New York Poker

Posted : admin On 4/8/2022

Barriers to online poker in New York fell in 2013, starting with the proposed 2013-2014 budget, which included language that defined the Senate’s stance toward online poker: “The Senate supports authorizing and regulating Internet gaming for games of skill, including poker, to reflect recent changes in the classification of these games.”. Reading New York Poker Through the Years. Examining the history of online poker in New York is most certainly an entertaining and informative read. Addabbo’s latest bill isn’t just one in a string of many. It’s a well-balanced read of the history, as New York has tried to pass its own online poker legislation since at least 2014. From New York City to Niagara Falls, residents of New York play online poker and they do so without any worry of being prosecuted. Considered to be legal online poker for New York residents, there are several websites where residents can turn when attending a live poker game is not an option. We are a group of poker lovers who meet to play Texas Hold’em in New York City. Games run 7 days a week! We are located in Midtown Manhattan. Text “SPBlog” to (347) 471-1813 with full name, email & occupation to join us! New York Poker tutors using Wyzant are professional subject experts who set their own price based on their demand and skill. Choose Your Tutor. Compare tutor costs. With a range of price options, there’s a tutor for every budget. No Upfront Fees.

The state of New York has long been associated with poker, dating back to several nationally known 19th-century poker clubs. It extends through the 20th and 21st centuries and the famed underground games, such as at the Mayfair Club, which the Chesterfield in Rounders was based off.

When it comes to legal poker in New York, the history is not quite as long or colorful, although several poker rooms are popular among players in the state’s tribal and commercial casinos.

Meanwhile, legal, real money poker has yet to come to NY despite the efforts of lawmakers over recent years.

What follows is an overview of NY poker, including the state’s history, sweepstakes online poker sites and offshore sites. Furthermore, we review current New York poker laws and their relevance to home games, a list of card rooms in the state and a look ahead at poker in the Empire State.

Global Poker offers online poker in New York

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Is online poker legal in New York?

No, not at present, although NY lawmakers continue to work toward that possibility.

NY online poker is hampered by current law that includes poker among its list of prohibited games of chance. The state’s constitution only allows a few exceptions for poker, including at regulated commercial casinos. Meanwhile, Native American-owned casinos can also spread live poker if they wish, per the applicable nation or Tribal Gaming Agency.

In early 2020, a bill was introduced in the state Senate that would remove poker from the list of prohibited games while authorizing up to 11 online poker licenses to operators. A similar bill was introduced in the State Assembly as well. In both cases, the bills failed to advance beyond committees the year before.

These are the latest among several attempts to legalize online poker in New York, ranging back to 2013.

Will New York regulate online poker?

If recent history provides any indication, chances are not great that real money online poker will be legalized and regulated in New York in the near future.

Previous online poker bills that have been introduced have failed to garner adequate support to advance through the legislative process. Meanwhile, online sports betting has gotten much more attention among lawmakers lately thanks in part to gambling laws in neighboring states. New Jersey and Pennsylvania have launched online poker sites, casinos and sportsbooks.

If online poker were to become legal, the New York State Gaming Commission would be the governing body drafting regulations, issuing licenses and overseeing the integrity of online poker in New York.

What are sweepstakes poker sites?

In the absence of real money NY poker sites, there aresweepstakes poker sites that currently welcome players in New York. The most popular of these sites is Global Poker, where players from every US state except Washington can play.

Sweepstakes sites use virtual currencies rather than real money. Global Poker uses Gold Coins and Sweeps Coins.

Players can purchase Gold Coins to play “cash” games and tournaments. When they buy Gold Coins, they receive Sweeps Coins as a bonus. Sweeps Coins can be obtained in other ways as well, including via Facebook giveaways and even by writing to Global Poker directly.

Furthermore, players can use Sweeps Coins for sweepstakes-style cash games and tournaments. Players can win and accumulate more of them. Then, once they have collected a minimum required amount, players can redeem Sweeps Coins for real money and withdraw the cash.

What about offshore poker sites? Are they safe?

There are online poker sites located outside the US — hence called “offshore” sites — that do accept US players. While New Yorkers don’t necessarily face legal obstacles to play on such sites themselves, they are, nonetheless, taking a risk when they do.

The Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006 restricts US banks and other financial service providers from allowing transactions with non-US gambling sites. That means rogue poker sites are forced to find other means via which to allow American players the ability to deposit and withdraw funds.

