As of February 2021, New York online sports betting is not yet legal, but there are a variety of New York sportsbooks locations throughout the state. These are retail sportsbooks where bets can be placed in person.
New York’s retail sportsbooks will offer a wide range of wagers on all major sports competitions throughout 2021 and beyond. They are currently all located in Upstate NY.
There are two major restrictions that New York bettors should be aware of. Sports bettors are unable to wager on in-state college schools and mobile sports betting is not currently legal (but it may be by the end of 2021). There are, however, options for bettors in New York to place online bets like crossing the border to make mobile bets in New Jersey.
New York Sports Betting Recent Updates
- Barstool Sportsbook & Golden Nugget get NY market access: Barstool secured access via a deal with Rivers Casino while Golden Nugget inked an agreement with Tioga Downs. Both agreements are good for 20 years, provided New York’s eventual sports betting market allows multiple skins.
- Cuomo doubled down on his support of a lottery model: In a January 19 budget address, Cuomo reiterated his support of the lottery model, claiming that “the people of NEw York actually get the profits” from such a model.
- Empire State lawmakers pushed back with legislation that would authorize casino-tethered sports betting: New York State Senator Joseph Addabbo and Assemblyman Gary Pretlow jointly filed s1183 and a1257, a pair of bills aimed at launching mobile sports betting more along the lines of neighboring New Jersey. Addabo/Pretlow’s model would allow New York casinos to partner with online sports betting operators, welcoming competing apps in the state.
- Governor Cuomo voices support for mobile sports betting in New York…with a catch: To kick off 2021, NY Governor Andrew Cuomo announced that he had changed his tune with regard to mobile sports betting. However, the announcement came with a plot twist. Cuomo wants a lottery-based sports betting model, which would limit the number of operators who could launch in the state.
- The veto-proof majority of New York Democrats is good news for sports bettors: On November 23, 2020, New York’s Democratic lawmakers achieve a supermajority, meaning they can pass legislation that Governor Andrew Cuomo would be unable to veto. This veto-proof majority likely signals the beginning of online sports betting in New York, which we could see in 2021.
- New Jersey sports betting totals $931 million: On December 14, 2020, the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement reported that in-state sportsbooks handled close to a billion dollars in bets. This marks the fourth consecutive time that the Garden State broke the national record for most sports betting in a single month, no doubt with help from New Yorkers crossing the border to bet at legal online sportsbooks.
- Governor Cuomo announces push for online sports betting: On January 6, 2021, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced his intention to push for legal online sports betting in his 2021 State of the State address. In the press release, he stated, “New York has the potential to be the largest sports wagering market in the United States, and by legalizing online sports betting we aim to keep millions of dollars in revenue here at home, which will only strengthen our ability to rebuild from the COVID-19 crisis.”
- DraftKings stock rises by 9%: Immediately following the January 6, 2021 announcement that New York State will likely legalize online sports betting, DraftKings (DKNG) stocks sharply rose by 9%. However, this excitement has since tapered off with the possibility that sports betting will be run by the New York Lottery, which would cut DraftKings and all other casino-style sportsbooks out of the market.
- Online sports betting announcement receives criticism: On January 14, 2021, Governor Cuomo’s proposal to allow the New York Lottery to operate the state’s only online sportsbook received criticism from State Senator Joe Addabbo. The Queens Democrat is one of many lawmakers pushing for a casino-style, competitive market rather than a lottery-style, state-run sportsbook like they had in Washington, DC at launch.
Online Sportsbooks In New York: What We Can Expect
A great online sports betting market in New York is only possible if two things happen:
- Lawmakers pass a bill legalizing online sports betting in the state
- New York follows the casino model rather than the lottery model for online sportsbooks. If they go with the lottery model instead, sports bettors in the state would have exactly one online sportsbook option, and it’d be run by the New York Lottery.
But if New York offers a competitive online sports betting market that opens the doors to some of the biggest and best sportsbooks in the US, it could very easily generate more sports betting revenue than any other state.
Below are the online sportsbooks you can expect to immediately enter the New York sports betting market:
- BetRivers
- Caesars Sports
- DraftKings
- FanDuel
These four brands already have retail sportsbooks located across Upstate New York. In fact, The Lounge by Caesars Sports has a location inside Turning Stone in Verona, Yellow Brick Road in Chittenango, and Point Place in Bridgeport, essentially making it Central New York’s main sports betting brand.
But you can also count on the following sports betting apps to join as well:
All of these online sportsbooks are available in both New Jersey and Pennsylvania, which makes it highly likely that they’ll apply for a license in New York State as well.
