New York Online Poker Legal
admin 4/5/2022
- »Is Online Poker Legal in the USA?
2020 Update: Can I Play Online Poker in New York?
New York is a big, poker-loving state, but they’ve yet to regulate online poker. There has been a lot of efforts though. There have been almost yearly bills trying to legalize online poker dating back to 2014. They all failed for one reason or another and the current bill, S.18 .
While live poker has traditionally been restricted to backroom clubs in the heart of New York City, moves are afoot to regulate online poker for NY residents AND introduce major new land-based casinos in the state. Soon, you'll be able to play at legal poker sites in New York that are regulated by the state. None of New York’s laws specifically state that playing poker at offshore poker sites is illegal. Since the state cannot prosecute residents for breaking laws that do not exist, one can safely state that it is safe and legal for residents to play poker online at New York friendly online poker rooms. Online poker in New York carries no penalties or risks of legal persecution for individual players. New York has had a very long and tenuous relationship with online poker.
The Current Legal Online Poker Situation in New York According to the New York Penal Code, it is illegal to take part in any online gambling activity. The only accepted form of betting is with the state lottery and gambling at any licensed facility based in New York.
This is a bipartisan bill sponsored by State Sen. Joseph P. Addabbo Jr (D) and co-sponsored by State Sen. Rich Funke (R). The bill would reclassify “interactive poker games” as games of skill and regulate online poker. The state would license, tax and guarantee minimum standards for sites. The bill was introduced early last year and is still making its rounds in the New York legislature.
Addabbo has also pushed for online sports betting. Sports betting is already allowed in physical casinos in upstate New York, but Addabbo is hoping mobile sports betting could help bring in up to $200 million for the state. This is especially important, Addabbo says, since the coronavirus pandemic has also devastated the state’s budget. It doesn’t look like there will be action on either of these fronts this year though. It seems unlikely that the state legislature will return before the session is over.
Online Poker Legal In New York
Poker and Gambling Laws in New York
New York has a lot of gambling options for its residents. It depends on where they live though. There aren’t a lot of legal options in New York City, but upstate New York has several tribal casinos that have incredibly popular poker rooms. Turning Stone Resorts Casino and Resorts World Catskill are pretty popular poker rooms among players. But aside from tribal casinos, gambling in the rest of the state is regulated by the New York State Constitution.
In Section 225.00(2), the state defines gambling as:
“Staking or risking something of value upon the outcome of a contest of chance or a future contingent event not under person’s control, upon an agreement that he/she will receive something of value, given a certain event.”
This is a very broad definition. We see that gambling isn’t necessarily limited to wagering money like it is in many states. The inclusion of “something of value” is broad and includes any type of wagering. The other keyword here is “chance”, which is a common word in gambling definitions. New York goes a bit further to include “a future contingent not under a person’s control”. This broad definition is what makes poker, and several other games, fall under the New York gambling umbrella.
Can I Play Poker on PokerStars in New York?
Nope, but if you’re in New York City, you can hop over the bridge and play PokerStars in New Jersey. PokerStars is slowly coming back to the United States. Because of the legal trouble it got into after 2011, some states have been excluding it after regulating online poker. It’s a state-by-state decision though and both New Jersey and Pennsylvania agreed to license PokerStars.
Since there’s no online poker regulation in New York, there’s no PokerStars either. Another thing about PokerStars in the US, is that the player pools are small. So far, New Jersey players can only play with other New Jersey players and the same goes for Pennsylvania. Luckily, there are sites that accept players from all 50 states, including New York.
Sites like Bovada and Ignition Poker have large player pools, sweet bonuses and great tournaments. They’re a great PokerStars alternative for poker players in New York. If you want to read more about these sites –and others– check out or reviews and top recommendations below:
$2000 Bonus-Rating: 5/5
$2000 Bonus-Rating: 4.9/5
$500 Bonus-Rating: 4.7/5
$1000 Bonus-Rating: 4.6/5
$2500 Bonus-Rating: 4.5/5
$2000 Bonus-Rating: 4.4/5
$1000 Bonus-Rating: 4.3/5
Legal Gambling in New York
As we mentioned before New York has a few legal gaming options for residents and some incredibly popular ones too. The state has some of the most popular card rooms in the country and pretty much everything else. The only form of gaming allowed in the United States that’s not currently available in New York is online gaming.
