Best New York Online Casinos
$5,000 Welcome Bonus
Legal online casinos will come to New York sooner or later. Online and mobile sports betting got the thumbs-up from state lawmakers and launched in January 2022. New York is now the No. 1 sports betting state in terms of annual revenue.
Commercial casinos, tribal casinos and racinos with live casino gambling are already here. Plus, in 2023, the state decided to expand casino gaming in New York and began accepting applications for three new downstate N.Y. commercial casinos. While a pair of proposed online casino gambling bills didn't get through in 2022 or 2023, New York has emerged as a favorite to pass a legal online casino bill next year.
Early projections estimate the state’s online gambling market could generate $2.5 billion to $4 billion in annual revenue. That would make New York the world's single largest online gambling market. These are hardly the kind of numbers NY lawmakers can ignore for long.
Top NY Social and Sweepstakes Casinos
Regardless of the current legal landscape, you can still play online slots and casino games at social and sweeps cash casinos in New York. Social and sweepstakes casinos operate like promotional sweepstakes contests under state sweepstakes laws. That means no purchase is necessary.
You can enjoy the games with play money or a proprietary virtual currency, often called Sweeps Coins (SC), which you can redeem for gift cards and cash prizes. You can't buy Sweeps Coins, but you will get some as a bonus when you purchase play money. Social and sweepstakes casinos also give SC away through online contests and traditional mail requests.
With play money, you can only win more play money at social and sweepstakes casinos. Plus, there’s no way to play directly for cash. However, when you play at social and sweeps coins casinos with SC, you can redeem the prizes you win for gift cards and cash.
Here’s a quick look at the top social and sweepstakes casinos in NY and the bonuses they offer for signing up.
NY Online Casino News and Updates
Gambling laws are clear in NY state. You can play slots and casino games at commercial casinos, tribal casinos, and racinos. You can bet on sports at retail and online sportsbooks. Plus, you can play online slots and casino games at NY social and sweepstakes casinos.
Unfortunately, the efforts to legalize online gambling sites in New York failed in 2023. That said, insiders believe there is hope for 2024.
With many New Yorkers regularly traveling to neighboring states with the some best online casinos in the US, such as New Jersey and Pennsylvania and even online casinos in Michigan, New York is clearly losing out on billions of dollars in potential gaming revenue by not legalizing online casinos. New York State Senate Committee on Racing, Gaming and Wagering Chair Sen. Joseph P. Addabbo says the loss is roughly $3 billion for every year NY doesn't pass an online gambling bill. The hope is that $3 billion annually is too much for NY lawmakers to ignore in 2024.
Will Online Casinos Become Legal in New York?
Addabbo helped lead the state through the legalization of online and mobile sports betting. New York is now the top sports betting state in the country, generating millions in tax revenue for elementary and secondary education and youth sports.
Moreover, New York oversaw the licensing of three new downstate commercial casinos this year. The state’s decision on the locations and operators involved in these new casinos is still undetermined. Addabbo also introduced two online casino bills in the New York Legislature over the past few years. He will almost certainly continue this push to launch legal NY online casinos during the 2024 legislative session.
What’s Stopping NY Online Casinos from Being Legalized?
Addabbo has said the potential for a rise in problem gambling is one of the biggest obstacles to legalizing online casinos in New York. However, he claims legalizing online casinos will actually bolster the state's responsible gaming resources.
Addabbo claims NY could capitalize on the increased tax revenue from online casinos by increasing funding to responsible gaming initiatives. The online gambling bills he has previously introduced have sought to double the state's support for responsible gaming measures from $6 million to $11 million.
If Addabbo can convince the rest of the legislature that legalizing online casinos means spending more on responsible gambling initiatives, the state could see the launch of legal online casinos as early as next year.
Will Online Casino Apps Be Available in NY?
Where casinos go, casino mobile apps are sure to follow. The technology is now here to put a full-service online casino in the palm of your hand, and bettors are increasingly embracing it.
Mobile gaming is the fastest-growing segment of the fledgling US online casino industry. When online casinos get the thumbs up from NY lawmakers, they will launch no deposit online casino apps you can download and install on most mobile phones and tablets.
Where Can I Play Online Casino Games in New York?
You have limited choices for playing online casino games in New York right now. You can play free online slots and casino games at NY social and sweepstakes casinos, or you can travel to a neighboring state with legal online casinos.
You’ll find legal and regulated real money online casinos in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Plus, if you’ve got a passport, you can head over the border and play at legal online casinos in the neighboring Canadian province of Ontario.
How To Use Online Casinos
Whether you want to play with NY social and sweepstakes or legal online casinos in New Jersey or Pennsylvania, you must open an account first. Fortunately, legal and regulated US online casinos make this process a breeze. Follow these simple step-by-step instructions:
- Navigate to a legal and regulated online casino’s website.
- Download and install its mobile app or start registration on the website.
- Fill out the registration forms with your name, email, phone number, and the last four digits of your Social Security number.
- Enter the online-casino-specific promo or bonus code found on websites like PlayPennsylvania.com or PlayNJ.com to ensure you get the best new player bonus available.
- Deposit using the most convenient deposit method available, from debit and credit cards to online payment processors such as PayPal.
- Browse through the list of games until you find something you want to play.
When it comes to signing up for an account with an online casino, you can complete most of the steps above while you're in New York. However, you’ll have to travel across the state line into New Jersey or Pennsylvania to play real money casino games.
NY Brick-and-Mortar Casinos
New York has seven tribal casinos on Seneca, Mohawk, and Oneida tribal lands. The first one opened in 1993. Four commercial casinos in Upstate New York also opened between 2016 and 2018.
New York also has seven racinos with slots, many of which also host automated table games. These properties include:
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Catena Media provides exclusive gambling and casino content to The Buffalo News, including reviews of legal online casinos and information about casino games, odds and probabilities, and site offers and promotions to help inform and educate players. If you register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. Always practice responsible gambling.
