NY SPORTS BETTING ONLINE

Sports and Betting Market Selection

Without a diversified choice of sports and betting markets, NY sportsbooks don’t stand a chance of winning a spot on our lists. Luckily, licensed New York online sports betting sites we focused on offer betting options for all top American professional leagues such as the NFL, NHL, NBA, MLB, and their counterparts from across the world. An important note for players is that wagering on collegiate sporting events is also available, except when it involves a team from New York, and we go as far as checking whether this info is visible enough on the betting page.

Bonuses and Promotion Deals

Offering alluring bonuses and promotions has been the go-to method of winning over new players. In fact, welcome promos New York online sportsbooks offer already include risk free bets, deposit match deals, odds boosts, parlay boosts, and other acclaimed strategies.

These sportsbooks don’t neglect existing players either and are prone to offering reload and cashback deals from time to time. However, it is also important to check how easily these bonuses are cleared, what the validity period of a bonus is, and other details from the T&Cs before reaching a verdict on the bonus. We factor in all these details during our analysis to single out betting platforms with the most lenient terms you can turn into your advantage.

Betting Odds

The quality of betting odds and lines is a focal point of our analysis of all NY online sports betting sites. As a result, it has a major influence on our final rating. We want you to have competitive odds at your disposal so that you may have a decent chance of making a profit.

Mobile Wagering Apps

New York sports betting operators are largely focused on catering to the needs of bettors who enjoy placing bets on the go. This is why they have developed proprietary mobile apps for Android and iOS devices, together with the mobile-optimized web browser versions of their sites. Our NY sportsbook ratings are based on the performance of these mobile apps and sites, their customization options, and overall user experience.

Payment Method

Since all New York betting sites offer a variety of deposit and withdrawal methods, including credit/debit cards, e-wallets, online banking options, and many others, we are forced to go through the small print to see how they stack up against one another. Some of the aspects we observe when ranking the sites are the transaction speed, potential fees, deposit and cashout limits, and more.

Customer Support

Top NY online sportsbooks understand the importance of being there for their users and solving all of their queries promptly, and so do we. We value the sites that offer 24/7 customer support, which can be reached via multiple communication channels, such as live chat, phone, email, and others. Plus, a sportsbook with a detailed FAQ section is bound to earn extra credit.

History of Gambling in New York

The Empire State is no stranger to gambling, despite being a little behind in terms of implementing new types of online wagering. Still, regulating all forms of gambling has been on the agenda of the state’s front office for a long time. 

The NY State Lottery became the first form of legalized gambling back in 1967. In fact, it was the third lottery in the entire US to be regulated. The New York Lottery and Gaming Commission was tasked with managing the lottery draws and ensuring that all proceeds go toward public education programs. 

Soon after, off-track horse betting followed suit. It was legalized in 1970 under the auspices of five government-owned off-track betting corporations working across the entire state. The New York’s own Belmont Stakes thoroughbred race is among the most popular races to bet on across the state and country. 

When it comes to legal online casino gambling, the situation hasn’t been as clear-cut. Namely, after the state had signed a gambling compact with the native tribes, the first tribal casino was opened in 1993. Commercial casinos were off-limits until the 2013 constitutional amendment was made. It was supported by 57% of voters, and it allowed up to seven casinos in the state. 

However, the State Legislature had made some earlier strides regarding casino-style gaming in 2001. Namely, it allowed racetracks to offer virtual lottery terminals —  a move that revitalized the declining horse racing industry. Still, it wasn’t until commercial casinos emerged that full-fledged casino Las Vegas-type gambling became available. 

In February 2013, the New York State Gaming Commission merged the New York State Racing and Wagering Board with the New York State Division of Lottery together into a single entity that would oversee and regulate all forms of gambling in the state. This was done under the powers of Chapter 60 of the Laws of 2012.

That same year, sports wagering at tribal and commercial casinos was also introduced. This was done as a part of a broader bill that allowed commercial casinos to be established in the first place. It took six years for casinos to find sports betting partners, so the first retail sportsbooks did not become available until 2019, with the Rivers Casino venue in Schenectady being the pioneer in that regard. 

Finally, in April 2021, Governor Andrew Cuomo signed Assembly Bill A3009, a state budget bill. The previous legislative efforts by the Senate Racing, Wagering and Gaming Committee and its chairman Sen. Joseph Addabbo finally came to fruition, largely due to the state budget deficit caused by the global pandemic. The situation forced Gov. Cuomo to look for other sources of income and include sports betting into the budget bill, thus marking the start of legalized online and mobile sports betting in New York. 

