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2019 has started without legal sports betting in New York, either online or offline, but New Yorkers won’t have to wait long.
With a sports betting bill already in the works, legal betting is expected to be available at four locations in New York in early 2019. We’re hoping online betting options will follow soon after.
This page is your complete guide to getting ready to bet on sports online in New York state, including:
For more detailed information on the laws, refer to our full guide to legal sports betting in New York.
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As of January 2019? Nowhere. But the legal developments over the previous year means that that situation will soon change. Sports betting is growing steadily across the country, and the Empire State isn’t one to be left behind.
New York has one of the richest sporting histories in the US, not to mention an absolutely massive potential market of gamblers. There are tons of reasons it’s a no-brainer for New York to make it legal and easy to gamble.
Let’s take a closer look at the first sportsbooks where you’ll be able to bet on sports in New York.
In early 2019, New York will have four land-based sportsbooks available to the general public. They are:
Each one will be regulated by the New York State Gaming Commission, so you can be sure that your betting experience will be secure.
Lawmakers in New York have already signaled their hope to expand sports betting when the legislative session begins in 2019. An expanded sports betting bill would be likely to address the question of allowing other gaming facilities to apply for a license, such as race tracks and tribal casinos, as well the possibility of online betting.
Since the sportsbooks at the four casinos have not officially opened yet, we do not know exactly what they will look like. However, judging by the physical sportsbooks already opened in nearby New Jersey and Pennsylvania, we can expect an exciting experience for bettors. Expect TV screens to watch live sports as you bet, electronic betting kiosks, lounge seating and bars.
At the moment, there are no legal online betting options in New York, and new legislation will be required in order to change that.
The good news is that new legislation may not be too far off. There has been a willingness from lawmakers to introduce a new sports betting bill in 2019 to update the 2013 bill which is currently in effect.
New Yorkers who really want to bet online or using their mobile devices can always head over to New Jersey, where mobile betting is already legal and thriving. This will be a major factor in state lawmakers moving quickly to expand sports betting to include online and mobile betting.
Another great alternative while New Yorkers wait for legal mobile betting is the TVG horse racing app. Keep reading for more on that.
This app is a great way for sports fans in the Empire State to whet their appetite for the legal mobile betting that’s just around the corner.
The TVG app is available in 32 states across the US and lets users bet legally on horse races at over 150 tracks from around the world. Not only that, users can actually watch the races live while they bet, directly on the app.
TVG offers a variety of bets, including singles, combination bets and multi-race combinations.
The app is fully regulated and legal to use in New York. It is a great resource for sports fans while they wait for the mobile sports betting situation to change in the state.
As things stand, there are no online betting sites you can legally use in New York.
You may be able to sign up to unregulated sites that are hosted offshore, but these are risky to use and not 100% legal. Better to wait for the legal options, especially since they’re so close to arriving. Some sports bettors in states that haven’t legalized sports betting have been using VPNs in order to spoof their location in order to bet in states like New Jersey. Sportsbook apps are turning to location validator apps like GeoGuard in order to detect these location fraudsters.
Although New York does not have online sportsbooks at present, we can still give you a really clear idea of what to expect when they do arrive.
Once online betting is legalized, you can expect the physical sportsbooks already in the state to develop their own online platforms and dedicated mobile apps. This is what happened in nearby New Jersey, which has both online and in-person legal sports betting, and it’s happened in other states where sports betting is legal too.
The signup process will be straightforward and easy and the steps will including some or all of the following:
The above steps are typical of signing up to online sportsbooks, and New Yorkers can expect a similar process when mobile betting is legalized.
Sportsbooks also offer bonuses and discounts when you sign up. Often, new members will have their deposit matched up to a certain value, or be given a free bet. The bonuses change from time to time but they’re always worth taking advantage of.
When online sports betting is legalized, make sure you use one of our links to get the best bonus available. Check back here regularly for updates.
Again, although online sportsbooks are not yet available in New York, we have a pretty good idea what to expect from other states that have already legalized sports gambling.
