New York Online Casinos
Real money online casinos have not been legalized in New York. However, New Yorkers who are 18 or older can play a wide variety of slots, table games, and live dealer games at social and sweepstakes casinos.
The best sites allow you to play hundreds of high-quality games for fun. You can also play with Sweeps Coins, which you can redeem for cash prizes or gift cards if you win.
This page highlights the top five NY online casino options. We will explain their key strengths to help you select the best site or app for your needs. We’ll also go over more about the games you can play, the bonuses you can claim, and how to redeem cash prizes.
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NY online casino apps for 2024
New York online casino legal updates
- Oct. 10, 2024 — New York Gov. Kathy Hochul signed a bill into law that requires all gambling advertisements to include warnings about the potentially harmful effects of gambling.
- Aug. 7, 2024 — Las Vegas Sands has been cleared to bid for a casino license in Nassau County after the legislature approved the company’s plans to lease the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum.
- July 2, 2024 — The deadline for licensing applications for three downstate New York casinos was extended to June 27, 2025.
- June 25, 2024 — TheLotter, one of five online lottery courier services in the United States, announced that it has gained a license to launch in New York.
- May 7, 2024 — Sen. Joseph Addabbo Jr. could not gain enough support for a bill seeking to legalize online casinos, poker, and iLottery in New York, so he trimmed the proposal down to focus solely on online poker and filed a new bill, SB 9226.
Best online casinos in New York
New Yorkers can choose from a wide range of social and sweepstakes casinos. We conducted in-depth reviews of the various sites that accept players in the Empire State, and we narrowed it down to the top five New York online casino options.
1. WOW Vegas New York
WOW Vegas is the best online casino for New Yorkers who enjoy online slots. This modern, stylish site hosts more than 1,200 video slots from various software providers, including 3 Oaks Gaming, Betsoft, Evoplay, and Pragmatic Play.
The site is easy to navigate, with sections for classic slots, Megaways slots, jackpot games, and many more categories. We found high-quality exclusive slots, and we were also pleased to note that WOW Vegas offers a larger no-purchase welcome bonus than most rivals.
2. High 5 Casino New York
This is an established social casino run by High 5 Games. The New York-based company creates popular slots for the world’s best online casinos, including Double Da Vinci Diamonds and The Green Machine, and you can play many of these slots at High 5 Casino.
The site also hosts slots from third-party providers such as Pragmatic Play, plus live dealer games. There is a native High 5 Casino app, too, which has strong average user ratings on both Google Play and the App Store.
3. McLuck New York
McLuck is a trusted social casino that offers a huge selection of games. You will find more than 750 slots from 20 providers, including leading studios like NetEnt, Relax Gaming, and Novomatic, plus live blackjack, roulette, and baccarat games.
New Yorkers can play online or download the McLuck app. We tested it out, and we were impressed by the quality of the user interface, which makes browsing quick and simple.
4. Pulsz New York
Pulsz is another well-known social casino that hosts hundreds of slots, plus virtual table games, online scratchers, and arcade-style games like Plinko and Mines. The app and website are both clean, uncluttered, and elegantly designed, offering an interesting contrast to the bolder and more vibrant interface at McLuck.
New Yorkers can claim a wide range of bonuses at Pulsz, including a no-purchase welcome bonus and a 50% first purchase boost if they decide to buy coins.
5. Stake.us New York
Stake.us offers a superb user interface, a huge selection of bonuses, and a wider variety of games than any other NY online casino option. You can play hundreds of slots from many leading providers, including a variety of exclusives, plus virtual table games, loads of live dealer games, and variety games.
The only downside is that this site requires you to play through your premium coins 3x before redeeming them for a prize, whereas most rivals only impose a 1x playthrough requirement.
How we rank NY online casinos
We focus on several key attributes when reviewing and ranking New York online casinos. The best sites and apps should perform well in these areas:
- Game selection: The best NY online casino options host a large selection of high-quality games from a good variety of providers. They cover slots, table games, and variety games, and they also offer exclusive titles to help them stand out from rivals.
- User experience: We assess the speed, accessibility, and reliability of each site and app during our review process. The best social casinos make it quick and simple for players to find games, and they also offer responsive customer support.
- Bonuses: Our reviewers break down the no-purchase welcome bonus, daily login bonus, purchase offers, and ongoing promos at each site. We are looking for sites that offer lots of options to unlock additional coins.
- Prize redemptions: We test the speed and ease of the prize redemption process at each social casino for New Yorkers. The top sites offer quick prize redemptions via a variety of secure methods, with broad limits and no fees.
- Trust and safety: We make sure each site complies with New York sweepstakes law and federal regulations. The games must be from trusted providers, and they must be tested independently for fairness and accuracy, while the site should also use industry-standard encryption and firewalls to protect players.