If that isn’t problematic enough, American players have to take a leap of faith when it comes to game integrity and the safety of their funds. There have been incidents of these sites suddenly closing and making off with players’ money, leaving Americans no legal recourse to recover their funds.

Also, if players suspect they have been victimized by cheating, collusion, ghosting, multi-accounting, or other types of fraud, they generally have to hope the sites respond to their complaints. Since again, they have no legal recourse to ensure they are protected.

Playing on a fully legal, licensed and regulated real money site is much more preferable. To be able to offer the games, operators must comply with rules to monitor and prohibit fraudulent activity, thus making the sites much safer for online poker players.

New York poker laws

The New York Penal Code explicitly prohibits gambling, defined as staking or risking “something of value upon the outcome of a contest of chance” or some other event not under a person’s control and doing so with “an agreement or understanding that he will receive something of value in the event of a certain outcome.”

That prohibition includes types of gambling in which skill plays a part, too.

The way the law is written, “contests of chance” involve any game that “depends in a material degree upon an element of chance, notwithstanding that skill of the contestants might also be a factor therein.”

There are exceptions, foremost among them playing in the state lottery or gambling at a facility licensed by the New York State Gaming Commission, such as at the state’s commercial casinos. Also allowed are horse racing and pari-mutuel wagering operations, authorized video lottery terminal operators, and Class 3 Indian gaming facilities.

Are home poker games legal in New York?

As is the case in many other states, home poker games are allowed in New York as long as no one is collecting rake or fees.

The relevant part of the New York Penal Code describes such a game as “a social game of chance… without fee or remuneration.”

There was a notable court case involving a home poker game in New York in 2011.

Lawrence DiCristina was hosting poker games out of a warehouse in Staten Island. DiCristina collected 5% rake in the game, which in and of itself, would run afoul of what the law says about hosting a “social game of chance.” However, DiCristina was found guilty of violating federal law, the Illegal Gambling Business Act (IGBA).

The case was appealed, and in 2012, the conviction was overturned in the US District Court for the Eastern District of New York. Interestingly, on appeal, the US District Court Judge Jack B. Weinstein ruled that Texas Hold’em was, in fact, a game of skill and thus not prohibited by the IGBA.

That ruling was reversed by the Second US Circuit Court of Appeals. DiCristina tried to appeal again, but in February 2014, the US Supreme Court declined to hear the case.

Nevertheless, the most recent attempts to introduce online poker legislation have included mention of the DiCristina case, in particular Judge Weinstein’s ruling that poker is considered distinct from other gambling games thanks to its skill component.

New York card rooms

New York is home to tribal casinos and commercial casinos, with live poker rooms found in each.

The first tribal casino opened in 1993, the Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, operated by the Oneida Indian Nation of New York. It continues to feature one of the biggest and most popular poker rooms in the state.

In 2013, commercial casinos were legalized and among them can be found some popular poker rooms as well, such as at Rivers Casino in Schenectady and Resorts World Catskills in Monticello.

No-limit hold’em is the primary game at all New York poker rooms, although the larger ones also spread pot-limit Omaha and stud games.

New York Poker

Meanwhile, both the Rivers Casino and the Seneca Niagara Casino & Hotel have hosted popular poker tournaments in recent years as well.

List of NY poker rooms

Here’s a list of live card rooms that players can find in New York casinos:

POKER ROOMADDRESSTABLES
Akwesasne Mohawk Casino
873 State Route 37, Hogansburg, NY 13655
5
Del Lago Resort and Casino
1133 Route 414, Waterloo, NY 13165
14
Resorts World Catskills
888 Resorts World Dr., Monticello, NY 12701
19
Rivers Casino & Resort at Mohawk Harbor
1 Rush St., Schenectady, NY 12308
16
Seneca Niagara Resort & Casino
310 Fourth St., Niagara Falls, NY 14303
23
Seneca Salamanca Casino
768 Broad St., Salamanca, NY 14779
8
Tioga Downs Casino
2384 W. River Rd., Nichols, NY 13812
6
Turning Stone Casino
5218 Patrick Rd., Verona, NY 13478
32

Also, there are poker rooms in two casinos just across the Canadian border on the other side of Niagara Falls: Casino Niagara (with 26 tables) and Niagara Fallsview Casino Resort (with 16 tables).

New York poker timeline

During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, stories of poker games occurring in the underground poker clubs in New York City were frequently reported on in newspapers and given literary treatments by fiction writers.

