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Is Sports Betting Legal in New York?
Yes, sports betting is fully legal in New York. The state legalized retail sports betting in 2013, but it wasn’t until January 2022 that online and mobile sports betting officially launched, making New York one of the most lucrative sports betting markets in the country.
To place a legal sports bet in New York, you must be 21 or older and physically located within state lines. The state uses geolocation technology to verify your location before allowing any online wagers.
In addition to mobile betting, retail sportsbooks are available at commercial and tribal casinos across the state, including locations in the Catskills and upstate New York. Major venues like Madison Square Garden have also embraced the sports betting boom with on-site promotions and brand partnerships.
One notable restriction? You can’t bet on in-state college teams or any college events taking place in New York. That means no wagering on Syracuse, St. John’s, or any other New York college programs—whether they’re playing at home or away.
Despite these limitations, New Yorkers can now enjoy a wide range of legal betting options online—far beyond the brick-and-mortar casinos of the past. But for even more flexibility, better odds, and access to betting markets the state restricts, offshore sportsbooks remain a popular alternative.
Top 5 New York Online Betting Sites
While New York offers access to legal sportsbooks, many savvy bettors are still turning to trusted offshore sites—and for good reason. Offshore sportsbooks offer better odds, more flexible betting limits, fewer restrictions, and often faster payouts. Whether you’re into major league sports, niche markets, or casino games on the side, these sites give you the freedom to bet your way.
Here are our top 5 offshore sportsbooks trusted by New York bettors in 2025:
Bovada – The All-Around Favorite
Bovada has long been a top choice for U.S. players thanks to its user-friendly design, fast payouts, and wide range of betting markets. From NFL and NBA to international soccer and entertainment props, Bovada covers it all. The site also features a solid live betting section and a full online casino.
Why New York bettors love it:
- Excellent mobile interface
- Quick Bitcoin payouts
- Trusted and established brand
BetOnline – Best for Sharp Bettors
BetOnline is built for serious bettors. With early odds, high betting limits, and a strong focus on props and alternative markets, it’s the perfect platform for those looking for an edge. It also supports a wide range of crypto deposits and withdrawals.
Why New York bettors love it:
- Competitive odds and deep prop offerings
- High limits for big bettors
- Generous crypto promotions
Sportsbetting.ag – A Solid All-Rounder
Operated by the same group behind BetOnline, Sportsbetting.ag delivers a similar experience with its own flavor. It’s packed with sports markets, live betting options, and quick banking tools. The platform also includes a full casino and racebook.
Why New York bettors love it:
- Fast site and responsive support
- Crypto-friendly platform
- Strong live betting interface
Xbet – Best for New Bettors
Xbet is perfect for beginners who want a smooth introduction to sports betting. The platform is easy to navigate, offers competitive odds, and has excellent customer service. It also runs regular promotions tailored to newer players.
Why New York bettors love it:
- Clean, intuitive design
- Responsive customer support
- Good entry-level bonuses
MyBookie – Great for Casual Bettors
MyBookie blends ease of use with fun prop bets and regular promotions. It’s especially popular with recreational bettors thanks to its user-friendly setup and wide variety of markets, including politics and entertainment.
Why New York bettors love it:
- Fast registration and simple interface
- Entertaining bet types
- Regular promotions and contests
Legal Online Sportsbooks in New York
Sports betting isn’t just legal in New York—it’s big business. Since launching mobile betting in January 2022, the Empire State has become one of the busiest sports wagering markets in the U.S.
New Yorkers can legally place bets online through a handful of state-approved operators. These sportsbooks are licensed, regulated, and required to follow strict rules set by the New York State Gaming Commission.
| Sportsbook | Available in New York |
| FanDuel | ✅ |
| DraftKings | ✅ |
| Caesars | ✅ |
| FoxBet | ❌ |
| BetRivers | ✅ |
| BetMGM | ✅ |
| PointsBet | ✅ |
| Unibet | ✅ |
New York Quick Facts
Here’s a snapshot of everything you need to know about sports betting in New York. From legalization and launch dates to age limits and market restrictions, this table breaks down the key facts at a glance.
| State | New York |
| Sports Betting Law Passed | Yes ✔️ |
| Launch Date | 2022 ✔️ |
| Minimum Gambling Age | 21 ✔️ |
| Online Sports Betting | Yes ✔️ |
| Mobile Sports Betting | Yes ✔️ |
| Retail Sportsbooks | Yes ✔️ |
| Tribal Casinos | Yes ✔️ |
| Daily Fantasy Sports | Yes ✔️ |
| Online Casinos | No ❌ |
| Horse Racing | Yes ✔️ |
| Dog Racing | No ❌ |
| Esports Betting | No ❌ (not yet authorized) |
Why It’s Better To Use Offshore Betting Sites Over the Legal Ones
New York has a robust legal sports betting market—but that doesn’t mean it’s without flaws. Between the steep tax rates, limited bet types, and strict regulations, many New Yorkers find themselves looking for better alternatives. That’s why offshore sportsbooks continue to attract sharp bettors across the state.
