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New York may be one of the most influential states in the country, but New York online poker hasn’t quite caught up with the game’s popularity. Despite repeated efforts in the state legislature, online poker remains unregulated in the Empire State.
Many poker fans still find ways to play from home by joining offshore poker sites that legally accept players from New York and offer full poker lobbies, tournament series, and cash games.
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New York may be one of the most influential states in the country, but New York online poker hasn’t quite caught up with the game’s popularity. Despite repeated efforts in the state legislature, online poker remains unregulated in the Empire State.
That said, many poker fans still find ways to play from home by joining offshore poker sites. These platforms legally accept players from New York and offer full poker lobbies, tournament series, and cash games.
On this page, the legality of online poker in New York is broken down, the best sites for players in the state are explored, and answers are provided to the most common questions about playing poker online.
Players in New York have several solid real money online poker options that combine accessibility, poker bonuses, and game variety. Below are standout platforms catering to different player types, each offering access from New York, fast banking options, and a strong community reputation.
Bonus 100% up to $1,000
Rated 4.3/5 stars.
Min Deposit 10
Payout Speed 1 Day
BetOnline is a great fit for New Yorkers who want a mix of poker and sports betting under one roof. The platform offers frequent promotions, soft tables, and beginner-friendly tools like prop builders and parlay customizers. Poker newcomers will find the interface clean and easy to navigate, while more seasoned users can take advantage of multiple formats, including Boost Poker and sit &; gos. With crypto support and fast banking, it’s a rewarding choice for regular play.
Bonus 100% up to $2,000
Rated 4.2/5 stars.
Min Deposit 10
Payout Speed 1–24 hours
ACR is a go-to platform for serious tournament grinders in New York. With an aggressive bonus structure, deep tournament lineup, and high-hand traffic of over a million hands daily, it delivers consistency for players chasing volume. The site’s rakeback deal and regular leaderboard promos sweeten the deal for frequent users. It may not be ideal for total beginners, but for those already comfortable at the tables, it offers one of the most rewarding ecosystems legally accessible in the state.
Bonus 500% up to $2,500 plus 150 free spins
Rated 4.5/5 stars.
Min Deposit $25
Payout Speed 5–15 business days
Ducky Luck offers a focused lineup of poker-style casino games, including Tri-Card Poker, Ride ’em Poker, and live dealer Casino Hold’Em. While the selection is smaller than other platforms, it covers the most popular casual poker variants that appeal to recreational players. New players benefit from a massive 600% crypto bonus up to $3,000, though table games contribute only 20% toward the 40× wagering requirement. For New York players seeking approachable poker-style games with one of the most significant crypto bonuses in the market, Ducky Luck stands out.
Bonus VIP Program up to 300 free spins
Rated 4.5/5 stars.
Min Deposit $10
Payout Speed up to 5 days
Super Slots excels with one of the most diverse collections of poker-inspired casino games, featuring eight table variants such as Let It Ride, Tri Card Poker, Bonus Texas Hold’Em, Caribbean Poker, 6 Up Poker, Oasis Poker, Big Rollover Poker Hold’Em, and Triple Edge Poker. Live dealer options like Bet On Poker and Six Plus Poker add more authenticity.
Bonus VIP Program plus 250 free spins
Rated 4.5/5 stars.
Min Deposit $20
Payout Speed 5–10 business days
Wild Casino delivers New York players’ most robust casino poker experience, offering the full eight-game lineup plus live dealer poker like Bet-On Poker and Six Plus Poker. The platform complements this variety with one of the most generous welcome offers: a 300% match bonus up to $3,000 plus 200 free spins. Though table games contribute only 10% toward the 45× wagering requirement, Wild Casino’s substantial bonus pool provides strong value for poker-variant players who want maximum bankroll support.
| Online Poker | Available - Offshore Only |
|---|---|
| Commercial Poker | Legal — Available in licensed tribal and commercial casinos |
| Legal Gambling Age | 18+ for Poker (21+ for casino gambling in most establishments) |
| State Gambling Regulator | New York State Gaming Commission |
New York state authorities haven’t yet regulated online poker despite several legislative attempts over the years. While no bills have passed into law, many New Yorkers continue to play real money online poker through offshore sites that accept players from the state. So far, no individuals have been prosecuted for using these platforms, as enforcement efforts focus on those operating illegal poker games within the Empire State’s borders.
Yes, you can play online poker in the state of New York, but it is important to note that online poker for real money has not been legalized as of yet. Nevertheless, residents of New York can still enjoy poker games by participating in regulated offshore poker sites. These provide a secure and accessible way to engage in online poker while adhering to the current legal landscape.
New York has been exploring the legalization of online poker for nearly a decade, with repeated legislative efforts led by key state lawmakers. While bills have historically struggled to gain traction, 2025 marks a renewed push amid growing fiscal pressures and broader support for regulated iGaming.