New York has popular horse tracks like Belmont Park, Aqueduct Racetrack and Yonkers Raceway. Pari-mutuel betting has been legal in New York since 1939. The New York Lottery has been going on since 1967 and is one of the biggest in the US. In 2019 they had a revenue of $10.3 billion with $3.5 billion going to the Lottery Aid to Education. The state also allows charitable gaming.
New York also has a plethora of casinos. It has racinos, tribal casinos and commercial casinos. In total, the state has about 25 different casinos. They have table games, slots, sports betting and more. Nearly half of those casinos are Native American casinos while the rest are spilt between racinos and commercial casinos. Commercial casinos popped up after 2013 when voters approved a constitutional amendment allowing casinos in the state.
Other States
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New York currently provides a range of legal gambling opportunities, including various tribal casinos (several that also offer poker), poker rooms, bingo, lottery games, pari-mutuel betting and charitable gambling events. In essence, New York is a gambling friendly destination and is considered to be progressive on this issue. There are numerous options for legally playing poker at any of the tribal casinos that operate within the state. Should New York players exhaust their options within the state, they can always make a quick jaunt over to Atlantic City for additional options.
Is it legal to play online poker in New York?
The answer to this question will depend on where you plan on playing your games. If you are seeking some type of state regulated online poker option, then you are a little too early in that search. While we believe that NY will be one of the next states to legalize online poker, with several attempts having already come forward, at the time of this writing there is not any option for playing state regulated poker online. Should you be approached by an online poker site that is operating within the state, then they are an illegal gambling business and you should steer clear of them.
However, there are no state or federal laws that prohibit NY residents and visitors from engaging in legally licensed and regulated online poker games that are based outside of the United States. The poker sites listed on this page fall into this category. If you restrict your online poker entertainment to these types of legally sanctioned gambling sites, then you are not breaking any type of state or federal laws.
Is New York going to regulate online poker anytime soon?
That is impossible to say with any surety. Due to the complex nature of the state's current casino gambling expansions taking place, the issue of online poker has been tabled for now. However there is enough interest among law makers and residents to keep the fight alive. Most industry professionals consider the state to be poised for the addition of state regulated online poker gambling, it's just a matter of when. We will keep this site updated with the latest information concerning the state's efforts to bring online poker forward.
What is the legal gambling age to play poker in New York State?
In the state of New York, players must be at least 21 years of age to play poker or to gamble at any of the Indian tribal casinos. Players that are at least 18 years of age may participate in bingo, lottery and pari-mutuel betting. There are no state regulated online gambling options within the state, hence there is no established minimum age for engaging in online gambling. In a case like this, players must refer to the legal minimum age established for land based gambling, meaning that NY players must be 21 to enjoy licensed online poker gambling without violating any state laws.
Will I get into trouble if I participate in online poker while I'm in New York?
Though the state does not offer any type of state regulated online poker gambling opportunities at this time, they also do not have any laws in place prohibiting residents from engaging in online poker as long as the site is legally licensed and regulated and located outside of the USA. The state of New York has never made any attempts to penalize, investigate, arrest or prosecute anyone for enjoying online gambling, including online poker. They are more interested in making sure that illegal gambling sites do not emerge within the state, and hence that is where their focus lies. As long as your follow accepted practices for engaging in legal online poker, you will not be breaking any laws or risk getting into trouble.
New York Online Poker Legally
New York has significantly contributed to the intrigue and history of poker culture in the United States. There was a thriving poker underworld present in NY long before regulated poker emerged. This environment was the inspiration for the movie Rounders, and also fostered some infamous moments, such as crime boss and notorious gambler Arnold Rothstein being gunned down during a game of poker at one of the state's posh hotels. New York's prestigious card clubs have turned out some respected professional poker players, including Erik Seidel and Dan Harrington.