Here’s why offshore betting sites often come out on top:
- More Betting Options – Legal NY sportsbooks restrict betting on local college teams and ban markets like political elections or entertainment awards. Offshore sites don’t.
- Better Odds & Lower Juice – With New York’s 51% tax rate on operators, odds are often worse compared to those found offshore.
- Fewer Restrictions – No forced location tracking, no cumbersome ID checks, and no residency complications.
- Faster & More Flexible Payments – Offshore books support crypto, bank transfers, and other quick deposit/withdrawal methods without excessive limits.
- Freedom to Bet Anywhere – No need to be physically in New York—you can bet from anywhere in the U.S. or abroad.
For those seeking more flexibility, variety, and value, offshore sportsbooks remain a smart and reliable alternative.
What Can’t You Bet On In New York?
Even though New York allows both retail and mobile sports betting, there are notable restrictions on what you can legally wager on.
In New York, you can’t bet on:
- In-state college teams (e.g., Syracuse, St. John’s, Buffalo)
- Any college event taking place within New York state
- Political events or elections
- Award shows (Oscars, Grammys, etc.)
- High school sports
- Most esports competitions
With our trusted offshore sportsbooks, these restrictions do not apply. You can bet on New York college teams, political races, entertainment outcomes, and more—all from your phone or laptop, without limitations.
Who Can Legally Bet In New York?
New York law lays out specific criteria for who can legally place a sports bet. Here’s what you need to qualify:
Age Requirement
You must be 21 or older to place legal sports bets in New York.
Location Requirement
You must be physically located in New York State when placing bets with licensed operators. Your device must verify this using geolocation tech.
Eligible Participants
You don’t need to be a New York resident, but you must be within state lines when betting legally online or at a retail sportsbook.
Who Is Restricted from Betting?
- Athletes, coaches, and referees involved in games they’re betting on
- Employees of sportsbooks or sports leagues who could influence outcomes
- League officials and sports governing body personnel
- Anyone on self-exclusion lists or banned for problem gambling
Retail Betting Restriction
Yes, you can bet online in New York, but only through licensed platforms and while physically in the state. Offshore sportsbooks bypass these restrictions, allowing you to bet freely—without geofencing or location-based blocks.
New York Sports Betting – Recent Updates
- February 14, 2024 — PrizePicks is set to pay $15 million to New York for allegedly offering DFS contests in the state without a sports betting license.
- February 13, 2024 — PENN is gearing up to launch ESPN Bet in New York sometime in 2024 following an agreement to acquire WynnBET’s sports betting license.
- February 13, 2024 — The sports betting handle in New York dipped to $1.96 billion in January, experiencing a 4.5% decrease from December. However, gross gaming revenue reached a monthly record high of $211.5 million.
- February 13, 2024 — PrizePicks will cease offering DFS pick’em contests in New York as of February 15 due to “recent updates in the licensing rules.”
- February 7, 2024 — According to PlayNY, New York state Sen. Joe Addabbo remains optimistic about the prospects of his legal online casino bill this year.
Legal Sports Betting in New York
New York state sports betting is huge business! In the first thirty-days of online sports betting, the handle was over $2 billion. That means the state brought in $70 million in taxes.
New York was one of the earliest states to open up locally-licensed sportsbooks. At first, they were only retail locations, but in January of 2022, online sports betting went live.
The New York tax rate is much higher than in neighboring New Jersey. It jumps from 13% to 51%, while also having a limited number of sportsbooks. In New York, they only have 9 licensed sportsbooks.
Six Reasons to Bet on These New York Betting Sites
Betting in New York state is serious business. We know how important finances are for the Empire State. That’s why we made a guide just for this state.
We have years of experience in sports betting, which helps us know exactly what to look for in a top-quality New York sports betting site. Plus, we are intimately familiar with the sites available in New York, so we know their reputation and how their customer service has responded to our requests.
Take a look at the top five qualities that we look for when we are deciding on the finalists in our list of recommended New York sports betting sites.
Available to New York Sports Bettors
The first criterion to make our list is rather simple but absolutely vital. The sports betting site has to be available legally in New York state. Without this, there is no way to make the list.
Being available in New York is not enough to make the list. Not even close. Many sportsbooks are available, as sports betting has recently been legalized in the state. This first criterion is not a difficult one, but it is a full-stop for those sportsbooks that are not available in the Empire State.
Great Customer Service
Customer service is essential to a smooth sports betting experience. Anything could pop up. And we need these problems solved as quickly as possible. That’s because odds can change quickly, day by day. And if you are a fan of live sports betting in New York, the odds can change by the minute.