In 2025, Senator Joseph Addabbo Jr. reintroduced legislation (S2614) to legalize online poker and broader iGaming in New York, including table games and tournaments. Addabbo pointed to New York’s looming multi-billion-dollar deficits in 2026–27 as a key reason to act, arguing that online gambling could generate sustainable revenue. His bill allocates $11 million annually to gambling addiction services and $25 million to support casino jobs, addressing common concerns about social impact and casino cannibalization.
Though New York hasn’t yet joined the Multi-State Internet Gaming Agreement (MSIGA), Addabbo expressed support for interstate poker, warning that without a competitive product, players will turn to illegal or out-of-state options. New York is now one of eight states considering online poker in 2025, alongside Virginia, Massachusetts, Indiana, Maryland, Wyoming, Hawaii, and New Hampshire.
The start of 2020 brought another attempt at an online poker bill from Senator Addabbo. He reintroduced S.18 from the previous year, as permitted by New York’s legislative rules. Assemblyman Pretlow brought his A.4924 back as the companion bill as well. It was not likely that the bills would be pursued, but the lawmakers wanted to keep them alive just in case.
Meanwhile, Addabbo also introduced S.17D to move sports betting into the mobile and internet realm. This was something he admitted would take precedence over online poker and any other form of internet gaming. If he found success with his sports betting goals, he might bring online poker along with it. However, it was not a priority that year.
By mid-May 2019, it became clear that neither bill would find any success. As in so many other states, the priority had become sports betting, and Addabbo turned his attention to offering mobile sports wagering. He admitted as much in the summer months and said that online poker would only be addressed once lawmakers had proven themselves in treating all the issues for mobile sports betting.
Sports betting is legal in New York, and the first bet was placed by Pretlow in July 2019. However, any movement toward online or mobile options remained uncertain as 2019 came to a close.
In April 2018, Assemblyman Clyde Vanel emerged as a new champion for the online poker legislation. Vanel claimed he could garner 60–70 co-sponsors for the bill and planned to put it up for a vote in June. He cited the dozens of legislators who supported putting online poker in the budget. Within weeks, Vanel had secured nearly 50 co-sponsors for the Assembly’s online poker bill, and the process was continuing into May. As the Chairman of the Internet and New Technology Subcommittee, he was in prime position to push the legislation.
In early June, Bonacic moved his Senate bill forward. S.3898 passed the Finance Committee, though the companion proposal in the Assembly had to move quickly to get through several committees before the session ended on June 21. Even with Vanel’s help, however, Pretlow had not been able to advance A.5250 whatsoever.
By the end of session on June 21, both online poker bills died. Sports betting was among those that did not advance, along with online poker. Online poker appeared to face an uphill battle in 2019, as Bonacic retired. During the first week of January 2019, though, a new champion for online poker in New York emerged as Senator Joe Addabbo introduced S.00018, a bill to legalize online poker only by classifying it as a game of skill. Nearly one month later, Pretlow proposed A.04924, which was a carbon copy of Addabbo’s bill.
The same two lawmakers introduced bills in 2017 as well. The Senate passed the bill in June by the margin of 54–8. A companion bill in the House failed to progress, again, as had happened the previous year. Pretlow initially expressed optimism for widespread support of the bill that year. The bad actor clause caused division in the ranks. The bad actor clause had held back the California online poker debate for years, and it seemed to have caused concern in New York that year as well.
The clause punishes online poker operators who continued to serve US customers after the 2006 Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) passed and became law, and the company that would want to enter the US market under this status is PokerStars. PokerStars operates in New Jersey under full compliance and heavy scrutiny. It dominates the market, so some want to bar it from their state.
In 2016, New York took a major step forward as State Senator John Bonacic in the Senate and Assemblyman J. Gary Pretlow in the House of Representatives sponsored an online poker bill. The bill sought legal and regulated online poker only, without online casino games like in New Jersey. The bill died in the Assembly when Pretlow expressed doubts about the safety of the games due to concerns from fellow legislators.
