New York Online Casinos July 2023 – Best NY Sweepstakes Casinos

New York joined the list of US legal online gambling states when the market opened up in early 2022. Unfortunately, New York online casinos are not yet live in the state since the launch was only for mobile sports betting.

There have nonetheless been talks of the possibility of online casinos in the Empire State. Unlike states that are strictly against iGaming, there is hope for New York players to see their very own state-approved real money online casinos.

In the meantime, several NY sweepstakes casinos are available to play where you can enjoy slots and other casino games like on real money casinos online. These sweepstakes sites also bring the opportunity to win cash prizes, making them a great alternative to online casinos.

New Yorkers are fond of different types of gambling, and record betting handle from online sportsbooks this past year has shown that they’re eager to gamble online. We’ve decided to anticipate the potential launch of online casinos by highlighting all the latest developments about New York online casinos and all the details about sweepstakes casinos where you can play meanwhile.

Top-Rated NY Sweepstake Casinos with Real Money Prizes

While we wait for real money online casinos in New York, sweepstakes are available for players in New York. These platforms provide slots and other casino games that you can play for free. However, there’s a chance to win real money prizes as well.

We’ll elaborate on the way sweepstakes work later on, but for now, here are the top-rated NY sweeps casinos:

Are Online Casinos Legal in New York?

Actually, online casinos have yet to be legalized in New York. When the online gambling market launched in the state on January 8, 2022, only sports betting was considered. Online casinos were not on the table, and neither was online poker. Following the success of online sports betting, some legislators were keen to push things forward. In 2022, Sen. Joe Addabbo, the prominent legislative figure championing iGaming in the state, expressed his plans to introduce a bill to regulate online casinos.

There were hopes of this happening by early 2023. However, in early February, Gov. Kathy Hochul released the executive budget for the fiscal year 2024, and online casinos were omitted. With this development, chances are slim this year. However, Sen. Addabbo hopes to continue the push for online casinos. Although there’s still a path for legalizing NY online casinos through the one-house budget via the Senate and Assembly, it will be a difficult challenge.

Conflicting interests of some stakeholders remain a roadblock. Many industry stakeholders believe that the approval of online casinos will harm land-based establishments. There’s also the issue of responsible gambling, which the Governor and other lawmakers feel the need to address before online casino gaming is legalized.

NY Online Casino Legalization Timeline

New York may be lagging behind other states in terms of online gaming, but it’s no stranger to gambling expansions. Here’s a timeline of the history of gambling to date, overseen by the NY State Gaming Commission.

• 2023 – On January 18. 2023, Assemblyman Gary Pretlow introduces a bill to expand gambling in New York via online poker. Online casinos were omitted from Gov. Kathy Hochul’s executive budget for the fiscal year 2024.
• 2022 – Online sports betting launches on January 8, with four of the nine licensed operators taking bets on opening day. $1.67 billion record handle in the first month. Bill to legalize online casinos was introduced in February but did not pass the legislature.
• 2021 – Gov. Andrew Cuomo adds mobile sports betting to his state budget. Lawmakers craft a bill to regulate and legalize online betting, and an early 2022 launch is projected.
• 2019 – After the overturning of PASPA in 2018, New York retail sports betting finally commenced on July 17, 2019. Rivers Casino Schenectady opened up the state’s first retail sportsbook, and Turning Stone Resort Casino was the first tribal casino to begin taking wagers on August 2. DraftKings, FanDuel, and Caesars Sportsbook, were among those to start accepting New York bettors.
• 2013 – New bill is passed permitting up to seven commercial casinos in the state. Retail sports betting receives regulatory approval at the state level.
• 1993 – Following the reform of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, the Oneida Indian Nation signed the state’s first tribal compact and launched Turning Stone Casino Resort in July.
• 1967 – The New York State Lottery launched, becoming the third official US lottery after New Hampshire and Puerto Rico.

Legal Gambling Options in NY

In the absence of legal online casinos, there are still many ways to gamble in New York. We want to point out that we do not advise offshore online casinos that accept New York players. The state does not regulate these sites. As such, there’s no player protection in case of a dispute or if your funds go missing.

When in the Empire State, you can enjoy the following legal gambling options:

• Retail and online sportsbooks
• NY lottery
• DFS
• Horse racing and horse betting
• Commercial and tribal casinos
• Play4Fun venues
• Charitable gaming such as bingo and raffles

Sports Betting

Both retail and online sports betting are legal in New York. Nine online sportsbook apps are available in the state, including FanDuel, DraftKings, Caesars, BetMGM, BetRivers, PointsBet, BallyBet, WynnBet, and Resorts World Bet.

