Legal New York Online Poker

Welcome to the best website on the internet to find information about legal online poker in New York. The mission is plain and simple, let New York residents know where they can play poker on the web, and do it in a manner where they will be safe. LegalPokerNewYork.com knows what you've dealt with in the past and we're here to ensure that we aren't doomed to repeat history. Fact is, playing online poker in NY, and in the U.S., is as safe as it has ever been. Boasting one of the largest markets of poker players, many New York residents have already caught on and know what to do.

But, what if you have never played poker on the Internet before? Have no worries my friends, this site is geared towards helping all levels of players... those with and without experience playing online. And since we're all about the legality and safety, that's where we're going to start before showing you which online poker sites accept New York players, and stop you from wasting time with ones that will not. Let's get started shall we?

Is Online Poker Legal In New York?

There are a lot of factors that weigh into answering this question. For all technical purposes, New York online poker laws do to expressly permit residents to go online to play. There will be more in-depth detail about that later, but what does that mean in real-life?

Basically, if an online poker site is willing to accept players from New York, those players shouldn't need to worry about anyone breaking down the door. As long as players stick with reputable websites that are not based inside the U.S. or New York's borders, they will have nothing to fear.

When playing at a site based outside of the U.S., like the ones just below, you will be playing with a licensed operator, however they will not be regulated by the New York Gaming Commission. But, that also means they do not report to any authority inside the United States... no one will ever have any proof that you played online even if it somehow got brought to someone's attention.

The bottom line here is that is safe, and until New York actually implements plans to fully legalize online poker, playing at offshore poker sites is the best option. Their neighbor to the south has already taken the bit and is starting to run with it. How long can New York afford to lag behind?

Best Online Poker Sites That Are Legal For New York Residents

We've been speaking about them, now here they are - the poker sites that allow New York residents to join, deposit, and hopefully win cash at the tables. These aren't going to be necessarily household names, but they are trusted and do offer plenty of traffic at their tables. Each of these runs around the clock should you get a 3am hankering to play a few hands. These are websites we have our own money in, so we practice what we preach... something most say they do, but don't. Please have a look:

BetOnline Poker - Several Fast Payout Options Including Bank Wire + Cash Transfer

Every poker room that is legal for players in the United States to play at will have varying bonus options. If a high bonus is what you are looking for when playing online poker, a high bonus is what you get from BetOnline. The amount of $900 on a maximum bonus for players in New York sounds good. But what sounds even better are the parameters surrounding the bonus.

New York online poker players can get this $900 maximum bonus on every deposit that they make into the poker room. This bonus can be used at any of the tables on it to play for real cash. The bonus option is given to players as they make a deposit into BetOnline accounts, which can be done a variety of different ways.

SportsBetting Poker - Like The City That Never Sleeps, Action Never Stops Here

If you like getting into online tournament action at Poker rooms, then SportsBetting.ag is the right place for you. New York online poker players are eligible to play in the tournaments at SportsBetting.ag, which give out more than $150,000 in their guaranteed tournaments per month. That's a lot of cash that can be won!

Outside of the guarantee tournaments, let's not forget about the many tables that players can check out all the time at SportsBetting.ag. There is a complete list of open tables available on site, which players can join in at any time they are come about. SportsBetting.ag tries to cater to the needs of different types of poker players, and those living in New York will have the chance to get in on the action.

5Dimes Poker - One Of The Most Popular New York Poker Sites

Many poker players living in New York who don’t want to risk broken thumbs in an illegal game take the drive to Atlantic City when they want to play a good game of poker, but thanks the online poker rooms in the 5dimes network, that is no longer necessary.  The 5dimes name has long been synonymous with high quality and customer service when it comes to all forms of legal online gambling, and their poker room is no exception.

In fact, the folks at 5dimes are so eager for their players to earn all the money they possibly can, this poker site for New York residents will even cover all the fees associated with receiving a payout as often as once a month.  Knowing a player can cash out for free can be the differences making that one last bet, or entering that one last tournament, which every poker player knows could be the one that turns their gaming fortunes around forever.  For more opportunities to play, more opportunities to win, and the largest network of other players out there, 5dimes is a golden choice for New York residents who love poker.

Does Bovada Accept New York Players?

