The FanDuel Sportsbook is New York City’s closest retail sports betting location. While DraftKings is the official betting partner of the New York Giants, they do not have a retail sportsbook in the Meadowlands Sports Complex. 14 hours ago Seven decades ago, New York City Mayor William O’Dwyer sent a message to the Legislature, pleading for an amendment to the state Constitution to legalize gambling on sports. Gambling, he said. New York is set to become the most-populous state yet to allow mobile sports betting under a plan proposed Wednesday by Governor Andrew Cuomo. The governor, who faces a $16 billion budget gap.
Our compilation of the best New York sports betting sites will provide you with the guidance you need to safely bet online for real money.
We take our recommendations very seriously, so you can rest assured that you will have a positive experience at any of the online sportsbooks that we recommend on this page.
Rank | DE Betting Site | Exclusive Bonus | Get Started | |
---|---|---|---|---|
#1 | BetUS | 100% Up To$2,500 | Visit Site | Visit Site |
#2 | MyBookie | 50% Up To$1,000 | Visit Site | Visit Site |
#3 | BetNow | 100% Up To$1,000 | Visit Site | Visit Site |
#4 | Bovada Sports | 50% Up To$250 | Visit Site | Visit Site |
#5 | BetOnline Sports | 50% Up To$1,000 | Visit Site | Visit Site |
GamblingSites.com has been providing reading with in-depth information about the best places to bet online for many years. Our team is made up of highly-experienced, passionate professionals with expertise in many aspects of online gambling and sports betting.
Our guide to the best NY sports betting sites can be trusted, just like the online bookmakers and sportsbooks we recommend.
Finding the best places to bet online is rarely easy. This is especially true in New York and other American states, as there are complex laws surrounding online betting and gambling that few people truly understand.
This means many of the leading betting sites choose not to accept US customers. It also means there are plenty of shady operations out there, ready and waiting to rip off unsuspecting customers.
You don’t need to worry about any of that. We’ve picked the best New York sports betting sites for you. Our rankings are carefully compiled based on a range of factors, and you can rest assured that they are all safe and reputable sportsbook that provide an excellent online betting experience.
Ranking the Top NY Betting Sites
We evaluate sports betting sites based on a highly refined system we’ve developed and improved over the years. It leaves nothing to chance, as we thoroughly investigate all aspects of every real money gambling site that we might possibly recommend.
When an online sportsbook can get high marks across the board, we’re willing to give them a thumbs up. Here are just a few details on some of the things we look at when ranking the best New York sports betting sites.
Before we get into an evaluation of features and other details, there’s one starting point that sits above everything else. If a sports betting site can’t be completely trusted to record your bets accurately and safeguard your deposits appropriately, there’s no reason to look deeper.
There are a couple of different points that are assessed when we are determining legitimacy or lack thereof. One of them is the license that is held by a given site, and some entities that issue permits are much more discerning than others.
In many cases, these are countries and territorial jurisdictions that deeply rely on the revenue they receive through their relationships with the online gambling industry. In a real sense, their licenses are among their most valuable commodities, so absolute legitimacy is of crucial importance.
The quality of the license that a site is operating under is key, along with the reputation that has been established. We sometimes hear insider information from other people that we know within the industry, and this gives us an advantage.
There are a number of online sportsbook forums that are frequented by big-time players. Our staff members visit these forums on an ongoing basis to garner insight that can be invaluable during the rating process, in addition to our own impressions.
People that have had these direct experiences take the time to share their impressions in an effort to help other players make good decisions. We don’t make any snap judgments, but when we see supporting evidence, the implications are factored in one way or another.
New York State Mobile Sports Betting
The best sports betting sites in NY offer a wide range of account funding options that are intended to make it easy for people in the United States to make deposits.
Each site has slightly different policies as you might imagine, but they typically take Visa and Mastercard. This would include credit cards along with debit cards, and they accept gift cards, too. The latter option is great for players who don’t have their own permanent cards.
Deposits can be made via wire or ACH transfers. If you’re not familiar with this acronym, it stands for “Automated Clearing House,” a service that facilitates transfers between banks.
One option that you may want to consider, even if you have not embraced the cryptocurrency phenomenon before, is Bitcoin. This enables rapid transfers between you and the online betting site and there’s no middleman. It’s simply a direct virtual currency exchange between two willing parties.
