New York Sports Betting

In January 2019, the New York State Gaming Commission offered initial approval of a set of proposed rules and was expected to begin allowing legal sports betting by summer 2019, but only in person at one of the four licensed casinos.

In March 2019, a $175.5 billion budget approved by New York lawmakers and Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo did not resolve whether online sports betting will be permitted in the state. Cuomo said authorizing online sports wagering will require a multi-year effort to change the state constitution, but Assemblyman Gary Pretlow announced in April that he intended to introduce the framework for an updated online sports betting bill, with the hopes of seeing it implemented by the end of the calendar year. The bill would authorize both mobile sports betting and sports betting at the state’s brick-and-mortar tribal casinos and racetracks.

On 16 July 2019, Rivers Casino & Resort Schenectady became the first casino in the Empire State to accept legal sports bets and was quickly followed by Tioga Downs in Nichols, Turning Stone in Syracuse and Point Place in Bridgeport.

In April 2021, Gov. Andrew Cuomo legalized online sports betting as part of the state's 2022 budget legislation and legal online sports betting went live in January 2022. New York quickly became the biggest legal sports betting state in the U.S., accepting nearly $4 billion in total bets during the first 10 weeks of action.