New York Sports Betting
New York sports fans have much to be proud of, as the Empire State boasts some of the nation’s preeminent teams with histories in some cases stretching all the way back to the dawn of professional sports in America. Legendary franchises like the Yankees and the Giants, famous figures from Babe Ruth to Derek Jeter or from Frank Gifford to Eli Manning, and historic locations like Yankee Stadium and Madison Square Garden engender nothing less than absolute devotion from New York’s fervent fans. It’s quite understandable that a fanbase so zealous and so proud of its state’s athletic achievements would be interested in wagering on the success of its favorite teams, which is why New York sports betting continues to be such a hot topic the world over.
However, overreaching federal laws broadly prohibit sports betting in most states around the country, and New York is no exception. Fortunately, legally betting on sports online is possible for New York residents thanks to the services of overseas-based sportsbook sites that readily accept Empire State players. These sites, like the appropriately named SportsBetting.ag and BetOnline.ag and the more imaginative 5Dimes.eu, are consistently the highest recommended legal New York sports betting destinations on the internet owing to their industry-leading combination of security, professionalism and, of course, the fact that they have the most comprehensive betting odds listings.
SportsBooksNewYork’s definitative guide to legal New York sports betting is designed to have all the information needed by new players and experienced sports bettors alike. We’ll take a look at the laws affecting sports betting in the Empire State as well as the particulars of the best New York-friendly online sportsbooks, and we’ll answer some of the most frequently asked questions related to this popular (and profitable) pastime.
Any discussion on the topic of legally wagering on sports has to begin with a look at the federal laws impacting sports betting in New York. As in most of the rest of the country, a gamut of federal laws strictly prohibit most forms of sports betting in the Empire State, and these broadly powerful laws represent stepping stones in a long tradition of anti-gambling legislation passed in the US since the middle of the last century.
The main laws affecting the legality of sports betting in New York include:
The Wire Act of 1961, which forbids interstate transmission of sports wagers or even information related to wagering on athletic contests.
The Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992 (PASPA), which prevents every state except Nevada, Delaware, Montana and Oregon from offering regulated sports betting.
The Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006 (UIGEA), which bars US financial institutions from processing gambling related transactions over the internet.
Despite the aforementioned federal laws general prohibition on sports betting in New York, the good news is that the state’s own laws have very little to say on the subject of online gambling, which gives just enough wiggle room for our top-recommended offshore sportsbooks to legally serve New Yorkers. This legal loophole exists despite the law against “book-making, or any other kind of gambling except lotteries operated by the state,” as found in the New York Constitution, Article I, Section 9.1. The law’s silence on the matter of participation in internet gambling and the fact that New York-friendly sportsbooks like SportsBetting and BetOnline are not subject to US law, means there is, in effect, no legal grounds to charge individuals who engage in placing bets online.
If federal anti-sports betting laws like PASPA were to be repealed, the net benefit to the state of New York in terms of taxable revenues and licensing fees levied on sportsbook operators would total out in the hundreds of millions of dollars every year. Even if sports betting were legalized nationwide with only the most limited availability and with a base tax rate, the effects could still be tremendous. According to the findings of May 2017 Oxford Economics report, GDP would be boosted $455.2 million, total combined income for all industry workers would see an increase of more than $252 million and total tax revenues would top out at nearly $191 million.
The overwhelming preponderance of data suggests that legalization of sports betting would be an incredibly smart move for the Empire State, and some New York politicians have taken note. Senator Tony Avella, for one, introduced a proposed bill during the 2017 legislative session that would change the state constitution to allow casinos and horseracing tracks to offer sports wagering, but it wasn’t passed in time. However, the hopes of many sports betting fans and lawmakers around the state are rightly pinned on the possibility for a successful outcome in neighboring New Jersey’s Supreme Court case to repeal PASPA, which would make New York sports betting legal by default.
As we’ve already mentioned a various points throughout this guide, the best online sportsbooks for New York players is the trio of SportsBetting, BetOnline and 5Dimes. These sites boast all the winning ingredients needed to stand atop the pile in this ultra-competitive segment of the sports betting marketplace - advanced security measures, versitile wager types, slick, easy-to-use interfaces, competitive bonus offers and more betting odds on your favorite team than any brick-and-mortar sportsbook. But best of all, these sites are all 100 percent legal, simultaneously being licensed by the gaming regulatory authorities in their home nations and being outside the reach of US legal prohibitions on sports betting.
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As sports fans all around the world know, New York is truly a nexus of high-level professional sports teams in every major pro league. There is arguably no MLB team with the pedigree and name recognition of the New York Yankees, but the Empire State is also home to the Mets (and the famed Dodgers used to be from Brooklyn too). New York also features three NFL teams: the Jets and Giants are both located in the NYC metro area while Buffalo is of course home to the Bills. The major hockey and basketball leagues have two team each from New York, those being the NHL’s Rangers and Islanders and the NBA’s Knicks and Nets.