Collecting Your Winnings
Obviously, you have to put out some money to make wagers, but the transactions you really want to make are withdrawals.
Some of the deposit methods can be used in the reverse manner to extract funds. Paper check payments by mail are offered at some internet-based sportsbooks, along with eChecks.
You’ll definitely be able to find a withdrawal method to your liking at our preferred NY betting sites, and with all methods, they transfer funds as soon as they possibly can.
Ease of Navigation, Site Stability, and Mobile Adaptability
Free roulette wheel. All websites exist for a reason, so they don’t want to experience downtime. Consistent reliability is especially important for an online betting website that’s in control of player funds.
They should maintain the level of trust by staying up and running to maximize profitability. The online books that we would consider to be among the best New York sports betting sites have especially strong infrastructures that are capable of handling the data demands.
When you start to use an online sportsbook, you should be able to understand how to use the betting interfaces intuitively. You’re likely to get the hang of it quickly at most well-designed websites.
If a site has made it onto our list of recommended sports betting sites for NY, you’ll be able to find your way around with ease, and they’ll adapt seamlessly to all mobile devices.
Unfortunately, many internet-based businesses are sorely lacking when it comes to customer service, even some huge companies. Sometimes, they don’t have the resources, and in other instances, they intentionally hide from customers to make contact more difficult.
The top online betting sites for New York have phone agents that can help you out, and some of their call centers are open 24/7. Email contact is also a readily available method, and there are sites that offer live chat during certain hours.
A federal law was passed back in 1992 that prohibited sports gambling in every state except Nevada. The Silver State was grandfathered in because it’s built around the gaming industry, but there were no other exceptions to the ban on full-scale sports wagering.
Though they insisted on a pass for their state, Nevada lawmakers were more than glad to help the measure make it through Congress, because such a statute would allow Nevada to continue to hold a monopoly on legal sports gambling in the United States.
This law remained unchallenged until the state of New Jersey placed the issue on the ballot in November of 2011.
A constitutional amendment that would legalize sports gaming in the Garden State was passed by an overwhelming margin of 2 to 1, but there was an immediate roadblock put into place.
The major professional sports leagues in the United States and the NCAA have always contended that legal gambling would make the outcome of the contests questionable. They were concerned about fixed games, so they filed a lawsuit to stop New Jersey from opening state-sanctioned sportsbooks.
Initially, they succeeded, but Chris Christie, the governor at the time, was very adamant about legal sports gaming. He felt as though it could revive the sports gambling industry in his state. Atlantic City casinos had been steadily declining in popularity, and this was part of the motivation.
During the initial phases of litigation, lower courts upheld the constitutionality of the law. State attorneys immediately filed appeals when these negative opinions were handed down. Ultimately, in 2017, the Supreme Court of the United States agreed to hear the case and issue the final say.
They got to the case the following year and, in 2018, a decision was rendered. The majority of the justices agreed that the law was in fact in violation of the Constitution, citing 10th Amendment protection. Since then, individual states have had the right to legalize sports gambling.
Lawmakers in the state of New York apparently anticipated this ruling several years in advance. In 2013, they passed legislation that would allow sportsbooks at commercial casinos along with existing tribal gaming halls.
These land-based sportsbooks are now up and running. Thus far, the state’s sports wagering revenue has been in the millions. It’s quite likely that New York gambling laws will change again in the future, possibly to allow legal and regulated online betting in NY.
It’s great that sports betting is legal in New York. The only problem is that these locations aren’t easily accessible to those who reside in other parts of the Empire state.
Betting online at one of the best New York sports betting sites is the ideal solution. Even if there were brick and mortar sportsbooks in other parts of the state, there would still be some compelling reasons to continue to bet on sports online. Here’s a few of them.
Continuous, Immediate Betting Action
Let’s say that they were to expand the sportsbook locations, and there was one about 10 miles from your house (a scenario that is exceedingly unlikely). If you’re an NFL football fan, it wouldn’t be too inconvenient to drive over to the book once a week to make your football bets for Sunday and Monday.
This is great, but on the other hand, do you really want to drive that 10 miles if you don’t have to? Plus, under those circumstances, you would never be able to make a spur-of-the-moment bet.
And when you work and have other responsibilities, you’re not going to run over to the sportsbook every day to bet on daily sports like basketball and baseball.