Ahhh, you might have noticed that Bovada wasn't included in this list. We know that this is one of the most popular choices for online poker, but unforunately, Bovada is not currently open to new registrations from New York. You may or may not know this, but Bovada used to be Bodog.

When the transition occured, sign ups from New York were disallowed, but there was a loophole. If a New York resident was a previous Bodog member, they would still be allowed to use their account, but now it is at Bovada. That is the only way that NY residents can play here, and knowing what we know, that is a better deal than any other state that is excluded there.

New York Online Poker Laws

New York's gambling law goes out of its way to identify games of chance as illegal. Specifically outlawed under New York law are lotteries, slot machines, and other luck-based games, as well as sports wagering. Without a state law on the books outlawing online poker, and with the federal government essentially giving states the go-ahead to form their own online poker networks, expect New York to make progress in this area in the next couple of years.

Ideally, New York poker players will eventually be able to play online poker against other players in New York State, or (if lawmakers get their way) against citizens of New Jersey and other neighboring states as well. There is a good chance that legal online poker in the United States will happen soon and New York residents will be able to play poker online without any worries... just how residents of Nevada already are! It won't be long people...

Online Poker Regulation In New York

While the neighbors directly next to New York have made a significant push towards legalizing and regulating online poker, and even further to legalizing online gambling in their state, nothing has happened so far in New York itself. New Jersey will fully regulate online gambling by the end of 2013 as a target date. With New York, the story is a little different.

With that being said though, there is a Congressman from New York who recently introduced a bill on Capitol Hill that would not only legalize online poker in his state, but across the rest of the country as well. Congressman Peter King brought forth the bill to the house that would fully legalize the practice of online gambling for Americans.

King calls his bill the Internet Gambling Regulation, Consumer Protection And Enforcement Act of 2013. This is in contrast to the current law against online gambling at the federal level in the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006. But while there are no state-regulated online gambling sites in New York, local government officials in the state are fighting hard and advocating for the legalization of it, all the way at the top in Washington D.C. The law would open up a new division in the Treasury Department in charge of oversight for the implementation of the bill. It would also help put into practice the interstate pacts for online gambling, meaning that all of the states would be able to utilize each other's sites for full regulation and legalization.


Is it Legal to Play Land-Based Poker in New York?

Residents of New York are a strong and proud bunch with a lot of love for one of America’s most popular games. Poker has been a trending subject lately for many across the Empire State with the advent of televised games and online card rooms reaching their way into a vast amount of homes. As awareness increases and more and more people begin to play, locals wish to know what is legal for them to engage in, in regards to a night dedicated to real live poker in the flesh. New York law forbids all forms of gambling making it frustratingly clear that the game of Poker falls under such definition of risk taking. Although, through the vagueness of the written law, it does appear that any New York citizen of legal age is in fact able to place a bet provided they are not making a profit through the act of facilitating a game. No Empire State penal code criminalizes social games behind closed doors as many can guess that quite a few poker hands have been thrown around in hush-hush fashion from within New York homes.  Legislation is currently being discussed to expand land-based gaming options however currently remains rather tight, options do exist within New York to play a live game.

Where To Play Land-Based Poker in New York?

In the State of New York, particularly New York City, many unsanctioned underground games have been taking place for a number of years. Although home games appear to be left alone for the average resident, the New York City Police Department have been routinely raiding huge underground poker rooms to remind the public that Poker is considered gambling in the state and gambling is absolutely illegal. It is not recommended to go galloping through Manhattan back streets seeking such danger and risk of arrest. There are a couple tribal casinos throughout the State which provide legal and safe options to players such as Turning Stone Casino near Syracuse which has a large and expansive poker room featuring a number of betting options and card variations. Legally able to operate under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, places such as Turning Stone or Seneca Niagara Casino are available to New York residents for real live card shuffling action without fear of the coppers busting in on a 1920’s styled prohibition raid. The Seneca Niagara Casino hosts many high-rollers and celebrities providing top-notch entertainment in a classic, vintage environment which transports players into the golden age of poker playing from bygone eras.

Note: If you have questions about the legal online poker in New York, do not take the above information as legal advice. Consult a lawyer that is more familiar with the online poker laws in the state of New York. We are not lawyers and we are not responsible for any of your gambling activities.