Following World War I, one of the most famous poker clubs in the country regularly met at the Algonquin Hotel in Midtown Manhattan. The Thanatopsis Pleasure and Inside Straight Club comprised many of the era’s most famous writers, actors, poets, playwrights, columnists and critics who kept the games going until the early 1930s.

As far as other types of gambling were concerned, New York first legalized and then banned pari-mutuel wagering before bringing it back again in 1940. Horse racing and off-track betting have been an important industry in the state ever since.

Meanwhile, after being the first US state to ban the lottery in the 1830s, New York was the second to bring it back in 1967.

Poker continued to be played, however, with regular underground games taking place in a variety of locations, such as bars and restaurants, office suites, high-rise condos, self-storage units, social clubs, private homes, and even in churches and synagogues.

Some of the Hungarian restaurants where such games took place were commonly referred to as “goulash joints” or “ghoulies.”

Despite their necessarily clandestine nature, a few of these poker clubs gained renown outside of New York City. This includes the Mayfair Club that began as a bridge club in the 1940s, then later became the site of high-stakes backgammon, gin rummy and poker games.

Famous poker players who passed through the Mayfair during the century’s later decades included Stu Ungar, Erik Seidel, Dan Harrington, Howard Lederer and Mickey Appleman, to name a few. Band manager and music producer Brian Koppelman played there as well, and later with David Levien would use that experience as inspiration to write the screenplay for the 1998 film Rounders.

Clubs, like the Mayfair, began to be shut down, however, in 2000, thanks to then-Mayor Rudy Guiliani’s “Quality of Life” campaign to clean up New York City.

Games persisted nonetheless, with clubs reappearing in the 2000s and afterward, in particular during the “poker boom” when the game found new popularity on television and online.

In 1993, the state signed a compact with the Oneida Indian Nation of New York, resulting in the opening of the state’s first land-based casino, the Turning Stone Casino Resort in Verona, which featured a large and popular poker room. Eventually, other Native American-owned casinos opened as well.

In 2013, voters in the stated supported the New York Casino Gambling Amendment authorizing a limited number of commercial casinos to open in areas of the state other than New York City.

While the overall number of casinos in New York are small, many of them do provide live and legal poker to New Yorkers not wishing to brave the underground games.

As far as online poker is concerned, State Senator Joseph Addabbo Jr. and Assemblyman Gary Pretlow have each introduced multiple online poker bills over recent years, though none has gained needed support. Thus New York remains without legal, real money poker sites, unlike its neighbors, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, to the south.

What does the future hold for New York online poker?

For online poker to become legal in NY, it will likely be necessary first for other forms of online gambling or online casinos to be legalized, in particular, NY online sports betting.

In early 2020, some momentum was starting to build around an online sports betting bill. However, the onset of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and the disease’s profound impact on New York state, including economically, understandably made the pursuit of such legislation a much lower priority among lawmakers as the state grappled with budgetary matters and other more urgent concerns.

With the country’s fourth-largest population of more than 19 million, New York would be a great candidate for online poker, given what would surely be a significant player pool. It would be especially good for online poker in the US if the state were to legalize online poker and join the multi-state compact to increase liquidity.

You can download any of the NY online poker apps listed below, create an account and deposit. The only thing you can’t do in New York is bet online. To place a bet, you’ll need to travel to New Jersey.

Download online poker apps in NY and bet in NJ

Poker Room
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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. Poker is immensely popular in New York and players flock to the state’s live tables.

Many also head across the border for major events like the World Series of Poker Circuit and World Poker Tour events in the region at properties including Borgata and Harrah’s in Atlantic City and Parx in Pennsylvania.

Some New Yorkers may even pop across the border to play poker online in New Jersey or Pennsylvania. While plans for online poker in New York probably aren’t the cards for 2020, many hope that changes for 2021.

Latest NY online poker news

  • by Martin DerbyshireOctober 8, 2018
  • by Martin DerbyshireMarch 21, 2018

Is it Legal to Play Online Poker In New York?

The technical answer to that is “no,” at least from a legislative point of view, but that doesn’t mean New Yorkers are entirely out of options. There are currently two options for New Yorkers to find real money online poker right now:

  • Sweepstakes poker at Global Poker
  • Legal online poker in New Jersey or Pennsylvania

A trip to New Jersey offers players a few nice options, and getting online and playing is a simple process. Creating a new account and getting cash into it to play is also easy to do right from your home in New York.

