People around the United States love to gamble, and for a long time, many forms of gambling had been banned nation-wide. Gambling was only legal in a few states like Las Vegas. Recently, these laws have been made less strict, and states have been given the liberty to enact their own laws on gambling.
If you have been to New York, you probably know that most of the casinos in the state are owned by native Americans. As per the recent legislation, several new casinos can be opened in upstate New York. So, what exactly is legal in New York, and what is not?
Players Are Safe
First, it is important to clarify that there are no legal penalties for players who participate in gambling, even in illegal establishments or websites.
Still, players need to understand the legal and illegal forms of gambling since fraudulent operators will not always be fair. They may not even make the payments when you win as they don’t have to follow any government rules.
What Is Legal in New York?
New York has the country’s second-oldest lottery, and it has been running since the 1960s. It has been noted that this lottery has one of the highest participation rates in the entire country. More than 92% of the residents of the country purchase the tickets.
Besides the lottery, the state also allows 20 tribal facilities to operate. Many casino games can be played in these facilities, but the most popular ones are slots and video poker. A few of the tribal gambling facilities imitate the Las Vegas casinos and have all the lights and games. In these places, you will be able to enjoy poker and some table games.
Charitable organizations are allowed to run various forms of gambling operations as a method of collecting funds for welfare. These are allowed to offer raffle tickets, bingo games, and a few casino games.
Previously, social gambling was not allowed in New York, even if the participants could be proven to be colleagues. But recent laws have changed this to make social gambling legal. This form of gambling can be carried out in private spaces.
Online Gambling
With its conservative gambling laws, New York still does not allow online gambling sites to operate within its borders. The only form of legal online gambling New York is off-track betting on horses. Any other form of gambling is illegal when done online.
Online gambling sites can be licensed in various jurisdictions around the United States or even abroad, but they are not allowed to advertise their services in New York. Players can always sign up and enjoy the games, even without the need for a VPN.
Encyclopedia defines gambling as risking something of value for the chance of winning a prize or money. Although US states have struggled to find a legal definition of gambling, this is generally the idea conveyed by the term. The factor of being in control of the game is quite important.
But online poker has still been outlawed by the state. Most people agree that poker is a game of skill, even though it relied on a little bit of luck. According to the New York Times, a judge stated in 2012 that the most skillful professionals in poker earn the same celestial salaries as professional basketball players. It may take time for the laws to reflect this fact.
Sports Gambling
Sports gambling is popular all around the world. It combines two things people love: sports and gambling. At the moment, sports betting is illegal in the state of New York, both in online sites and traditional casinos.
However, it looks like the state is reconsidering its restrictions on this form of gambling. According to Ann Holmes at Online Casino Gems “The (New York State Gaming) Commission is currently on the lookout for a research firm to conduct a gaming study on its behalf, evaluating how much the people of New York would like to see an online (sports) betting expansion.”
The state seems to be worried that a lot of their funds are being lost to the state of New Jersey through online sports betting. With the relevant data, they will be able to pass laws that allow sports betting in the state.
New York Gambling Legends
Even with the stringent gambling laws, New York has still been able to produce some notable names in the gambling industry. As usual, when speaking of gambling legends, we are not talking about people who specialized in slot machines or blackjack. We are referring to experts in the skill-based game of poker.
One of the most famous poker players in the state is Erik Seidel. He has won more than $35 million from poker and is currently over 50 years old. Erik was one of the first people to play in the Mayfair Club of New York City and went against tough players like Stu Ungar and Howard Lederer.
According to Wikipedia, Erik has won 8 World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelets, and this has made him the most celebrated player of all time.
Another poker legend of New York is Bryn Kenney. He is much younger than Erik and has also been able to surpass the $30 million mark in poker profits. Bryn has won one gold bracelet from the WSOP, and this is still a big achievement.
Conclusion
States in the USA have been allowed to enact their own gambling laws. New York has been slow in loosening its restrictions on gambling. So far, they only allow charities and tribal facilities to run gambling operations.
The state also runs the lottery, which is quite popular among residents. Online gambling and sports betting are still illegal. However, as a player, you can always sign up on any site and place your bets.
But you should always make sure the sites are registered and licensed by a reputable body. Unlicensed sites can be quite risky since they may have unfair machines and may not even pay your winnings.