Real money vs. social casinos in New York
Social casinos in New York are similar to the real money online casinos in neighboring states like New Jersey and Pennsylvania. However, there are some clear differences, too.
| Real Money Online Casinos | Social Casinos |
|---|---|
| Legal in just seven states, including New Jersey and Pennsylvania. | Available in more than 40 states, including New York. |
| Regulated by state gaming control boards in each locale they operate in. | Comply with local sweepstakes regulations in each state, plus federal laws such as the Fair Credit Billing Act. |
| Players must be 21 or older. | Players must be 18 or older. |
| Customers can make deposits via a range of methods and then play online slots, table games, video poker, and live dealer games for real money. | They offer two currencies: Gold Coins, which have no monetary value; and Sweeps Coins, which can be redeemed for cash prizes if you complete a playthrough requirement on them. You cannot make a deposit, but you can purchase Gold Coins. |
| You can withdraw your funds at any time, and payouts often take less than 24 hours. | The minimum cash prize redemption is typically 100 Sweeps Coins, which equates to $100, and the funds can often be transferred to you via online banking or Skrill. |
New Yorkers cannot purchase Sweeps Coins. You can only receive them for free via bonuses, as a gift when you buy Gold Coins, or by writing to the company and asking for Sweeps Coins to be credited to your account. Most sites allow you to redeem them for prizes at a rate of one SC to $1 after you satisfy a 1x playthrough requirement.
In New York, you cannot receive a prize worth more than $5,000 from a single hand or spin at a social casino. This rule only applies in New York and Florida.
NY online casinos to avoid
Unregulated online casinos will also target people in New York. These sites are based overseas in countries like Curaçao and Costa Rica, and they cannot legally operate in the United States, but they still tout themselves to American players.
We recommend steering clear of these unregulated casino sites. They do not fall under the jurisdiction of state or federal authorities, and you will not benefit from any US consumer protection laws if you play at them.
Unfortunately, lots of US-based players have been scammed at unregulated sites, and they then have no legal recourse. Common complaints include bait-and-switch bonus scams, untested games that deliver unfair results, and sites simply refusing to pay out customers who request withdrawals. Avoid these sites and use regulated social casinos like WOW Vegas and High 5 Casino instead.
The history of online gambling in New York
Sen. Joseph Addabbo is the leading proponent of online gambling in New York. He campaigned tirelessly to legalize NY sports betting. His efforts finally paid off in January 2021, when the first regulated NY online sportsbooks were cleared to launch.
New York quickly became the largest sports betting market in the country. Gov. Kathy Hochul has frequently discussed the financial benefits the state has unlocked by taxing licensed online sportsbooks, leading to widespread speculation that online casinos and poker rooms could soon receive the green light, too.
In January 2024, Addabbo filed a bill that aimed to legalize online casinos, poker, and internet lottery (iLottery) games in New York. However, Hochul did not include the proposal in the state’s budget for 2025, which essentially ended hopes for imminent legalization of online casinos.
Addabbo responded by trimming down the proposal. He launched a new bill, SB 9226, in May 2024, seeking to legalize online poker, but not online casinos or iLottery games. The bill has not yet gained the requisite level of support, but Addabbo plans to continue advocating for online gambling expansion.
Despite recent setbacks, he has said the state needs sustainable revenue in order to address future fiscal difficulties, and he believes that will ultimately inspire legislative colleagues to permit online casinos.
Types of casino games available in New York
The best social online casinos in New York offer similar games to the real money online casinos in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Many are sourced from the same software providers, such as NetEnt and Relax Gaming. These are the main categories:
Slots
You can play more than 1,000 slots at the top NY social casinos. They range from simple three-reel games to hot new releases, which feature Megaways paylines, bonus buy options, and progressive jackpots.
Virtual table games
New Yorkers can play classic blackjack, multi-hand blackjack, baccarat, several different roulette variants, and poker-style games at the top social and sweepstakes casinos. Some also offer video poker games, such as Jacks or Better.
Live dealer games
Live dealer games are available at leading sites like Stake.us, McLuck, and High 5 Casino in New York. You can connect with an actual dealer and play games like blackjack, baccarat, roulette, and Sic Bo with Gold Coins or Sweeps Coins.
Variety games
Variety games include Mines, Plinko, Dice, HiLo, keno, bingo, online scratchers, and Slingo games. Some sites even have live bingo rooms.
Payment methods at New York online casinos
You cannot make deposits and withdrawals at online casinos in New York. However, sites like High 5 Casino and Pulsz allow you to purchase Gold Coins, and you can also redeem Sweeps Coins for cash prizes. These are the main payment options:
- Credit/debit card: Most sites accept Visa, Mastercard, Discover, and American Express. Payments are instant, and the coins will be credited to your account right away.