In Pennsylvania, PokerStars PA launched in November 2019 and is the only legal online poker option in the state as of April 2020.

Play at Global Poker with $20 Welcome Package

One option for players in New York is sweepstakes or social gaming poker. There are numerous free-to-play social poker apps, but sweepstakes poker offers a bit of a different opportunity.

is the biggest and best known of these and offers a nice gaming experience for players in the US and Canada (excluding Quebec). Global offers two options for poker games:

  • Gold Coins
  • Sweeps Coins

Gold Coins are a free-to-play virtual currency. All Gold Coin games are free (you receive free Gold Coins on sign-up) but your winnings have no cash value.

Players who buy additional Gold Coins receive a second virtual currency called Sweeps Coins. These can be used in separate Sweeps Coin ring games, tournaments, sit & go’s, and regular live tournament series with major guarantees.

Players can accumulate Sweeps Coins and cash them in for real cash prizes. Global Poker’s unique sweepstakes model offers a fun social gaming experience but also the opportunity to play 100% legal online poker for real cash prizes.

Global is owned and operated by VGW Holdings Limited, which is publicly traded and incorporated in Australia. The Malta Gaming Authority regulates all of VCW’s sweepstakes online casinos, which include Chumba Casino and LuckyLand Sweepstakes Slots.

Players can also expect fair games with secure account information and player funds. The site offers the following poker variations with stakes for every bankroll level:

  • Omaha
  • Crazy Pineapple

New Yorkers looking to get in the action without heading across the border may find Global Poker a fun option. Check out the exclusive USPoker exclusive bonus offer below.

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Online Poker in New Jersey & Pennsylvania

Another option for New Yorkers looking to play online poker is to travel to New Jersey or Pennsylvania. As mentioned, you can create and fund your account right from New York, then head across the border to play online.

Online poker has been legal in New Jersey since 2013 and has multiple online poker sites operating under partnerships with legals casino. Here’s a look at the sites offered:

New Jersey

WSOP.com – $10 Free

WSOP.com leads the market and having shared player pools with Nevada and Delaware helps. WSOP.com offers daily guaranteed tourneys, cash games, major tournament series and shots to win WSOP online bracelets and circuit rings. 888poker, a renowned international brand in its own right, shares software and players with WSOP.com

PokerStars – $30 Free Play on $20 Deposit

An internationally recognized name in the industry with the largest poker site in the world. The site runs tons of daily cash games and guaranteed tournaments, major tournament series (eg. the $1.2m NJSCOOP) and big promotions from time to time. Zoom Poker (fast-fold poker) and Jackpot Spin & Gos also bring in a ton of players as do its selection of mixed games – one of the rare poker sites that goes well above and beyond the usual selection of online Texas Hold’em games.

partypoker – $25 Free

Another proven international online site. NJ also offers BetMGM and BorgataPoker.com as partypoker skins in the state. All three sites share player pools in NJ.

partypoker has much improved software and a redesigned poker app specifically designed for playing one-tap poker in portrait mode. It also has one of the biggest free no deposit poker bonuses going:

Pennsylvania

Online poker in Pennsylvania has been limited to just one site for now, but it’s a winner in PokerStars. partypoker is expected to join the fold later in 2020.

PokerStars – $30 Free play on $20 Deposit

Sites

The platform launched in November 2019 and is a fenced-in market in PA. The site has been popular with players eager to get back online and has featured several major online series similar to offering in NJ, but generally with larger guarantees.

Real Money Poker Apps in NY

Along with offering play on traditional poker software, all operators in NJ and PA offer real money poker apps. These take the online poker experience and distill it down for ease of use and the ability to play anywhere.

Poker apps are tailored for simple tap functionality and game play and easy to navigate lobbies. Most events offered online can also be found on the app.

Downloading is simple and clicking through our links will take you directly to your poker site of choice. From there you can download the app and claim your welcome bonus.

It’s important to note that online poker operators use geolocation software to ensure players are located within a legal jurisdiction. Players can still sign up, deposit, and withdraw funds from anywhere however.

How to Open a New Online Poker Account in NY

Once you’re ready to play some online poker, signing up is quick and easy. Players will simply need to input some basic information like:

  • name
  • address
  • email
  • username
  • password

Once that’s finished, you may need to confirm your identity and email but that only takes a few minutes. What’s great for online players is that most sites offer great bonuses for making a deposit and a free no deposit poker bonus you can use for real-money play just for signing up.