These limitations simply do not exist when you open an account at a reliable internet betting site. You can pull out your smartphone and have your action in place in a couple of minutes.
At a traditional physical betting location, you might get a complimentary t-shirt if you spend a hundred dollars or more betting on the Super Bowl, but that’s about it when it comes to freebies. Things are entirely different at the best NY betting sites.
They’re all competing for your business, so they want to attract your attention with cash if you pay them a visit. New players receive hefty sign-up bonuses, so you’re immediately eligible for the reward after you make your first deposit.
Depending on the extent of your deposit, we’re talking about bonuses that can reach $1000, so this is a significant perk that will have a tangible impact.
To maximize your rewards as a new player, you can actually deposit funds at multiple different sports gambling websites.
There is another good reason why it’s wise to open multiple accounts. When you’re stuck with nothing but brick and mortar options, you’re not going to drive from place to place to see if there are any differences in the odds.
This is especially true in a state with with sportsbooks that are at least a couple of hours from the five boroughs.
Any experienced sports gambler knows that an extra point or two, or even a half-point, can make all the difference, and moneylines can vary to some extent.
When you bet at the best New York sports betting sites that we listed, you’re not stuck with a single set of numbers.
If you have to travel to a physical sportsbook to make a bet, you’re stuck with the environment whether you like it or not. You can’t wave a magic wand to change the venue to match your desired surroundings.
On the other hand, when you embrace online sports gambling, you call the shots. You can make your bets on your phone, head over to your favorite sports bar, and hang out with your friends while you watch your action in total comfort.
Another benefit is the simple fact that you don’t have to deal with any rude customers or surly sportsbook writers.
There are no limitations at the best New York sports betting sites. In fact, you can make bets that are often unavailable at some of the land-based books.
Here are some of the most popular betting markets at our recommended online sportsbooks for NY.
NFL and College Football
The most popular sport for betting in the United States is NFL football, and college football is another huge revenue center for the industry. This is a sport that lends itself well to betting, because you have a full week to make your decisions. There’s intense focus because there are a limited number of games.
When you place a bet on an NFL matchup or NCAA football contest, when you watch the game, you are fully invested in every play. Saturdays and Sundays are full of nail-biting excitement from the early afternoon onward, and you can risk as much or as little as you want to make the games interesting.
At most online betting sites There are a number of different types of bets available on the NFL other than point spread, moneyline wagers, and totals bets.
The best New York sports betting sites provide a great experience for college and pro basketball wagering enthusiasts. On the NCAA side, “March Madness” is one of the most highly-anticipated events of the year, and the NBA postseason is a big draw as well.
Straight bets on sides and totals along with parlays are available on all sports.
In-game wagering is in the mix, along with futures betting, and there can be proposition bets offered on big contests.
Major League Baseball
If you want to bet on the Mets or the Yankees, you’re in business at NY sports gambling websites. Everything is the same as the other sports with regard to the most basic types of wagers, including futures and limited propositions.
Baseball betting is typically done on the moneyline without point spreads, but there’s another option that’s kind of a hybrid between the two.
There is a run line that is always consistent at 1 ½ runs. So, if you bet the favorite at -1 ½, you have to win by at least two runs to collect. The underdog bettor will already be ahead by a run and a half when the game starts.
Hockey betting is pretty much identical to baseball. Standard straight bets are on the moneyline, and there’s a 1 ½ goal puck line.
There’s some interest in betting on regular season games, and this is magnified during the NHL playoffs.
Other Sports
In addition to the big four of foundational American sports, the books cater to golf enthusiasts with odds on participants to win big tournaments. The same thing is true for the Grand Slam of tennis.
There are plenty of very passionate NASCAR fans in the United States, especially in certain parts of the country. You will definitely see odds on NASCAR races at internet-based sportsbooks.
Mixed martial arts and boxing are on the menu, and those that have an interest can bet on European soccer and other sports that are played across the pond.
The best New York sports betting sites are stable from a technological standpoint, and they’re regulated in reputable jurisdictions. They place an emphasis on the total customer experience, and they sweeten the pot with bonuses and promotions.
You can wager on all major sports, and you can choose from a slate of the standard sports betting options you would see at a Las Vegas book. As long as you stick to the sites that we recommend, you will have a reliable, trustworthy online sportsbook in your pocket at all times.
