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NY Online Poker: Is Online Poker Legal In New York?

Last Updated on 06/23/2024
Fact checked by: Vicky Winters

Here at BallIsLife, we’re often asked, “Is online poker legal in NY?” so we thought we’d put together an article to address the subject in more detail.

Stay on this page to find out what the legal position is for playing online poker in the Empire State. We’ll be taking a look at the future potential for legal NY poker sites, as well as comparing the situation to other forms of online gambling across the state.

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Online casinos aren't yet live in NY, but these sportsbooks are!

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If you’re trying to make sense of the gambling laws across the US, we understand your concerns! Every state has its own idea about what should be legal and what shouldn’t, with little consensus between them. That’s because online gambling is perfectly legal on a federal level, so it's down to each individual state to set its own laws about wagering online – and very few of them adopt the same stance.

Some US states permit online sports betting but not online casino wagering. Others allow horse racing betting, but only on a pari-mutuel basis. And in Hawaii and Utah absolutely no online gambling is permitted at all, so it’s highly confusing for anyone who enjoys wagering on sports, casino or table games.

The state of New York has banned all forms of online gambling until fairly recently. Thanks to changes to the PASPA regulations, the Empire State has finally legalized online sports betting, which currently remains the only permitted type of online gambling in the state. But once one form of legal online betting is permitted in a state, it makes sense that it’s going to be much easier for other types of online wagering to follow, so it’s a situation that we've been paying very close attention to here at BallIsLife!

It’s good news for online sports bettors in New York!

There may not be any legal poker sites in New York just yet, but thanks to the recent legislative changes we anticipate that further alterations to the online gambling laws will soon follow. And it’s all thanks to mobile sports betting, which has gone live in the Empire State amid great excitement from sports fans.

It’s been a long and often rocky road to legalization, with heated debates from both sides. And right now your sportsbook options are pretty limited, since only a handful of operator licenses have been issued. Every sportsbook site has to base its servers in one of the land-based casinos dotted throughout the state of New York, and the authorities have decided to only permit a few operators, at least to begin with.

We think this is great news for all types of gambling fans in the Empire State, as there are sure to be demands for online casinos and poker games to be legalized too. We’ll be keeping our ear close to the ground so we can bring you all the latest information as soon as we hear anything, making it easier to keep up to speed with developments.

Check out our online sportsbook reviews

As you might expect, here at BallIsLife we’ve got our fingers on the pulse, so we’ve already prepared detailed and insightful reviews for all the current New York sportsbook sites. Our experts have drilled down into the working of all the available sites to bring you the all-important facts that you need to know.  We’ve got information about the variety of sports on offer, the betting odds and limits, your deposit and withdrawal options and how long it takes to process withdrawal requests.

In fact, we’re here to answer all your online sportsbook questions. Whether you want to know  "Is Barstool Sports legal in NY?", "Is Betway legal in NY?", or you just want to know how to get started with betting on sports online, we’ve always got the answers. And our comparison guides make it easy to track down your ideal mobile sports betting site, as well as helping you pick out your preferred introductory bonus offer.

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We’ve got high hopes for online casino gambling in New York

Are online casinos legal in NY? The answer is ‘Not yet’, but now that online sports betting has been legalized the future is certainly looking brighter for casino fans. And it will come as no surprise to learn that we’re watching developments extremely closely! We know that allowing one form of online gambling in a state often leads to further relaxations in gambling laws, although these things can’t be rushed.

There are a few good reasons why we believe that online casinos will eventually be allowed to operate in the state of New York. And of course, the primary one is because there are already several bricks-and-mortar casinos across the state, all of which are contributing to New York’s revenue streams. Even the most ardent objectors to online gambling can’t deny that the extra income generated for the state from mobile casinos is an extremely tempting prospect!

We strongly recommend you check back to our site regularly to find out what’s new for casino gaming fans in the Empire State. Needless to say, we’ll be bringing you the full details of online casinos NY residents can legally sign up to just as soon as there are any changes in the law. And since online casinos are in the habit of generating some tempting introductory offers, we’ll also be advising you on how to track down the best online casino bonus New York operators will be promoting.

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If you live in New York, or spend time in the state, and you’re itching to play a few hands of poker, you certainly have quite a few options available to you. So is poker legal in NY? There are plenty of land-based and tribal casinos that will allow you to sit down at one of their poker tables with a range of betting options that should suit most types of players.

But is it legal to play online poker in NY? Sadly the answer is ‘No, at least for the time being. But it wasn’t so long ago that sports betting fans couldn’t enjoy an online sporting bet either, and just look at how that particular situation has turned around! So what sort of timescale for legal poker sites in NY are we facing? Conservative estimates suggest that if the law changes to permit legal online poker New York bettors could be signing up to their preferred site within a few months of the new law being passed.

Until then there are still a few options available for dedicated poker players in the state. As we’ve mentioned, you can head to one of the land-based casinos offering dedicated poker tables, or you could make for one of the many poker clubs across the state.

And just in case you’re wondering, “Are home poker games legal in New York state?”, we’re happy to put your mind at rest. The law may be a bit of a gray area when it comes to playing poker for money at home, but so long as you keep the stakes low and you aren’t running a commercial poker game, you won’t run into any trouble for hosting games for friends and family members.