All New York State Sportsbooks
| Casino | Sportsbook | Location | Launch Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Turning Stone Resort & Casino | Caesars Sports | Verona | August 1, 2019 |
| Resorts World Catskills | Sportsbook 360 | Monticello | September 5, 2019 |
| Rivers Casino Schenectady | Rivers Sportsbook | Schenectady | July 16, 2019 |
| del Lago Casino Resort | DraftKings | Waterloo | August 23, 2019 |
| Tioga Downs | FanDuel | Nichols | July 22, 2019 |
| Yellow Brick Road Casino | Caesars Sports | Chittenango | September 4, 2019 |
| Point Place Casino | Caesars Sports | Bridgeport | August 1, 2019 |
| Akwesasne Mohawk Casino | PlaySports by IGT | Hogansburg | November 27, 2019 |
How To Place A Bet In New York
Retail Sportsbooks
If you want to bet on sports while inside the state of New York, you’ll have to visit a retail sportsbook and bet in-person. Some of these sportsbooks, such as Sportsbook 360 at Resorts World Catskills, allow you to view the bets online before you visit. All will take phone calls inquiring about the lines they’re offering.
Unfortunately, New York City does not have any retail sportsbooks despite having land-based casinos. The closest in-state option is Resorts World Catskills in Monticello.
Online Sportsbooks In New Jersey Or Pennsylvania
Some New Yorkers may find it easier to simply cross the border into New Jersey or Pennsylvania to bet online. As long as you’re at least 21 and physically located within state lines, you can wager at any of the legally licensed online sportsbooks in those states.
New York Sports Betting Revenue
In November 2020, sportsbooks across New York State generated $2,619,676 in revenue, which translated to $261,968 in state taxes. That’s incredibly low compared to the sports betting revenue in New Jersey ($931,620,415) and Pennsylvania ($491,910,713) in the same month.
The discrepancies are due to two main factors: those states offer online sportsbooks, and New York City does not have any in-state retail sportsbooks.
However, if New York State legalizes online sports betting, the state could see sportsbook revenue reach $3 billion by the end of 2021. According to State Budget Director Robert Mujica, legal mobile sports betting would increase tax revenue from $50 million to more than $500 million per year.
How New York Compares To Other States
New York Versus Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania is one of just a few states that legalized all forms of online gambling: sports betting, casino games, and poker sites. New York has no form of legal online gambling, so there’s really no comparison. If you like to bet online, Pennsylvania offers one of the best markets.
Here is a complete list of online sportsbooks in Pennsylvania that New York residents can use as long as they’re inside PA state lines:
- Barstool
- TwinSpires
- BetMGM
- BetRivers
- Caesars Sports
- DraftKings
- FanDuel
- FOX Bet
- Parx
- SugarHouse
- Unibet
More will likely be added in 2021 as well.
New York Versus New Jersey
New Jersey also offers legal online sportsbooks, online casinos, and poker sites. And until New York legalizes online sports betting, New Jersey will remain the state where online sportsbooks generate the most revenue in the country.
New York residents can join any of the following New Jersey online sportsbooks, but you must be physically present in New Jersey to wager:
- 888 Sport
- Barstool
- Bet365
- TwinSpires
- BetMGM
- Borgata Sports
- BetRivers
- Caesars Sports
- DraftKings
- FanDuel
- FOX Bet
- Golden Nugget Sports
- Hard Rock Sportsbook
- PointsBet
- PokerStars Sports
- SugarHouse
- theScore
- Unibet
- William Hill
Incredibly, the market is continuing to grow, and you can expect a few more in 2021.
New York Betting Successes And Failures
New York Sports Betting Success
New York’s sportsbooks were never expected to do as well as states with online sports betting options. While sportsbook revenue continued to rise throughout the end of 2020, a few million is nothing compared to the hundreds of millions generated monthly in New Jersey.
However, Governor Andrew Cuomo had been outspokenly opposed to any form of legal sports betting, even after the US Supreme Court overturned PASPA in May 2018, a federal law prohibiting states from legalizing it.
Despite his opposition, retail sports betting launched in 2019 inside several Upstate New York casinos. That’s far better than nothing, but a far cry from resounding success.
Where Could New York Improve Online Gambling
Sports bettors in New York, particularly those in NYC, are taking their wagers to New Jersey. It can take under ten minutes to get from certain parts of Manhattan via PATH or ferry, which is far easier than the two-hour drive up to Resorts World Catskills.
Bottom line: New Yorkers are spending millions of dollars in more favorable sports betting markets. Some would reasonably consider that a massive legislative failure.