NY bettors can wager on the most popular professional sports, including the NHL, NFL, MLB, PGA golf tour, NASCAR, and more. Several college sports are also on the table, such as NCAA football, NCAA basketball, etc. The major restriction is on in-state college teams. High school and youth sports, entertainment, and betting on politics are also prohibited.

Brick-and-Mortar Casinos

New York is home to several land-based casinos, including tribal establishments and commercial casinos. The tribal locations are owned by Native American tribes, including the Seneca Nation of New York, Oneida Indian Nation, and Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe. Featuring thousands of slot machines, table games, and live poker games, these casinos include:

• Akwesasne Mohawk Casino
• Point Place Casino
• Seneca Allegany Casino
• Seneca Buffalo Creek Casino
• Seneca Niagara Resort & Casino
• Turning Stone Resort Casino
• Yellow Brick Road Casino

In 2013, commercial casinos were permitted to begin operating in the state, and four are currently available out of the seven provided for. These massive gambling destinations usually come equipped with a sportsbook, LCD screens, and a complete bar. Hotel accommodations, dining, and other onsite recreational activities will be available.

• Del Lago Resort & Casino – Del Lago opened in 2017 and features more than 1,700 slot machines from some of the leading game manufacturers like IGT and Bally. There are 66 table games and a poker room with 14 tables. On the premises is a DraftKings sportsbook and a rewards club. Outside the gambling offerings, a top-class hotel, a spa, multiple dining locations, and a booming nightlife are part of the experience.

Owner	Peninsula Pacific Entertainment (P2E)
Address	1133 State Route 414, Waterloo, NY
Telephone	315-946-1777
Slots	1700+
Table Games	66

• Resorts World Catskills – There are 100,000 square feet of gaming space at Resorts Worlds. Housed within are 1,600 slots, a poker room, a sportsbook, and a Top Golf Swing Suite. An 18-story hotel makes for a luxury getaway just 95 miles from New York City.

Owner	Empire Resorts
Address	888 Resorts World Dr., Monticello, NY 12701
Telephone	833-586-9358
Slots	1600+
Table Games	150+

• Rivers Casino & Resort – This casino is open 24 hours for players looking to try any of the 1000+ slot machines on offer. The gaming floor comprises a poker room, live dealer table games, and a sportsbook. Video poker and keno are also available, plus a multi-link progressive shared among Mississippi Stud, Let it Ride, and Three Card Poker. Owned by Rush Street Gaming, Rivers Casino is one of the few to have a dedicated online social casino, the popular BetRivers.net.

Owner	Rush Street Gaming
Address	1 Rush St, Schenectady, NY 12305
Telephone	518-579-8800
Slots	1000+
Table Games	65+

• Tioga Downs Casino Resort – Located near the Pennsylvania border, Tioga Downs is another commercial casino destination where New York players can enjoy hundreds of slot machines, video lottery terminals, harness racing, simulcast betting, and sportsbook services courtesy of FanDuel. The casino also has a golf course and a rewards club and is open from 9 am – 3 am.

Owner	Jeffrey Gural, CEO of American Racing and Entertainment
Address	2384 W River Rd, Nichols, NY 13812
Telephone	888-946-8464
Slots	900+
Table Games	25+

Visiting New Jersey for Online Casino Gambling

New Yorkers can benefit from the proximity of New Jersey to play casino games online. On the other side of the Hudson River, all forms of online casino gambling are legal, and there are dozens of apps available, including BetMGM, Caesars, FanDuel, Golden Nugget, Unibet, Borgata, etc.

State gambling regulations do not require you to be a resident, so you can simply drive across the border to enjoy all the online casino gaming available in The Garden State. You have to be within the confines of New Jersey to place casino bets, but you can sign up and even make deposits from within New York.

Pennsylvania online casinos are another great option. The Keystone State, like New Jersey, was one of the early adopters of iGaming, and basically, all the top NJ online casinos are also live there.

Social and Sweepstakes Casinos

Social casino sites are the next best thing to NY online casinos, and the good news is that they are completely legal to play. Playing at these sites is a great way to get yourself prepared for when NY online casinos do launch. There are a lot of similar games – slots and table games. Some, like BetRivers.net, will allow you to play live dealer table games too. On top of that, the majority of social casino sites have their own proprietary social casino apps too, allowing you to play while on the move.