Those deposit bonuses can account for hundreds of free dollars to play. Making a deposit and taking advantage of those only takes a few minutes. Standard industry deposit methods include the following:

  • E-check bank payments (ACH transfers)
  • Visa/Mastercard
  • Wire payments
  • E-wallets such as Neteller
  • Cash at partner casinos

Once that’s complete, finding a game and some stakes that suit you is as easy as navigating into the lobby. Players will find something for every bankroll:

  • Cash games
  • Multi-table tournaments
  • Sit & go tournaments
  • Jackpot-style tournament events
  • Major tournament series

You also have the option at most sites to play for free money with no deposit. This offers a great opportunity to learn the software and sharpen up on your skills.

Are Legal Online Poker Sites Safe?

All legal NJ and PA poker sites must meet gaming commission approval, licensure, and regulation. Players can feel comfortable playing online here and a level of security they might not find in unregulated offshore sites.

All transactions on legal sites are encrypted and player funds are kept separately so they’re secure. Payments and cash outs are quick and simple.

This isn’t always the case with offshore poker sites, with slow payouts a common complaint. Players also don’t have the security of regulators like the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement and Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board.

These governmental bodies ensure that online operators are secure and following proper procedures. Online gaming sites must be licensed just like any other land-based casino.

Government regulation also offers players some recourse in the event there is a concern with an operator as well. Players can feel safe using one of the online poker sites in NJ or PA. Read more about safe poker sites here:

Which Poker Sites Could Open in New York?

New York has long been home to several tribal casinos and racinos. However, in 2013, voters approved a measure allowing up to seven commercial casinos in the state as well.

Players looking for live poker in New York at least have a few options with some nice-sized card rooms. Those include:

  • Turning Stone (Verona) – 32 tables
  • Resorts World Catskills (Montricello) – 19 tables
  • Rivers Casino (Schenectady) – 16 tables
  • Seneca Niagara (Niagara Falls) – 23 tables
  • Del Lago (Waterloo) – 14 tables
  • Tioga Downs (Nichols) – 12 tables
  • Seneca Allegany (Salamanca) – 8 tables

A few of these stand out when it comes to considering possible online poker in a regulated New York market. Other legal states allow properties to enter into partnerships with major online poker operators for iPoker and iGaming.

Turning Stone remains one of the biggest live poker site in the state and even hosted some televised events during the poker boom. It could be a player with a major partner if laws are changed.

Rivers Casino is owned by Rush Street Gaming, which also has casinos with the Rivers brand in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, and Des Plaines, Illinois. The company has signalled it would eventually offer online poker in Pennsylvania, but there was no news of a launch as of April 2020.

That doesn’t mean it wouldn’t be possible, especially if New York did legalize online poker. Rush Street offers online gaming and sports betting in PA. A similar move would be expected in NY and poker might also be an option.

With a population of 20 million, New York represents the “big fish” sought by many industry observers. A large state like NY or California included in an interstate compact could be a game changer for the regulated US online poker industry.

If that did happen, look for major operators in the four current legalized states to jump in on the action. That could include:

  • PokerStars
  • WSOP.com
  • 888poker
  • partypoker

Other players might be willing to jump into the fray as well. Rivers partners with Unibet in Pennsylvania. Unibet is a trusted online gaming brand in Europe where it also offers poker. That could be ramped up in the US with a successful NY legalization effort. If NY legalized online poker, other states might be willing to get in on the action too.

Current Online Poker Status in New York

Poker players in NY may have found their frustration growing over the last few years. Despite legislative efforts in 2019, action on the online poker issue stalled and nothing was done.

New York Poker

That came after similar inaction in 2016 and 2017 after the Senate passed bills but the Assembly failed to act. Similar efforts to legalize for mobile sports betting also failed in 2019.

In January 2020, the same bill from 2019 was again assigned to the Senate’s Gaming, Racing and Wagering Committee. The bill would authorize up to 11 licenses at $10 million each, each valid for 10 years. The state would tax revenue at a rate of 15%, similar to New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

New York citizens will have to become more active if they want online poker in their state.

The Wire Act’s Effects on Online Poker in New York

Another hindrance to the online gaming industry is the Wire Act. In 2019, the US Department of Justice changed a previous opinion and now argued the act applies to online gaming as a whole and not just sports betting.