Both Iowa and Indiana launched online sports betting before Illinois. This meant Illinois had similar problems to New York. Even when Illinois launched online betting, the law restricted Illinois bettors by requiring them to visit a retail sportsbook in Illinois to complete registration. In some cases, it was easier for Illinois residents to hop over a border than travel to an Illinois sportsbook to register. This requirement has been suspended, though, for most of 2020 and into 2021. Now, Illiois is the fourth-largest sports betting market in the US.
New York could learn from this example. If New York authorizes online sports betting, it would be an enormous tax revenue boost.
Legalization Effort In New York
The legalization effort in New York State began way back in 2013 when the state passed Senate Bill S5883, which added Article 13 to the Racing, Pari-Mutuel Wagering and Breeding Law.
However, the new bill specifically banned sports wagering “unless federal law governing such wagering is amended or a court finds such law unconstitutional.”
On May 14, 2018, the US Supreme Court indeed found such a law unconstitutional. When the Court overturned PASPA, a 1992 bill restricting states from offering legal sports betting (except for Nevada), New York could pass a bill legalizing sports betting.
Before that even happened, New York Senate Racing, Gaming & Wagering Committee Chair John J. Bonacic sponsored a bill that would have established sports betting regulations ahead of the Supreme Court ruling. However, that bill was still active when he retired that same year.
Thankfully, State Senator Joe Addabbo took over sponsorship of the bill when he became the new Committee Chair, and he became a champion of getting both retail and online sports betting legalized in the state.
Unfortunately, mobile sports betting was not part of the deal. Instead, only retail sportsbooks in Upstate New York casinos could offer legal sports betting.
On July 16, 2019, Schenectady’s Rivers Casino accepted the first legal sports bets, and seven additional retail sportsbooks have opened since.
Timeline For New York Sports Betting
- December 4, 2017: The US Supreme Court heard oral arguments in the case of Christie v. National Collegiate Athletic Association, the result of which would eventually overturn PASPA, the federal ban on states legalizing sports betting.
- March 8, 2018: New York Senate Racing, Gaming & Wagering Committee Chair John J. Bonacic introduced Senate Bill S7900 in an attempt to make state regulators ready to roll out legal sports betting if the US Supreme Court overturns PASPA.
- May 14, 2018: The US Supreme Court ruled in favor of New Jersey and overturned PASPA, allowing states and other federal jurisdictions to legalize sports betting.
- December 21, 2018: Following the retirement of State Senator John J. Bonacic, Senate Bill S7900 found a new sponsor in Joe Addabbo, who took over as the New York Senate Racing, Gaming & Wagering Committee Chair.
- March 20, 2019: The New York State Gaming Commission released regulations regarding sports betting, triggering a 60-day comment period.
- June 10, 2019: The New York State Gaming Commission approves retail sportsbook licenses for four commercial casinos and all tribal casinos in the state.
- July 16, 2019: Rivers Casino Schenectady opens the first legal sportsbook in New York State at its in-house Rivers Sportsbook.
- September 4, 2019: By this day, six additional sportsbooks were open at commercial and tribal casinos across the state: Sportsbook 360 at Resorts World Catskills; DraftKings Sportsbook at del Lago Casino Resort; FanDuel Sportsbook at Tioga Downs; and three Caesars Sportsbook locations at Turning Stone, Point Place, and Yellow Brick Road.
- November 27, 2019: The new Akwesasne Mohawk Casino in Hogansburg by the Canadian border accepted their first sports bet at the in-house PlaySports Sportsbook by IGT. New Yorkers now have seven options across every corner of Upstate.
- January 6, 2020: Governor Andrew Cuomo, a major opponent of online sports betting in New York, announced that the state will finally legalize it in 2021. It remains to be seen how that pans out.
New York Teams
Professional Sports Teams
New York sportsbooks can offer any sort of bet on major league sports, including wagers on all New York teams. And New York boasts some of the best teams in the world. New York is also home to the largest number of professional teams of any region in the US.
NFL Teams In NY
The NFL inspires more sports bets than any other league in the US, and Super Bowl betting in New York is the busiest time of year at the sportsbooks.
The state’s three NFL teams are the Buffalo Bills, New York Giants, and New York Jets.
While the Giants and the Jets play at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, both are New York teams. If you attend a game, you can bet on your mobile device on New Jersey’s legal sports betting apps.
NY MLB Teams
New Yorkers bet millions every year on the Yankees and the Mets, a legendary crosstown rivalry. And their enormous fandoms span far beyond the boroughs in which they play. New York bettors can bet on these teams as well as all MLB teams in the US.