Sweepstakes and prize online casinos will provide several bonuses offering virtual currencies – Gold Coins and Sweepstakes Coins – right from when you sign up. This allows you to play for free at no risk. With Sweeps Coins, you stand a chance to win real cash prizes. Due to their rising popularity, new sweepstake casinos pop up regularly, so there’s no shortage of places to play & earn money at.

5 Best Online Sweepstakes Casinos Legal in New York

The closest you get to real money NY online casinos legally are real money sweepstakes casinos. They look and feel the same, but you are betting with sweeps and gold coins instead of USD. Sweepstakes coins can be redeemed for cash prizes if you get lucky on the online slots or table games. Here are the best ones open to NY residents:

Pulsz – Best Value for Purchasing Gold Coins

This online sweepstakes casino is one of the best places to play casino-style games in New York. There’s an array of more than 400 slots from game studios like Pragmatic Play, NetEnt, Relax Gaming, and a handful of exciting table games, all of which are available on a dedicated mobile app.

New casino players at Pulsz get a sign-up bonus of 5000 Gold Coins and 2.3 Sweepstakes Coins. A purchase bonus of 30 free Sweeps Coins is also available when you make a Gold Coins purchase for $19.99. Pulsz doubles down on bonuses with a stellar VIP program and is one of the few social casinos to offer achievement rewards.

Learn more:

• Pulz Casino review
• Pulsz Bingo
• Pulsz promo code
• Best slots on Pulsz Casino
• Pulsz Sister Casinos
• Pulsz Banking Options

WOW Vegas – Best for 3D Slots

WOW Vegas welcomes players with 5000 WOW Coins – its own exclusive currency. On top of that, players get 1 Sweepstake Coin for free after registration.

Launched in 2022, this site offers 300+ online slots powered by Pragmatic Play and Betsoft. A superb collection of classic slots, video slots, and immersive 3d titles fill the lobby. There are also several jackpot games with massive coin prizes up for grabs daily and weekly. There are many more ways to earn free coins when you play here.

Learn more:

• WOW Vegas Casino review
• WOW Vegas promo code
• WOW Vegas Sister Casinos

Fortune Coins – Most Generous Welcome Bonus

With an oriental-inspired theme, this site looks like some of the industry’s best real money online casinos. On top of the attractive website is a massive welcome bonus of 140,000 Gold Coins + 800 Fortune Coins. Fortune Coins pride themselves in their originality. More than 50 slots are available to play, all in-house built. NY casino players can also enjoy exciting keno and fish table games.

You can redeem cash prizes at a minimum of 100 FC, and you’ll find that Fortune Coins here are given more generously than the standard Sweeps Coin.

Learn more:

• Fortune Coins Casino review
• Fortune Coins bonus code
• Best slots on Fortune Coins Casino
• Emily’s Treasure Fish Game

BetRivers.net – Best for a Variety of Games

The online social casino branch of Rivers Casino, BetRivers.net, has more than 450 titles including slot games, table games, live dealers and even a free sports betting section that you won’t find anywhere else. To enjoy it all, you get a sign-up bonus of 500 Virtual Credits. Like the real money BetRivers Casino and sportsbook app that has an iRush rewards program, this one has a Rewards Center where you bet to earn Play Points and receive additional bonuses.

The only drawback is that BetRivers.net doesn’t allow you to redeem real cash prizes like others on this list. However, there’s not a more prolific game collection at any other online sweepstakes casino.

SweepSlots – Best for Free SC

SweepSlots is one of the newer sweepstakes casinos for New York online casino players. It’s an attractive casino and one of the crypto-forward social casino sites on the market. Being a new site, it’s got one of the best bonuses.

New players get 5000 Gold Coins and 1000 Sweeps Coins just for signing up. More bonuses await, including achievement rewards in the SweepSlots loyalty program.

There’s a limited selection of games, but you can enjoy keno alongside exciting slot options. The casino is available to play in every state except Washington.