In the wake of the scrapping of the PASPA in 2018, New York was finally free to establish its own regulations to that legalize sports betting and even online casino gaming. This was a great relief to the Yankees especially since New York City itself is home to 2 MLB teams, 2 NFL teams, 2 NHL teams, and 2 NBA teams. Elsewhere in the state, the city of Buffalo has an NHL team and an NFL team as well. In total, the Empires state is proud to have at least 24 different sports clubs and teams.
Finally, in June 2019, the state assembly passed the sports betting law, nearly six years after land-based casino gaming was legalized. The New York State Gaming Commission then approved the enacted SB 17 regulation. This law had been introduced in the assembly back in 2018 by the new chair of the Senate Racing, Gaming and Wagering Committee; Sen. Joseph Addabbo. This bill borrowed heavily from retired Senator John Bonacic’s proposed bill, S7900 on the same, but had failed to be passed into law. Here’s a quick teardown of the sports and mobile betting law;
- There’s a 0.2% ‘royalty fee’ payable to the state’s professional state leagues
- An 8.5% tax on the gross revenue received from sports betting activities
- Bettors will have to be physically present within a licensed casino in the state lines if they are to place any wagers
- Mobile sports betting is also allowed, but players are required to create their mobile gaming accounts in person
- The bodies governing sports in the state are required to user ‘Official League Data’ for specific bets on sporting events
- Only state-licensed casinos are allowed to operate sportsbooks
- Any outside vendor of sports and mobile betting services will have to strike a partnership deal with local casinos if they want to offer their gambling services to locals
- Betting on local college or university sports, teams and/or clubs is prohibited
As you can see, while sports and mobile betting is legal, New Yorkers are only allowed to back their favorite team only if they are physically present in a licensed gaming house. This means that online betting on sports is technically legal, at least via mobile devices but only within casinos. This is a good sign, and it looks like soon enough, there will be fully-fledged online betting on casino games as well. For now, however, as Yankees enjoy betting on their favorite sports teams, we’ll all be waiting patiently for assemblypersons to further expand the gambling laws to accommodate online casino games as well.
Which Sports Can You Bet on in New York?
After the law to allow sports and mobile betting was passed, the Gaming Commission of the Empire State released a complete list of wagers that are acceptable within the state. Thankfully, these wagers go far beyond the standard win or lose. You can as well place bets on a range of other potentially lucrative predictions which include over/under on the points and futures as well as exotics on specific players and the points they’ll score or moves they’ll make in the match.
All in all, as we speak, the Gaming Commission has accepted placing wagers on 11 different sports. Moreover, this menu comes with a comprehensive set of guidelines on the wagers that are acceptable per game. The said sports you can bet on in the designated locations and online via mobile devices are;
In case you were wondering, the licensed casinos in the state are allowed to accept wagers on whichever sports they like and the types of wagers they want to accept. They do not have to pick all options outlined by the state’s Gaming Commission.
Where Can You Place Sportsbook Bets in New York?
Based on the provisions of the law, you’ll notice that each licensed casino in the Empire State has partnered or is setting up shop with an already established American and global sportsbook brands. It’s an efficient way of rolling out the sportsbook services, and they come complete with mobile betting infrastructure. That way, locals weren’t kept waiting for long right after the bill was passed into law. So, if you are a Yankee looking for a sportsbook to bet on sports without the fear of brushing shoulders with the law, here’s a tabulated summary of your options;
Additionally, three more Seneca Indian Nation tribal casinos are exploring their options to set up sportsbooks in Salamanca, Niagara Falls, and Buffalo. This expansion will surely be well received especially because the sportsbooks will be brought closer to the people.
Legal Online Betting in New York
Contrary to what most people assume, there are a couple of online gambling games that are completely legal in the Empire State. As we’ve already established in the previous section, fantasy sports and horse racing have always been exempted by even the stringiest anti-gambling laws of the late 20th and the now 21st century. Unless your individual state has outlawed fantasy sportsbook and horse racing platforms, you won’t be breaking any laws.