| Type/Code | Summary |
|---|---|
| State Code Section(s) | PEN.225; PEN.470; RPMW.100-1401; GML.9A; GML186-195 |
| Definition of Gambling | A person engages in gambling when they stake or risk something of value upon the outcome of a contest of chance or a future contingent event not under their control or influence, upon an agreement or understanding that they will receive something of value in the event of a certain outcome. |
| Definition of Contest of Chance | Any contest, game, gaming scheme or gaming device in which the outcome depends in a material degree upon an element of chance, notwithstanding that skill of the contestants may also be a factor therein. |
| Definition of Player | A person who engages in any form of gambling solely as a contestant or bettor, without receiving or becoming entitled to receive any profit therefrom other than personal gambling winnings, and without otherwise rendering any material assistance to the establishment, conduct or operation of the particular gambling activity. |
| Online Poker/Gambling | For nearly a decade, several lawmakers have spearheaded a campaign to legalize online poker and sometimes online casino games. As of 2023, there has been no success in passing a bill or launching any type of state-regulated industry. |
| Live Poker | There are poker rooms in many of the state’s casinos that offer cash games and tournament poker. |
| Casinos | There are Native American casinos, racetracks with casino games (called racinos), and video lottery terminal establishments in some areas of New York. Casinos will replace some of the VLT locations in the coming years as the state considers larger commercial casinos in areas like New York City. |
| Sports Betting | New York voted to legalize sports betting in 2013, and retail outlets began opening in 2019 after the US Supreme Court decision to overturn PASPA. Online sports betting sites began launching at the start of 2022. |
| DFS | The legislature passed a law to regulate daily fantasy sports in 2016. |
| Other Forms of Gambling | Horse and harness racing, off-track pari-mutuel wagering, bingo, lottery, charitable gambling, and social gambling in private settings. |
Players in New York can sign up and play at several reputable offshore poker sites. Despite the state not having legalized online poker yet, platforms such as Ignition Poker, Bovada, BetOnline, ACR Poker, and Black Chip Poker all currently accept players from New York and allow real-money poker play.
While some sites may have restrictions due to historical banking issues tied to Black Friday, the top-rated poker rooms featured for New York residents have proven reliable. Each offers a range of tournaments, cash games, and bonuses, with secure deposit options including Bitcoin, credit cards, and more.
New York law defines gambling as risking something of value on a future outcome beyond one’s control or influence with the understanding that they might receive something of value if a certain outcome occurs, as outlined in Section 225.00(2).
The state law of New York also offers a definition of a contest of chance: any contest, game, gaming scheme or gaming device in which the outcome depends in a material degree upon an element of chance, notwithstanding that skill of the contestants may also be a factor therein, as stated in Section 225.00(1).
There are no criminal penalties for persons who act only as players in illegal gambling activities. There may be other crimes stemming from the activity, such as tax avoidance. However, the criminal penalties in New York state gambling law are directed squarely at those who run and profit from the business of illegal gambling.
When other states moved to expand regulated gambling in the mid twentieth century with pari-mutuel betting and lotteries, New York followed suit. The lottery opened in 1967, horse racing got underway in 1970, and tribal casinos opened in the 1990s. Race tracks then blossomed into racinos by adding some casino games in the early 2000s.
In 2013, voters of New York approved an amendment to the state’s constitution so non-tribal casinos could be built and operate all casino games. From there, four casinos were granted licenses to operate around the state.
Sports betting was actually legalized in 2013 as well, although it was not allowed in casinos until the 2018 US Supreme Court decision that overturned PASPA and allowed each state in America to legalize sports betting. At that point, the New York legislature updated that law and implemented it. The first sports wagers at New York casinos were placed in 2019.
New York card clubs, mostly operating underground, are responsible for many of today’s most successful poker players. Many of them, like Erik Seidel, started playing backgammon at clubs like the Mayfair Club, but they soon found that poker also employed skill and poker hand analysis. Players began to emerge from the Mayfair in droves in the 1980s and 1990s, as names like Dan Harrington, Howard Lederer, Steve Zolotow, Stu Ungar, Jason Lester, Paul Magriel, and Mickey Appleman were forever tied to the Mayfair.
Many players from New York also got their start in the game via online poker. Players like Isaac Haxton, Scott Seiver, and Andrew Lichtenberger began playing during the poker boom of the early 2000s and became big stars in the game.
Bryn Kenney leads all New York players, and the world, with over $75 million in live tournament earnings. Erik Seidel, one of the original Mayfair legends, remains at the top tier with nearly $48 million, behind Isaac Haxton, whose blend of online and live prowess has earned him over $51 million. Rounding out the state’s top ten are William Alex Foxen, Scott Seiver, Nick Schulman, Andrew Lichtenberger, Jesse Lonis, Dan Shak, and Shaun Deeb, a diverse group representing both the old-school grind and the modern high-roller circuit.
As of 2025, these are the top ten live tournament poker pros from New York:
In order for online poker to remain a fun and healthy pastime, it is important to stay in control, set limits, and know when to take a break. Players should learn how to keep their play responsible or where to find help if they start feeling overwhelmed through resources dedicated to problem gambling support.
While online poker in New York is not yet regulated at the state level, New Yorkers can still access trusted offshore sites that offer secure, real-money games. Whether a player is experienced or just starting out, these platforms provide generous bonuses, fair competition, and reliable payouts.
By exploring the recommended New York online poker sites and choosing the one that best fits their preferences, players can enjoy poker from the comfort of their own homes while staying informed about ongoing legislative efforts that may eventually bring fully regulated online poker to the Empire State.
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