NBA Teams In New York
The New York Knicks is an organization best known for having championship teams that never win a championship. And like the Knicks, the Brooklyn Nets haven’t won a Championship since the ABA and NBA merged in 1976. But New York bettors don’t shy away from betting on the underdog, especially if it’s an in-state team.
New York NHL Teams
The Buffalo Sabres, New York Islanders, and New York Rangers represent the State of New York in the NHL. While the Stanley Cup has evaded all of them for close to thirty years, the NHL remains one of the most popular sports for New York betting.
MLS Teams In New York
New York City FC and the New York Red Bulls are two teams that continue to grow in popularity – along with betting on MLS games. On top of international leagues and the World Cup, soccer fans always have a lot of betting opportunities at in-state sportsbooks.
College Sports Teams
While you can bet on college sports in New York, in-state schools are strictly off-limits. That means you can’t bet on Syracuse, Buffalo, Albany, Army, or St. Johns at New York sportsbooks.
A popular workaround is to visit Pennsylvania or New Jersey to bet on New York colleges. In Pennsylvania, you can also bet on their in-state college teams. But in New Jersey, you can’t bet on a game that involves a New Jersey college, or any college game played in the state.
New York’s restriction on in-state colleges won’t change if the state legalizes online sports betting. On top of New Jersey, Illinois also prohibits sports betting on in-state schools and games. But most states do not, including Colorado, Michigan, Nevada, and Pennsylvania.
Thankfully, sportsbooks across the state offer free-to-play March Madness bracket tournaments and other promotions surrounding sporting events involving in-state teams. So even if you can’t bet on Syracuse, you can still watch them play while betting on other games.
Other Sports To Bet On In New York
New York boasts world-renowned golf courses that often hold PGA Tour events. As recently as September 14, 2020, the Winged Foot Golf Club in Westchester County hosted the U.S. Open Championship. Turning Stone Casino also offers both a sportsbook and golf course that hosts PGA events, all on the same Verona property.
Another New York favorite is betting on NASCAR and other auto-racing events. Watkins Glen International hosts these events in every professional auto-racing sector, including the NASCAR Cup Series.
Interestingly for sports bettors, Watkins Glen is one of only two NASCAR tracks where they race clockwise. Everywhere else, it’s counterclockwise, adding an additional variable to an already exciting and unpredictable sport.
And at all US sportsbooks, including those in New York, international soccer is one of the most popular choices for bettors. Outside of the major leagues and college football and basketball, the English Premier League and other European divisions attract a large number of in-state wagers.
New York Sports Betting FAQs
No, New York does not allow legal online sports betting from within state lines. However, Governor Andrew Cuomo, State Senator Joe Addabbo, and other lawmakers will attempt to legalize it in 2021. It remains to be seen whether it will be a single, state-run online sportsbook or a casino-style market with several different sportsbook options.
Yes. You can be a legal resident of New York and legally bet online while in New Jersey. You can also legally join, deposit, and withdraw at an online sportsbook in New Jersey, but you need to be physically present in the state to place a bet.
18 or 21. The sports betting age in New York depends on if you’re playing at a commercial casino or a tribal casino. At New York’s four commercial casinos, the sportsbook age is 21 and up. At tribal casinos, such as Turning Stone, Point Place, Yellow Brick Road, and Akwesasne, bettors 18 and up are accepted.
Yes and no. You can bet on college sports in New York as long as it is not an in-state college team like Syracuse or Buffalo. If New York colleges aren’t playing and the game isn’t being held in New York State, it should be available at your closest retail sportsbook. You can call ahead or check the website to see if they’re taking bets on games before you go.
No. If a website accepts a wager from you while you’re in New York State, you’re breaking the law and so is the sportsbook. Aside from the legal risk, illegal betting sites are notorious for refusing to pay winnings or outright disappearing and taking your money with them.
DraftKings DFS and FanDuel DFS are legal in New York State. Both also have retail sportsbooks, DraftKings at del Lago Casino Resort and FanDuel in Tioga Downs. However, the online FanDuel Sportsbook and DraftKings Sportsbook are not legal in New York State. New Yorkers can wager at both by visiting Pennsylvania or New Jersey.
More Resources On New York Sports Betting
- The NYS Gaming Commission website, with resources on rules and regulations, revenue reports, voluntary self-exclusion, and more
- Sports Betting Rules as enforced by the NYS Gaming Commission
- New York Sports on ESPN has the latest coverage on both college and professional sports in the state
- The New York Times Sports section covers both local teams as well as national professional and college sports
- CNY Sports News courtesy of Syracuse.com
- Buffalo News Sports section covers athletics in Western New York
- Times Union Sports has the latest college and high school sports news in Albany and the Capital Region
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