- Online banking: Online banking is another common payment option for anyone interested in buying Gold Coins. You can also redeem a cash prize via online banking.
- Skrill: Several social casinos in New York support Skrill payments. PayPal and Venmo are typically unavailable, so Skrill is the best option for players who like using e-wallets. Payments are instant, and this is often the quickest prize redemption method.
- Crypto: Stake.us and a few other sites support crypto payments. Bitcoin and several large cap altcoins may be available as options. You can also redeem a crypto prize if you play through your premium coins.
Land-based New York casinos
There are lots of land-based casinos in New York. They fall into three distinct categories: commercial casinos, racetrack casinos, and tribal casinos.
Commercial casinos
There are currently four commercial casinos in New York:
- Del Lago Resort and Casino in Tyre: This resort hosts more than 1,700 slots, 52 table games, a 14-table poker room, and a sportsbook.
- Tioga Downs in Nichols: Players will find 900 slots, 29 live gaming tables, a six-table poker room, and a FanDuel Sportsbook at this casino.
- Rivers Casino and Resort in Schenectady: This resort offers 1,150 slots, various live gaming tables, a 16-table poker room, and a BetRivers Sportsbook.
- Resorts World Catskills: The closest commercial casino to New York City hosts more than 1,600 slots, 150 table games, a 19-table poker room, and a 6,000-square-foot sportsbook.
New York voters authorized those land-based casinos via ballot in November 2013. They hold Class III gaming licenses, which allows them to offer slot machines, table games, and poker rooms.
However, these casinos are inconveniently located for players in New York City. In April 2023, elected officials in Albany authorized three commercial casinos in downstate New York. They stated that one can be built in New York City, another on Long Island, and a third in Westchester County.
The deadline for licensing applications is June 27, 2025. Companies aiming to build casinos in downstate New York have already submitted 11 separate proposals. The licenses could potentially be issued by the end of 2025, but the casinos would then need to be built.
Racetrack casinos
The New York State Legislature authorized video lottery terminals at racetracks in 2001. Three years later, Saratoga Raceway became the first racino in the Empire State, when it added hundreds of video gaming machines.
There are now several racetrack casinos in New York:
- Batavia Downs Gaming & Hotel
- Empire City Casino at Yonkers Raceway
- Finger Lakes Gaming & Racetrack
- Hamburg Gaming
- Jake’s 58 Hotel & Casino
- Resorts World Hudson Valley
- Resorts World New York City
- Saratoga Casino Hotel
- Vernon Downs Casino Hotel
These venues cannot host table games or poker games. They are only permitted to offer gaming machines, which can include virtual blackjack and virtual roulette.
Tribal casinos
New York is home to several Class III tribal casinos, which offer slots, table games, and poker. There are also Class II tribal casinos, which only offer gaming machines, which are similar to racinos. These are your options:
- Akwesasne Casino
- Turning Stone Casino
- Point Place Casino
- Yellow Brick Road Casino & Sportsbook
- Lake House Casino Sylvan Beach
- Lakeside Entertainment
- Seneca Allegany Resort & Casino
- Seneca Buffalo Creek Casino
- Seneca Niagara Casino & Hotel
- Seneca Gaming Irving
- Seneca Gaming Salamanca
- Seneca Gaming & Entertainment Oil Spring
Turning Stone Casino and Seneca Niagara Casino & Hotel are the largest casinos in New York, offering thousands of slots and a large selection of table games.
Responsible gambling in New York
There are resources available now in New York if you or someone you care about is suffering from problem gambling.
Among the many problem gambling resources available in New York, the New York Council on Problem Gambling may be the best place to start. The website not only provides direct links to immediate help based on what region of the state you are in, it has a resource library, information for kids and family, webinars, conferences, access to a treatment network and more. The site can also be translated easily into many different languages.
The New York Office of Addiction Services and Supports is another great site with links to prevention, harm reduction, regional support, data and treatment. This site also offers a 24-hour hopeline available too anyone affected.
Explore More
Legal Sports Report provides detailed information on the regulated casino and sports betting market. Read more by clicking the links below.
New York online casinos FAQ
No. While online sports betting is legal in New York, online casino gaming is not yet legal. However, the social casino and sweeps apps listed above allow users to play casino-style games for fun and will sometimes allow users to redeem winnings for cash prizes.
No. DraftKings Sportsbook is available statewide, but the casino portion of the app is not legal in New York.
Some of the social casino and sweeps apps above have blackjack among their available games, but you cannot play online blackjack for real money on an app in New York.
Yes. Sports betting is legal in New York both in person and on one of nine available sportsbook apps.
You may encounter online casino websites claiming to accept real-money deposits. These sites are operating illegally in the US and are not licensed in New York or any other state.