Is it legal to play online poker in New York? Not just yet it isn’t, but that shouldn’t stop you from signing up to a site in New Jersey. You’ll have to physically cross into the state to play, so this is an option best reserved for those fairly close to the border. Or you could play online Sweepstakes Poker games, where you play for Sweeps Coins rather than real cash – at least for the time being. Rest assured that as soon as online poker gets the go-ahead in the Empire State, we’ll be bringing you details of all the best online sites you can sign up to.

Fantasy sports in New York

If you’re a fan of playing fantasy sports, then you’ll doubtless already know that New York legalized the practice back in 2016. Since then it’s been perfectly acceptable for New York state residents to sign up and play at one of the many fantasy sports websites – but that could all be about to change!

Right now the future of online fantasy sports in the state is in doubt, with hard-line anti-gambling protestors claiming that the activity should never have been legalized in the first place. The debate continues to rage on, although we’re anticipating a ruling from the high court any day now. And rest assured, we’ll be updating our information just as soon as there’s something to report!

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Social casinos in the Empire State

Online casinos may be illegal for the time being in the state of New York but all isn’t lost for dedicated casino enthusiasts. There are quite a few social casinos that accept signups from New York, although there’s absolutely no chance of winning any life-changing sums of money. Social casinos use Sweeps Coins instead of real cash, and although they can sometimes be exchanged for cash, the sums of money involved aren’t going to be impressive.

As we’ve already mentioned, there are opportunities to play online poker at social casinos for Sweeps Coins, so it’s a great way of learning more about the game and refining your gaming strategy. Play games for free right now, then get ready to play with real money just as soon as the law changes to make online poker NY legal.

Other betting options in the state of New York

New York was one of the first states to ban lotteries, but it was also at the forefront when it came to making them legal again. Anyone over the age of 18 can buy a state lottery ticket, although that age increases to 21 if tickets are sold at premises that stock alcohol.

Horse racing betting is permitted on a pari-mutuel basis, and can be conducted in person at a racino or online. And esports are also a popular pastime, with New York City playing host to the biggest esports tournament in the world. Once again, this is a gray area legally, but New York is always keen to pull in extra taxes, so we’ve got our fingers crossed for further legislative changes.

As always, we’ve got our finger on New York’s gambling pulse, so you can rely on us to bring you all the latest online gambling information across the state, as it happens!

Editor’s recommendation — we think this will be the best poker operator in New York

With no legal sites offering online poker NY players can access right now, we can’t direct you to any operators that are signing up new members at the moment. But what we can do is point you in the direction of a site that will offer you as much poker activity as you can handle just as soon as the law changes.

When that day dawns, we’ll be recommending you explore what’s on offer from BetMGM. We’ve chosen this operator because it already operates a mobile betting site in NY, so it’ll be easy for it to add its casino and poker offerings too, once they’ve become legal in the state. With online poker legal in NY, players will be able to sign up and play to their heart’s content, and BetMGM is a great place to head for when that day comes.

There’s a huge choice of poker games on offer, and the site is designed to appeal equally to seasoned poker players and complete newbies. There’s even an onsite Poker School, so you can learn everything you need to know, and enjoy playing too, all in one place. And of course, you’ll be signed up to the operator’s innovative Rewards program, which could earn you discounted holidays at your favorite BetMGM Resort!

What does the future hold for bettors in the state of New York?

Rest assured that here at BallIsLife we’re committed to bringing you all the latest online gambling news as soon as it happens. We’re keeping a close watch on the current situation, ready to alert you to any potential changes in the law that will enable you to indulge your passion for playing poker online legally in the Empire State. We recommend that you bookmark this page, so you can check back regularly to discover what’s new for NY legal gambling sites.

Conclusion: we’ll let you know when online poker goes live in New York

There may not be any online New York legal poker sites right now, but we’re pretty confident that the law will eventually change, particularly now that mobile sports betting has been sanctioned. Whether you’re wanting to play online poker games, or you’re going to be looking out for the top online casino apps NY operators will be offering, we’ll be on hand with advice and support, as well as guiding you towards the most reputable and safe sites.

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✋ Is it safe to play online poker in the Empire State?

NY gambling laws are fairly complex, but they’re changing fast! Come and find out all about online poker in the Empire State, and discover what you can and can’t do to keep within the letter of the law. With operator reviews and bonus comparisons we’re your one-stop shop for gambling online in the state of New York, so come and check us out!

It’s not easy making sense of the online gambling laws in the Empire State – which is where we come in! Here at BallIsLife we aim to make it easy to find out what your online gambling options are – and we’ve got some of the most comprehensive reviews to be found online. Come and find out all about playing online poker in New York right now!

🎴 Where can I play online poker in New York?

Here at BallIsLife we’ve got the answers to all your gambling-related questions, including how to access online poker games without breaking the law. So whether you want to know how to get started with playing online poker, or you want to know where to find games of online blackjack NY bettors can access, you need to come and pay us a visit – you’ll be glad you did!!

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