The ruling would have made interstate compacts illegal and could have repercussions beyond poker, but also lotteries, horse racing, and other iGaming opportunities. As of April 2020, the issue was still in court.

The DOJ lost the first round in court but appealed the ruling.The entire issue could ultimately wind up in front of the Supreme Court. The battle has hurt the expansion of interstate compacts.

Small populous (and small poker player pool) states like West Virginia may need these compacts for poker to survive. That probably wouldn’t be the case in New York. But adding its population to a shared liquidity pool would see a massive influx of players and prize pools.

New York online poker history

New York has long been home to several tribal casinos and racinos. However, in 2013, voters passed a measure to allow up to seven commercial casinos in the state.

So far, four commercial casinos have appeared in New York. They are:

  • Del Lago Resort & Casino, Waterloo
  • Rivers Casino & Resort, Schenectady
  • Resorts World Catskills, Monticello
  • Tioga Downs Casino, Nichols

Since then, legislators have been trying since 2014 to legalize online poker. Bills by Sen. John Bonacic and Assemblyman Gary Pretlow have had varying levels of success in making their way through the legislative bodies, but ultimately, all have died.

The notable parts of the bills have been their proposed regulations. They have made several recommendations, such as:

  • Up to 10 licensees may operate online poker sites
  • The licensing fee is $10 million
  • Revenue would be taxed at 15 percent
  • New York could enter into shared liquidity agreements with other states

New York online poker FAQ

How many poker players are there in NY?

That isn’t known exactly but it’s a good bet there are hundreds of thousands who would be ready to play poker online. Some may already be playing online in NJ and PA on occasion.

Major tournament series at properties like the Borgata in New Jersey and card rooms at NY casinos like Turning Stone have no lack of players.

Poker

The Empire State has also been home to some of the biggest names in poker including Erik Seidel, Alex Foxen, Bryn Kenney, Isaac Haxton, Scott Seiver, Nick Schulman, Vanessa Selbst, Shaun Deeb, and numerous others.

Why is New York considering legalizing online poker?

New Yorkers have played on unregulated online poker sites that operate without basic consumer protections. Legalization of the game will provide a safe environment for players while generating significant revenue for state coffers.

Due to this, the bills have gained widespread support from powerful casino lobbyists and a bevy of legislators.

When can players expect a bill to pass?

2020, at the earliest. Because New York is still working to get its act together on sports betting, legislators will likely feel more pressure to authorize that type of gambling first.

The Meadowlands Racetrack opened its sportsbook on July 14, 2018. The track’s proximity to New York City — 6 miles — means that legislators will have to watch New York dollars cross into New Jersey for several months.

Online poker’s best hope would be to piggyback itself onto a sports betting bill. However, it is unknown if such an amendment would be acceptable to pass.

However, New York’s land-based casinos have fallen short of revenue projections so far. It is possible that legislators could see online poker as a way to prop up those bottom lines.

Despite considerable support, the online poker bills have not made much headway in recent years. It’s a good bet that won’t change in 2020 and players may have to look to 2021.

Will New York offer online casino games?

Unlikely. Legislators have presented online poker bills in the last five years, and none of them have mentioned legalizing online casino games.

New York Poker Club

Would New York enter into to pooling agreements with other states?

Likely. The proposed laws in the past have specifically granted that right to New York’s government once online poker itself was up and running.

However, the US Justice Department has thrown the entire notion of interstate pooling into question with its January 2019 Wire Act opinion. Although the government agency is fighting litigation over the decision and has delayed any enforcement until the latter part of 2020, there is still a cloud over any type of expansion plans for interstate poker.

Should New York legalize online poker, how long will it take for sites to get up and running?

Up to a year. Under the most recent bill, the state would not grant licenses for 180 days after the passage of regulations. The operators’ readiness level will depend on how long an approval process would take after those 180 days.

Would out-of-state players be able to wager on New York online poker sites?

Possibly. In previously proposed bills, geolocation enforcement fell under the purview of the New York State Gaming Commission. However, players would not need a New York address to play on a state-regulated online poker site.

New York Poker King Scammer

Can New Yorkers make any kinds of online wagers?

Sort of. The legislature passed a bill to allow daily fantasy sports play in 2016.

New York Poker Rooms

But, that law has experienced some legal setbacks. So, it’s unknown what the long-term outlook for DFS in New York is.