Nevertheless, until a constitutional amendment is passed, online casino gambling remains out of reach.

Sports Betting in New York: Timeline

The demise of the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) in 2018 seemed to encourage New York legislators to pursue a broader legalization of sports betting and bring it to the digital sphere. 

Prior to the 2013 referendum that saw an expansion in the state’s casino offering and the establishment of retail sports betting, there have been a few futile attempts to legalize this form of gambling, such as the bills A867 and S331 by Assemblyman Weprin and Senator Avella, which didn’t get enough support from the legislator. Thankfully, the constitutional amendment referendum dubbed New York Casino Gambling Amendment, Proposal 1, was put on the ballot on November 5, 2013, and approved by the majority of voters.

Here are the most important moments in the history of sports betting in New York: 

• November 2013: Sports betting was approved by voters, as the federal ban on sports wagering was expected to be lifted. 
• May 2018: PASPA was abolished by the Supreme Court, which paved the way for the full legalization of sports betting country-wide.
• July 2019: The first retail sportsbooks were opened at upstate land-based casinos. 
• April 2021: Governor Cuomo signed the state’s budget plan for 2022, which effectively legalized online and mobile sports betting. 
• August 2021: The New York State Gaming Commission issued a request for mobile sports betting applications to all potential New York sports betting operators. 
• November 2021: Nine NY sports betting companies were selected by the NYSGC to establish betting sites. 

January 2022: Online and mobile sports betting went live in New York State.

Sports Betting in New York: License and Tax Information

All gambling activities in New York, including horse racing, pari-mutuel wagering, commercial gambling, Class III Indian Gaming, and charitable gaming, are regulated by the New York State Gaming Commission. 

The NYSGC has so far licensed nine sports betting operators, but that number might not be final. Nonetheless, given the demanding licensing rules and restrictions, it seems that only the industry giants can hope to receive a sports betting license. 

Namely, there is a one-time $25 million fee that authorized operators need to pay prior to license issuance. Also, New York State has one of the country’s highest tax rates for sports betting, capped at 51% of the operator’s gross gaming revenue. 

The taxes players need to pay for their winnings depend on their income. The 24% federal taxes are in many cases automatically deducted, while the state tax ranges from 4% to 8.82%. Once you exceed a specific threshold, a W-2G Form will be issued to you and the IRS, so it is your responsibility to fill out your federal and state tax returns. 

Naturally, all gambling companies need to provide proof that their software is indeed fair. This will be tested by the commission’s partners specialized in software audit — BMM Testlabs and GLI. 

Before the commission has its final say, gambling companies will be assessed according to their reputation, track record, the overall safety of their platforms, bonuses and promotions, and many other contributing factors. 

Licenses that are issued stay in effect for ten years. There are still no clear rules related to the renewal process.

How to Start Betting in a New York Online Sportsbook

Before you can start betting in New York online sportsbooks, you need to complete a simple account registration procedure, which shouldn’t take more than a couple of minutes. Of course, it requires you to choose a bookie first, and luckily for you, all the best ones are already listed on our page. 

Once you have selected a sportsbook, you can proceed with the registration. The application requires you to input certain personal information, such as: 

• Full name
• Address and ZIP code 
• Date of birth
• Email address
• Last four digits of your Social Security number

Once that is out of the way, you can navigate toward the Banking section and choose one of the deposit methods to make a payment to the casino and claim the welcome bonus if offered. Don’t forget to check the minimum deposit limits associated with the sign-up promotion. 

After the transaction has been completed, you can browse different sports and markets. Once you have made your picks, simply click on the odds offered, and the bet will be automatically noted in your bet slip. Input the stake, and place your bet.

Eligibility and Geolocation

According to the state rules, you must be at least 21 in order to place a bet on New York sports betting online platforms. Also, you need to be physically located within the state borders at the moment of placing a wager. 

To ensure your compliance with this rule, the sportsbooks will require you to turn on the location services on your device when betting. For instance, when it comes to mobile apps, the geo-location trackers will be built in. As for desktop devices, though, you will have to install the geolocation plugin manually.