Other popular sporting events to bet on in New York include the New York Red Bulls and the New York City FC in Major League Soccer, as well as the annual US Open, one of professional tennis’ Grand Slam tournaments. New York is also the home state for several prominent collegiate athletic programs, notably the Syracuse Orange and the Army Black Knights.
Pari-mutuel betting on horse racing is one form of gambling that is specifically protected by the New York State Constitution, owing to the state’s long history as a hub for thoroughbred breeding. Article I, Section 9.1 of the New York Constitution delineates that, while most other forms of gambling are prohibited in the Empire State, horse racing (along with the state-sponsored lottery) enjoys the distinction of being explicitly permitted. As such, horse racing betting in New York has a sizeable following among bettors, and the state’s several race tracks – along with our top picks among offshore sports betting sites – offer those interested in betting on the ponies a legal means of doing so.
New York is similar to a few other states in that its various forms of gambling allowable by law require a different minimum legal age to participate. For example, the state lottery, pari-mutuel betting on horse racing and even bingo (which can be played for real money legally in the state) only require a minimum age of 18. However, players will need to be 21 to legally bet in a casino setting or in a poker room, which leads us to recommend that our readers be at least 21 years old before betting on sports online at our top-rated legal New York sportbooks – SportsBetting, BetOnline and 5Dimes.
Making a deposit at legal New York-friendly sports betting sites is easy due to the several options available. The sites we recommend all accept conventional methods of making deposits like sending a check in the mail (reliable but slower), most popular credit or debit cards (faster but less reliable due to the effects of the UIGEA), direct money transfers (fast and generally reliable) and Bitcoin (the best and most secure method, as well as the fastest). The key thing to remember is that reputable sites like SportsBetting, BetOnline and 5Dimes want to keep your business, so if you give their customer service line a call they can generally resolve any issue with making a deposit.
Does Betting On Sports Hurt The Integrity Of The Game?
One of the biggest qualms with sports betting shared by a wide spectrum of people opposed to the practice is the perception that wagering on the outcome of a sporting event can hurt the integrity of the game. This is totally understandable, as organized crime and greedy, unscrupulous individuals figured out long ago that fixing sporting events is a relatively easy and “safe” means of accumulating ill-gotten gains. That’s what led to the passage of laws like the Wire Act of 1961, which specifically targeted organized crime’s racketeering revenue stream.
While it would be naïve to assume that corruption is absent from sports nowadays, casually betting on sporting events in no way compromises the validity of an athletic contest between teams or individual athletes. Safeguards are in place to prevent match-fixing and harsh penalties are imposed on the individuals and organizations guilty of fixing for this reason. Ultimately, however, whether to bet on sports or not is a question only you can answer, and we aren’t here to tell you what you should believe, so do the research and decide for yourself.
While there are doubtless many brick and mortar sportsbooks in New York, any bookie working in the Empire State is necessarily doing so in direct violation of the law. There’s no need to take a chance with a shady local sportsbook no matter how professional it looks or how confidential it claims to be. Stick to our legal online sports betting sites and enjoy better odds, more security, faster payouts and the comfort of knowing you won’t go to jail for betting on your favorite teams.
Why Do New York Sports Betting Sites Ask For ID Documents?
New York sports betting sites will often ask to see your user ID when their users request to make credit card deposits or when requesting payment via check in the mail, for instance. This is simply an additional safety protocol in place to ensure all players are the level and playing legally. Though it is a little bit of a hassle, consider that, without safety measures like this in place, the entire sports betting experience at our leading legal sportsbooks could be compromised by cheaters or those not acting in good faith.
Why Was My Credit Card Rejected At A New York Online Sportsbook?
Due to the 2006 passage of the UIGEA, US-based financial institutions are prohibited from processing online gambling-related transactions. That can sometimes mean that credit card transactions will be declined even if the legal sportsbook you are betting at uses its own in-house processing service. In the event this happens to you, don’t worry! You aren’t going to get arrested and you haven’t broken any laws just because your credit card was rejected at a New York online sportsbook. It could be something as simple as a backlog or transactions on the site’s part or maybe the number just needs to be run again. If you aren’t sure, give your sportsbook a call on its customer service line and they will be happy to help you resolve the problem.
Can I Have More Than One Online Sportsbook Account?
One the best strategies of sports bettors successful over the long term is to have more than online sportsbook account. While most sites will limit users to one account per IP address, there is nothing stopping you from opening multiple accounts if you use each of our recommended legal online sports betting sites – SportsBetting, BetOnline and 5Dimes. This way you’ll have access to all the comps and a wider selection of odds, plus the ability to employ advanced wagering techniques like covering both sides of a betting line and incremental betting by unit.