That is why we value great customer service so much. The best sites will have prompt and helpful customer service options. Plus a variety of options is key. Depending on the problem we have, we may require a different solution.
Top New York sports betting sites will have a majority of the following customer service options available.
- Phone numbers
- Live chat
- Emails
- Community forums
- FAQs
Big Bonuses
Big welcome bonuses are an important part of being a great sports betting site. It is a great way to extend your entertainment budget as much as possible. It really greases the wheels as you start at a new site.
Plus, if you use Bitcoin, you can get extra bonuses. BetOnline will give you a boost to your bonuses if you use Bitcoin. In fact, you get a 35% match on your reloads if you are a Bitcoin bettor.
Outstanding Reputation
Having a great reputation is essential to safe and fun betting. We deduce the reputation through our years of experience with a variety of sportsbooks and through researching each sportsbook. We have combed the web for customer complaints to be sure that we only recommend sportsbooks that are trustworthy.
On Top of the Latest Odds
The smartest sports bettors read the sports news every day. This is because we are combing for news that is likely to change the odds and open up new betting opportunities. It is an absolute red flag when these important changes are not reflected quickly in the odds.
In order to be fully immersed in the betting experience, regularly updated odds are a must. You can count on all the sites we recommend on this page to fulfill.
Easy-to-use Website
When bettors are signing up with a website the process needs to be easy. We come to these sportsbooks to relax, have fun, and enjoy ourselves. If it feels like a struggle, we are immediately turned off.
This is why we so value a well-designed website. We are looking for a fluid experience. this is even more important for betting on mobile devices. Check out our guide to mobile betting for a list of the best websites taking into account the design for mobile devices.
Casinos in New York
In 2013, the New York Legislature allowed four casinos to offer in-person sports betting. These locations were casinos, and their allowed operations were very limited. This has expanded greatly since 2013, and New York now has nearly 30 casinos around the state. Many of them are near Syracuse, Fingers Lake, and Buffalo.
- Akwesasne Mohawk Casino
- Batavia Downs Casino
- Del Lago Resort and Casino
- Empire City Casino at Yonkers Raceway
- Finger Lakes Gaming and Race Track
- Jake’s 58 Hotel & Casino
- Lakeside Entertainment
- Mohawk Bingo Palace and Casino
- Monticello Gaming & Raceway
- Point Place Casino
- Resorts World Catskills
- Resorts World New York City
- Rivers Casino & Resort
- Saratoga Casino and Raceway
- Seneca Allegany Casino
- Seneca Buffalo Creek Casino
- Seneca Gaming and Entertainment Irving
- Seneca Gaming and Entertainment Oil Spring
- Seneca Gaming and Entertainment Salamanca
- Seneca Niagara Casino
- The Fairgrounds Gaming
- Tioga Downs & Casino
- Turning Stone Resort & Casino
- Vernon Downs & Casino
- Yellow Brick Road Casino
New York Betting Timeline
2023
With only July falling below the $1 billion mark in sports betting handle, the state consistently achieved over $2 billion in handle for October, November, and December. By year-end, New York ranked third in all-time sports betting handle nationwide and led in tax collection, with more than $1.5 billion in revenue.
2021
Online sports betting finally gets the green light in the Empire State. Cuomo has been pushing for it for more than a year now and in April 2021, a deal was finally reached. Nine sportsbooks made it through the license bidding process.
2020
The coronavirus pandemic takes the attention away from mobile and online sports betting. Gov. Cuomo wanted mobile sports betting, but the legislature did not take it up.
2019
The New York State Gaming Commission issued its first licenses for retail casinos. By September 2019, licenses were given to commercial and tribal casinos throughout the state.
Online and mobile sports betting is still stalled in the legislature. Sen. Joseph Addabbo introduced a bill, but it did not go anywere.
2018
2018 saw the possibility of licensing sportsbooks in New York after the Supreme Court Decision Murphy v. National Collegiate Athletic Association. This decision struck down PASPA thus allowing any state to legalize and regulate sports betting.
And New York state got off the ground right away. As early as January the State Racing and Gaming Commission held hearings on sports betting in anticipation of the Supreme Court decision.
Sen. John Bonacic and Assemblyman Gary Pretlow both introduced legislation this year, but neither received serious consideration or debate. However, it is clear that New York is fast out of the gate!
New York Sports Betting Resources
Enhance your understanding of New York sports betting by exploring these local resources:
- New York State Gaming Commission: The official regulatory body overseeing all forms of legal gaming in New York, including sports wagering.
- New York State Senate: Access information on key legislative bills, such as SB S1550, which pertain to sports betting regulations.
- Times Union: Stay informed with comprehensive coverage and updates on New York’s sports betting landscape.
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