Our Guide to Online Gambling in New York
New York is a great state when it comes to land based casinos and sportsbetting but online gambling has never been legal. While there was talk of legalizing online casinos, this never happened and in 2025, sweepstakes casinos were also banned. The only legal online option are social casinos as they don’t involve playing with real money.
Is it legal to gamble online in New York?
New York legalized online sports betting in 2022, however, traditional online casinos are still illegal. New Yorkers who are looking to spin the reels or sneak in some hands of blackjack have to hop on the subway and head to places like Empire City Casino in Yonkers or Resorts World NY out near JFK. Land-based casinos are legal in New York, but there are currently no casinos in NYC.
If New Yorkers want to play online casino games, they have three options: social casinos or offshore online casinos.
Offshore casinos are illegal, and there is a high chance you will get scammed. Also, you have no legal recourse as the site is operating overseas and often anonymously.
Summary
While there was talk in 2025 that potential future sweepstakes could be regulated in New York, as of December 2025, they became illegal. Pretty much all of the big sweepstakes brands pulled out, though a few have remained to offer gold coin play. It’s unknown if anything will change in the future but as of now, the only option are social casinos and skill-based sites.