Thankfully, the New York legislature has not banned fantasy sportsbook platforms or horse racing and greyhound racing sites. Additionally, online skill games are also categorically accepted by the law at a national level, just like fantasy sports and horse racing. That’s because these games are considered contests of skills by the federal law, meaning they are technically not all about chance. Here’s a quick look at where you can bet online on these games in New York;
Horse & Greyhound Racing
We all know the rich history of New York and horse racing. Belmont Stakes anyone? With 11 different horse and greyhound racing facilities in the state, there’s no doubt that this is a booming business. By 1970, off-track betting on runners was allowed by the law and owing to the fast-changing technology, horse and greyhound racing enthusiasts can easily stream the evens from anywhere in the state. Some of the most reliable websites where you can gamble online on the runners include;
- TVG
- TwinSpires
- BetAmerica
On online horse racing platforms, you can place bets on range of different fixed and pari-mutuel odds set on hundreds of local and international horse races.
Fantasy Sports
Thanks to a law that was enacted back in August 2016 to allow fantasy sportsbook platforms, Yankees can safely and legitimately bet online on fantasy sports. While the majority of New Yorkers have heard of this term with millions betting on it, lots of people don’t have any idea what its all about because it’s a ‘sport’ that emerged recently.
In a nutshell, fantasy sports is about players assembling imaginary or virtual teams via the internet, based on real-life players of professional sports teams. So, if you are an NFL buff, for instance, you could draft a team with a wide receiver from the Buffalo Bills, a running back from NY Jets and a quarterback from the Giants. All other players within your league will have the same opportunity, and your teams will compete against each other. Now, points are then assigned to actions that the said players will perform on that day. For instance, for every catch of the wide receiver makes in real life, you’ll get a point for your picked team. At the end of the day, all points are totaled based on your selection, and the winner is determined by the highest score.
If this is something that will tickle your fancy, some of the most prominent fantasy sportsbook websites where you can line up your team are DraftKings and FanDuel.
Skill Games
Skill games are games as the name suggests, are games based on skill or your knowledge of the game. Depending on the skill you feel strongest at, you can pick a wide range of options to play online. Some of the most popular include;
- Arcade Games: Bejeweled, Tetris
- Gameshows: Wheel of Fortune
- Card Games: Solitaire, Spades
- Word Games: Scrabble, Word Mojo
- Strategy Games: Mahjongg, Cubis
Online Lottery
As one of the first states to have a state-managed lottery, it’s no surprise that the state allows you to manage your lotto tickets online, as long as you are within state lines. However, you should note that the state has only one licensed and mandated website. But then again, you can’t purchase single lotto tickets on this website as you would expect for an online gambling site. Instead you can only renew or buy subscriptions of the most massive state lottery games such as Mega Millions, Cash 4 Life and New York Lotto. Through this website, you are given room to manage up to ten different subscriptions, allow the computer to pick random figures for you, or do it yourself!
As you can see, you have online gambling options in New York with fantasy sports, online horse and greyhound racing and seven skill games on reliable platforms. When it comes to online casino games things are still a bit murky but for online poker on the other hand, there’s a good chance that players could be betting online by 2020.
New York Online Gambling FAQ
Here are some of the frequently asked questions concerning gambling in the state of New York:
🔞 What is the legal age requirement for gambling in New York?The law stipulates that New Yorkers must be at least 18 years old if they are to participate in any gambling activity that’s legal within the state lines. That includes betting on horses, casino games, and even playing the lottery. However, if you go playing in a facility where alcohol is being served, then you must be over 21 years old!
⚖️ Will intrastate online gambling platforms ever be authorized?Currently the intrastate online casino system in New Jersey is already operational. Being that the gambling laws in the Empire State have previously borrowed from the framework in New Jersey, we expect them to follow suit with this as well. Even though up to this point in time New York lawmakers have not passed any online casino laws, there is a high possibility this will change soon as the state looks for means to increase state revenue.
⚖️ Which online gambling games can I legally play in New York?You can bet place off-track horse racing bets, online fantasy sports, skill games, and a limited selection of lotteries.
New York Sports Betting Online
♠️ Can I play online casino games and poker in offshore sites?Well, while no one’s ever been arrested or prosecuted from playing online casino or online poker in NY in offshore sites it’s often not safe. That’s because there are plenty of unregulated and fraudulent websites on the internet and in case you don’t receive your payout, there’s nothing you can do about it because you can’t report or sue the website in question.
🎲 Which games can I legally play in New York casinos?In commercial and tribal casinos within the state lines, you can take part in legal gambling in NY on games such as video poker, slot machine games, electronic table games as well as table and card games such as live poker, craps, blackjack, baccarat, and roulette.