Once you’ve signed up, the next step is to deposit money into your account. Every sportsbook is different, but below are some of the most commonly accepted ways to deposit.
Depending on how you would like to deposit money, you should be able to find a sportsbook that suits you.
Withdrawing can take a couple of extra days depending on the option you choose and you can’t withdraw back to some methods, like credit cards.
It remains to be seen exactly how NY online sportsbooks will operate but rest assured that sportsbooks will accept lots of the most popular payment methods.
When you have successfully signed up and made your first deposit, you’re ready to start betting.
Most online sportsbooks and apps are easy to use, even for beginners. You will find a list of sports which you can browse through. Just click on them to see all the bets and games associated with that sport.
Before you place your bet, you will be able to put in different stakes to test out how much you would win.
When online betting arrives in NY, you can expect all the major sports to be covered, as well as the most popular forms of betting, such as:
In the meantime, check our expert guides to all of the above bets so you’ll be ready when online sports betting arrives.
Check back here for updates on online sports betting in New York. When it becomes available, make sure you sign up using our links to get the best welcome bonus possible.
Since the sportsbooks in New York have not yet opened, we can’t tell you exactly how you will be placing your bets. However, we can give you a general idea of what to expect.
Placing a bet in person is a different experience from online betting. It is much more social and exciting and really reminds you that sports betting is first and foremost a form of entertainment.
Expect the New York sportsbooks to capitalize on this and include plenty of big-screen TVs to watch the progress of your bet in real-time, as well as comfortable seating and even bars and restaurants.
Sportsbooks often have the option of both a teller and an electronic kiosk.
Placing a bet with a teller is simple. You just go to the window and tell the person what you would like to bet on. They can tell you the odds, or explain different kinds of bets for you if you are a beginner.
When you place your bet, they will give you a paper bet slip, which you need to cash in if your bet wins.
The electronic kiosks mean you don’t even need to speak to the teller if you don’t want to. They will be similar to the online betting platform, although you don’t need to create an account. Instead, you can simply browse the computer screen and click on the bets you would like to place. You will get a printed bet slip, just like from the teller.
In-person sportsbooks will be up and running very soon in New York, and they are a great option for locals to try out while they wait for online betting to arrive.
New York’s push for legal sports betting really began in 2013, when the state passed a law to allow sports betting at four physical casinos. The law, which was based on a statewide referendum, explicitly mentions the following four casinos:
These are the locations where in-person betting will first be available in New York, sometime in 2019.
Although the 2013 law was passed, sports betting did not come into effect. The reason for this was the existence of the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA), which acted as a federal ban on sports betting.
The 2013 New York bill lay dormant for five years until the Supreme Court ruled to repeal PASPA in a landmark case that concluded in May 2018. With no federal ban, New York’s 2013 law could come into effect.
Since PASPA was repealed, the state has been working on finalizing the regulations. At the end of January 2019, the New York State Gaming Commission gave preliminary approval, meaning sports betting is expected to go live in those four locations in February or March 2019.
At the same time, there has been a push to pass a new bill which would introduce wider legalization, including mobile betting which was not included in the 2013 bill. There is also the question of sports betting at tribal casinos, which needs to be clarified.
To summarize:
For New York, it is about taking things one step at a time. Four physical sportsbooks will be available in early 2019, and the conversation around online betting will continue.
Get familiar with the information in this guide because if you’re in New York and want to start betting on sports, you’re going to need it before you know it.
In-person betting is all but guaranteed in the Empire State and with so many factors working in its favor, it seems really likely that online sports betting will be following soon after.
For those in New York who just can’t wait, we suggest making the short trip to New Jersey where online betting is already widely available or using the TVG horse racing app until more options arrive in New York.
Make sure to check back here when online sports betting is legalized, and use our New York online sportsbook reviews to compare sites and get the best bonus possible.
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After graduating from the University of New Hampshire with a BA in Journalism, Richard Janvrin has been covering iGaming and sports betting since December 2018. Richard has covered betting at Bleacher Report, Gambling.com, The Game Day, Forbes, and more.
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