New York Sports Betting Partnerships With Professional Teams

The majority of New York sports betting companies have established partnerships with the local professional teams, as is the common practice in many states where there is regulated sports betting. Here are the most important deals NY sportsbooks have made: 

• Caesars and the New York Knicks, New York Rangers, Buffalo Bills, and Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp: Caesars Sportsbooks sealed a deal with the MSG, the Knicks, and the Rangers in November 2021, thus becoming their official betting partner. As a part of the deal, the operator will gain significant media coverage at the “world’s most famous arena,” sportsbook branding options, and more. The latest deal Caesars signed with a New York State-based team was finalized on January 17, 2022. Caesars is now an official betting partner of the Buffalo Bills in a deal that includes digital and broadcast coverage across all Bill’s signage and activities at Highmark Stadium.
• FanDuel and the Buffalo Bills: FanDuel has signed a multi-year deal with the Buffalo Bulls to become their official mobile sports betting partner. FanDuel will gain access to all TV and media assets of the Buffalo Bills, as well as their logos and marks. Also, the operator will sponsor the Buffalo Bills-themed podcast called Bills by the Numbers, hosted by Steve Tasker and Chris Brown. 
• DraftKings and the New York Knicks, New York Rangers, New York Giants, and Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp: DraftKings has become an official betting partner of the New York Knicks, New York Giants, and the New York Rangers, as well as the MSG Corp. The landmark multi-year deal grants DraftKings access to the teams’ logos and media assets, including all team-controlled media outlets. 
• BetMGM and the Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp: BetMGM netted a deal with the MSG Corp. in November 2021. This has brought it significant media exposure during all the Knicks’ and the Rangers’ games at the MSG, including courtside and LED signage. 

WynnBET and the New York Jets: WynnBET announced a partnership with the New York Jets in September 2021. The most important part of the deal is the establishment of the WynnBET Green Room, a 4,800-square-foot space offering all-inclusive food and beverage hospitality, alongside access to all media assets the Jets have to offer. 

What Types of Bets Can I Make in New York?

New York sports betting sites are packed with various betting options for all the most important sporting events across the country. At the time of the Super Bowl, the Stanley Cup, or the NBA Finals, you can even expect some new types of wagers to be added. No matter which NY sports betting site you opt for, the following bets are a given: 

• Moneyline bets: The most standard of all bets, moneyline bets allow you to choose the winner of the contest. The minus and plus signs in front of the odds indicate the game’s favorite and the underdog. Say the Knicks are hosting the Brooklyn Nets. If you want to back the Knicks to win it at the odds of -120, you will have to wager $120 for a $100 profit. 
• Point spreads: Point spreads are bets where the number of points the team wins or losses by is taken into consideration. A certain number of points is deducted from the favorites and given to the underdog to even things out a bit. Say the Buffalo Bills are hosting the Chiefs and are the favorites. The sportsbook will give the Bills -6 points for the point spread, which means that if you back the Bills, they must win by 7 or more points. Alternatively, if you bet on the Chiefs, your bet will be successful either if they win or if they lose by 6 or fewer points. 
• Totals: Totals, also known as an over/under bet, represent a wager you place on the total number of points in a game. The sportsbook will set a line at the half-point mark to avoid a tie. Your job is to guess whether the number of points will go over or under that mark. 
• Futures: Futures are the bets you can place on the winner of the entire season. Alternatively, you can also try to guess who will win the MVP trophy in the NFL. In fact, the options are endless. The point is to bet as soon as possible to get the best odds. 
• Proposition bets: Proposition bets or props are wagers that are connected to various situations and aspects of the game, such as who will win the coin toss, which team will score the first touchdown, how many points a certain player will score in a quarter, and more. 
• Live bets: Live bets are wagers you can place on a game in progress. The odds for these bets will shift to reflect the situation on the pitch or court, so you should act accordingly. Most of the standard bets, except the futures, are available for live wagering. 

Multi bets: Multi bets refer to placing multiple selections on a betslip. The main types of multi bets include parlays, teasers, and round robins. Each of these comes with special characteristics. For example, parlays include two or more selections on the betslip, while teasers adjust the spreads in the bettor’s favor. Round robins are parlay bets in which you don’t have to guess all the predictions correctly to win the bet. The more selections you have on the slip, the better the payout.

Are Any Bets Off-Limits?

On NY sports betting sites, you can bet on all markets and sports. However, New York-based collegiate teams, high school games, elections, TV shows, and other non-sporting events are off-limits. Still, you can bet on non-NY teams competing in college events held in New York or elsewhere.

Responsible Gambling in New York

New York online sportsbooks are required to comply with strict responsible gambling policies imposed by the NY Gaming Commission. For example, they need to list the information offering help to compulsive gamblers by including a toll-free number from reputable sources. Also, when an account holder’s lifetime deposits go over $2,500, they need to inform the user that they can establish deposit limits or close an account. 

Responsible gaming policies also include incorporating voluntary self-exclusion programs that problem-gamblers can enroll in.