots you’ll ever find.
For a chance of winning a life-changing jackpot, New Yorkers try their luck at the lottery playing Powerball and Mega Millions. Even though the chances of winning are pretty slim, you have plenty of markets to bet on. Sports betting is legal in New York. If you are anywhere around the big apple, you can sample some charitable games against friends, such as raffles and bingo games
How Many Casinos Are in New York?
In total, there are 22 casinos in New York state, with 5 Indian casinos and 14 brick and mortar casinos. The New York State Gaming Commission regulates all of the land-based casinos that operate in the state. Here’s a list of the New York casinos that you can visit today:
| Casino | Gaming Floor | 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. Genese | www.yellowbrickroadcasino.com |
Is Online Gambling Legal in NY?
Yes, New York online casinos are legal. With the COVID pandemic forcing the government to institute a nationwide lockdown, New Yorkers still had the option to play for real money online. Some of the games you can find at online casinos in New York include poker rooms for low and high stakes, off-track betting on horses as well.
After much back and forth in courts, sports betting sites such as DraftKings and FanDuel accept NY players. You have to ensure that the gambling sites are fully licensed with a reputable third party. Some of the most popular gaming commissions include the government of Curacao, Malta, Costa Rica, and the UK.
History of New York Gambling
The earliest recorded history of gambling in New York was in 1655. However, it wasn’t your rolling of dice or card dealing. It was horse racing at Newmarket located in the Hempstead Plains.
The legalities of betting on horses had not officially been made legitimate. It would only become fully legal in 1959, recognized as the first form of legal gambling in New York.
Voters in New York agreed on the state lottery on November 24, 1966, enacting the New York Lottery Act. It passed by more than a 60 percent margin. The State of New York enacted the first lottery in the US, which raised over $35 billion for the state’s public schools, selling its first tickets the following year.
The first state outside Nevada to allow off-track betting for horses was New York. This type of wagering would become a staple in New York City. The re-emergence of horse racing in the country led to the government opening up to more than 100 betting stores that accepted bets on races all across the country.
The expansion of slot machines and gambling machines to tracks like Aqueduct put an end to these businesses. The last New York off-track sports betting shop closed in 2010. There have been some private attempts to reopen the most profitable storefronts in recent years.