Is Online Poker Legal In New York State

New York online poker has been a topic of discussion that is gaining momentum as state officials consider the possibility of legalizing state-sponsored New York online gambling within the state of New York. So far poker seems to have the most potential in reaching legal status with a potential online gambling offering in the state. This page was created to provide NY residents and visitors with insight into the state’s legal poker options. We will discuss both New York online poker and the land based options that are available. We will provide information on the legality of this venue as well as how to locate safe, reliable, and legitimately licensed online poker destinations that welcome New York players. It is our hope that every one of our visitors walks away from this guide more informed and knowledgeable than they arrived.

Online Poker in New York. We at GamingUSA look at the laws surrounding the playing of online poker within the state and if its legal, give you the best sign-up offers from leading casinos. Let's quickly touch on each to understand poker's place in New York state law. The first: It's not entirely clear if poker qualifies as gambling under New York law. For gambling to occur as defined in New York law, the event wagered upon must be either a) a 'contest of chance' or b) involve an event 'not under' the player's 'control or influence.'

Is New York Online Poker Legal?

New York Online Poker. New York has a thriving casino industry, legal sports betting in upstate casinos, and two neighboring states that offer legal online poker. But New York itself has yet to legalize traditional real money online poker. No doubt that has been a disappointment for poker players from Albany to Buffalo to New York City. At the time of this writing it is currently illegal to own and/or operate any type of online gambling site within the state of New York. This includes online poker. What New York poker players may not realize is that there are multiple legally licensed Internet poker sites which are licensed, regulated and located overseas.

At the time of this writing it is currently illegal to own and/or operate any type of online gambling site within the state of New York. This includes online poker. What New York poker players may not realize is that there are multiple legally licensed Internet poker sites which are licensed, regulated and located overseas. A handful of the legitimate offshore poker sites accept players from the United States, including those from New York. There are no state or USA gambling laws which prohibit NY players from participating in legally licensed and certified gambling websites which are located outside of the US. So while state sponsored NY online poker is non-existing at this point, there are legally sanctioned alternatives that New York players have access to. We will go into greater detail concerning these options a little further down on the page. You can get more detailed information concerning the gambling laws in the Big Apple by visiting our page on NY online gambling laws.

Our Recommended Online Poker Sites For New York Players

Is online poker legal in new york state today

Below you will see the results of our careful review process. The selection of online poker brands that you see represented each exceeded our minimum requirements for inclusion in this guide and have been verified to provide players with a safe and enjoyable online poker opportunity that is both legal and legitimate. Their bonus offers have been included in the table for your convenience, as well as direct one click access to ensure that you arrive at your poker destination securely. We have confirmed that each of them is legally licensed and certified, and that their level of security ensures the protection of your sensitive financial data at all times. Each brand offers a free play option that allows you to try out the user interface and gaming performance prior to placing any real money wagers. This is a great way to make sure you like the poker site that you are at before investing, and also a great way to learn a new game that you never played before, improve your skills at a game you have played, or try out a new playing strategy to see how works, all without spending a dime.

Site NameBonusRatingTypeUSAVisit Site
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Other New York Gambling Pages

Where Can I Find Legitimate New York Online Poker Options?

We hope that every player considering participating in an online poker platform will contemplate this question very seriously. Performing your due diligence before selecting an Internet gambling site at which to play cards at will determine the type of destination you end up at and the type of experience you have. Randomly selecting a web-based gambling opportunity from the results in a Google search is a very unwise approach to this. However, relying on the input of industry professionals who have carefully reviewed the many card playing opportunities in operation on the Internet significantly reduces if not eliminates the risk of landing at an undesirable, questionable, or simply low quality poker room.

This guide was created by a team of online gambling professionals who have extensive experience in the poker venue. They placed the many poker brands in operation through a very intensive review process which resulted in the list you see below of legitimate online poker sites. Each brand has been verified to be legally operating within the industry and to hold compliance certifications issued by respected governing jurisdictions. They all utilize industry-leading security technology and protocols and operate using the most reliable and secure software solutions. Their banking suites are secure and efficient, processing transactions timely for both deposits and withdrawals.

Their customer support staff has proven to be responsive and knowledgeable, effectively addressing and resolving player issues. Their bonus offers and promotions are legitimate and the wagering requirements associated with each offer are reasonable. Their game menu, number of cash games per 24-hour cycle, and tournament schedule all exceeded our minimum requirements for inclusion in this guide. There are many more elements which required investigation however these are the most critical components reviewed which determine a brand’s legitimacy and quality. Once each of these items has been verified and meets our standards, the gaming site in question is then approved for further review and possible inclusion in our guide.

As you can see this is not a fast or flipped process and it requires a great deal of industry knowledge, time, and effort. Of course it’s not all work. Testing their software, game selection and tournament activity are among the more fun parts of the review process for our team. As seasoned players ourselves, we want to see a feature-rich interface and lots of cool and helpful player tools. We are not easily impressed in our minimum requirements are not easily met. If a brand is included here, it is because it is exceptional. This same review process applies to all of the NY gambling platforms, including NY online casinos and sports betting.

