New York has long been at the forefront of gambling, legalizing pari-mutuel horse racing in 1939 and charitable bingo in 1957 before legalizing land-based casinos in 2013 and sports betting and racinos by late 2016. Unfortunately, online poker and casino gaming remain unavailable to New York residents; legislation attempts have so far proven futile; however some offshore poker rooms allow New York residents to gamble online with real money poker sites.
At the 2022 legislative session, two bills were proposed by Senator John Bonacic and Assemblyman Gary Pretlow to legalize online poker as an individual game of skill. Unfortunately neither bill gained much traction; given the state already offers extensive sports betting facilities they were unlikely to pass muster.
Bonacic and Pretlow have both filed their bills once more during the 2023 session, but neither one has seen any traction due to sports betting becoming such a hot topic in Illinois. As such, any legislation coming out of 2023 session is likely going to focus entirely on sports betting rather than online poker gambling.
New York residents can still take advantage of offshore poker sites to play their favorite games safely and legally while adhering to state laws. Furthermore, many of these platforms also provide players with bonuses and tournaments they can take part in.
New York state lawmakers recognize the need for a comprehensive gaming policy that includes online poker. Unfortunately, they have been slow to embrace such legislation due to labor union concerns and fear that it will compromise three planned commercial casinos planned within New York city limits. Furthermore, their tax structure makes iGaming difficult.
Even without an official online poker site in New York, its residents can still experience some of the finest real-money gambling available online. Many reputable websites accept players from New York and provide special bonuses, promotions and tournaments tailored specifically for New York residents. Additionally, these websites feature an impressive selection of popular games such as Texas Hold’em and Omaha as well as major events with guaranteed prize pools. Players can claim freeroll tokens as part of their welcome bonus or regular tournament schedule, while many online poker rooms also award their players comp points for playing and winning in their room. Rewards earned when playing real money poker can be used to purchase additional poker chips and collect various prizes – making the experience all the more rewarding! Many poker sites even allow for mobile device playback; additionally, many of them have been tested by third-party testing agencies for fairness and security purposes.