What Games Are Available At NY Online Poker Sites?

Most online poker rooms offer a larger selection of US friendly online poker games than brick and mortar poker establishments are able to. Players are also able to play many more hands of poker in online games than they are in the traditional live poker environments. The most commonly found games at these sites include Omaha, Stud Poker,Texas Holdem and HORSE.

Can I Play Online Poker From My Mobile Phone in New York?

Despite being the nanny state, New York has made no moves to prohibit its residents and visitors from playing online poker from their smartphones and tablets. The online poker sites listed on this page offer a well designed, user friendly mobile poker application that accommodates the most popular operating systems and devices. You will find browser based, mobile optimized poker apps that do not require any type of download, and you will also find that some sites offer a downloadable mobile poker app designed especially for a specific operating system. The web based poker apps can be used by Android, iOS, Windows and Blackberry users thanks to the utilization of responsive technology. The downloadable apps will specify a designated operating system that it supports.

Is Legal, State Regulated Online Poker A Possibility In NY?

We are anticipating that this year’s legislative session agenda includes discussions concerning online gambling within the state. Thus far poker has received the most interest for potential state-sponsored online gambling and seems to be the most likely venue to be considered by the state. We believe that state-based New York online poker is a possibility, though it may take some time before it’s actually in place. With discussions just beginning on the official level, it could be a minimum of a year or two before legislation is brought forward, approved, and voted on to legalize this type of gaming entertainment. We will be closely watching the situation to see what transpires and how much of a reality this possibility actually is. We are hopeful that legalizing online card games will be just the beginning for the state of New York’s online gambling industry.

Physical Poker Rooms in New York

Is online poker legal in New York? Of course it is because there is not any online poker laws in New York that make it illegal for the player to play some Texas Hold Em. If you live in New York, you are probably well aware of the events that occurred on “Black Friday”. The states justice department was the ones who started the whole mess of going after certain online poker rooms.

While many were lead to believe that the reasons for shutting these sites down was because playing online poker was illegal. The fact is; the sites were shut down for breaking other laws that were related to money laundering and bribery. The justice department even came out and said that online poker was considered a game of skill and that makes online poker legal for residents of New York.

The bottom line is; playing online poker in New York is not illegal as you will find out in this article. We discuss current and past state laws regarding online poker, how and where to play online poker in New York as well as firmly explaining why it’s legal to play online poker for New York residents.

Can I play legal online poker in New York?

If you’re looking for a game of poker online from New York, you’re in luck. All you need to do is find a site that allows players from your state and sign up. It’s pretty simple when you think about it. There’s not much difference between how things used to be and the way they are now. You may have fewer options, but the way you play is exactly the same.

Do all of the legal online poker sites accept New York residents?

There are fewer sites that are willing to accept residents of New York because of fear they may be subject to the same events of “Black Friday”. However, there is no legal ruling that denies a site from accepting players from New York. The decision to not allow New York residents is one of choice and should not be considered otherwise.

Helpful Article about legal online poker: Is online poker legal?

Online Poker Laws In New York

New York does allow casinos and poker rooms in their state, but many of them are on Indian Reservations. They are very strict about going after illegal gambling operations as they run rampant in this state. But this only applies to the operation of live betting such as in your home or other unlicensed manner.

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Regulation Of Legal Online Poker In New York

The fickle part of New York’s laws regarding poker is; even though they were the ones who went after the online poker rooms; they have since changed their position regarding online poker. After a request from Indiana and New York officials for the Department of Justice to make a clear ruling on what is considered a game of skill, The D.O.J. released an official statement calling poker a game of skill which removes it from the jurisdiction of most laws to date.

This ruling has cleared the way for states to begin passing their own legislation to allow online poker. It has only solidified what most in the poker community already believed, that online poker does not apply to the Wire Act which makes it illegal to place a bet using methods such as the internet. The Wire Act mainly applies to casino games like; Blackjack, Roulette and other games of chance.

Legal online poker sites that accept New York residents

Residents of New York have to face tougher choices when playing online poker these days. The bad news is that some sites still open to the American public are not accepting players from New York. The good is news is; you still have a selection of rooms that are safe; offer plenty of value and best of all, legal.

BetOnline is the premier place to play online poker for New York residents. On their site there is a big advertisement that pictures the Empire State building with a caption that reads; “Play with these guys.” You can’t get a clearer answer if a site allows New York residents than that. BetOnline has some of the best deposit methods available to American players. This makes funding your account and playing online poker for real money as easy as it was a few years ago.

Closing Thoughts About The Online Poker Laws In New York

Overall, you should have no worries about playing legal online poker in New York. While some sites may not accept residents of your state, you still have options and you are still playing online poker legally. These options are always legal and one should never be afraid of getting into legal trouble for playing online poker for real money in New York.

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