Learn more:

• SweepSlots Casino review
• SweepSlots bonus codes

Sweepstakes Casino Game Options

Most sweepstakes casinos are slot sites. You’ll find hundreds of online slots, either third-party titles, exclusive titles, or both. A lot of the sweepstakes casinos in New York will allow you to play games that are popular at real money online casino sites. They include:

• Big Bass Bonanza
• The Dog House Megaways
• Wolf Gold
• Book of Dead
• Temple Tumble Megaways
• Money Train 2
• Sun of Egypt 2
• Day of Dead
• Moon Sisters
• Zeus 2

If you’re looking for table games, sites like Chumba and Funzpoints will provide a range of classics, including roulette, blackjack, poker, etc. New York social casinos are fond of spicing up the gaming experience. You can play keno games – the online casino variant of the standard lottery. Fish table games like Fishing Kingdom (Funrize casino) present an arcade-style experience where you shoot fish, and other underwater bosses in order to rack up coin wins.

Sweeps Casino Currencies

Sweepstakes casinos are free-to-play online casinos. Players don’t use real money here. Instead, virtual currencies known as Gold Coins and Sweeps Coins enable gameplay.

Some sweepstakes casino sites personalize their own virtual currencies. For instance, WOW Vegas offers WOW Coins in place of Gold Coins, while Fortune Coins casino uses Fortune Coins in place of Sweeps Coins. Regardless, they have the same functionality. Sites like BetRivers.net use only one currency – Virtual Credits – which supports free play.

Gold Coins are used for standard play, where you enjoy slots and other games for free, and your winnings have no real money worth. Sweeps Coins, on the other hand, are used for promotional or premium play. On their own, free Sweeps Coins have no real money value, but the listed sweepstakes casino sites will allow you to use any winnings from sweepstakes games to redeem cash prizes.

Purchases and Real Cash Redemptions

Besides the free Gold Coins and Sweeps Coins available upon registration, the best sweepstakes casinos in New York also allow the option to buy Gold Coins. Several packages will be available, with each site having its own range of options. You can purchase Gold Coins for as low as $1.49 and as high as $299.99. However, we’ve seen more extreme upper and lower limits.

Depending on the package, you’ll receive Sweeps Coins as a free casino bonus on top. Sweeps Coins are a redeemable currency at these online gaming sites. You can proceed to redeem free Sweeps Coins bonuses for cash prizes after you’ve used them to play games and won.

Many of the top sweepstakes casino sites we recommend will support prize redemption, but not every social casino will do so. At BetRivers.net, for instance, you can’t win cash prizes; only Virtual Credits are available. At Pulsz, you can request prize redemption when you accumulate at least 100 SC. The same for WOW Vegas, Chumba Casino, Global Poker, and other platforms.

As for the payment methods for making purchases and redemption, one or more of Visa, Mastercard, PayPal, Skrill, and Bank Transfer will be available for you to use.

Accessibility and Casino Apps

The best casinos will make it simple for players to join in and play, so easy accessibility is a given. Many of them have user-friendly and highly intuitive mobile websites that are easy to navigate.

Others have mobile apps for an even more convenient experience. Either way, top sweepstakes sites are quick, efficient, and easy to navigate. You can sign in just as easily as any of the biggest online casino operators like FanDuel, DraftKings, and Caesars.

No Purchase Necessary Policy and Sweepstakes Bonuses

The major difference between sweepstakes casinos and traditional online casinos is that the former is free to play while the latter is for real money gambling.

All free-to-play sweepstakes casinos fly with the slogan “no purchase necessary.” Essentially, you can play at these sites without having to use your own money to purchase Gold Coins. This is possible because of sweepstakes no deposit bonuses.

Plenty of bonuses are offered at these social casino sites and are available to claim frequently. This includes a daily bonus that ensures you have some free coins to play slots and other games every day you log in. Below are the different ways to receive free coins:

• Sign-up bonus/welcome bonus
• Purchase bonus
• Daily login bonus
• Mail bonus
• Refer-a-friend bonus
• Social media contests
• Jackpot promotions
• Loyalty rewards

Will Real Money Online Casinos Become Legal in New York?

New York online casinos are not available at the moment, with the latest attempt at legalizing the activity this year having already hit a snag. However, we believe that New York is in a good position to become one of the next states to launch online casinos.

With online and land-based sportsbooks, DFS, retail casinos, horse racing, and lottery all available in some form within the state, it’s safe to say that New York doesn’t have very conservative views on online gambling. Online poker and online casinos are all that’s left.

Sen Addabbo believes that regulating online casinos will not pose a problem but will actually be a positive move. For starters, it could bring up to $4 billion in revenue for the state. As for the issue of problem gambling, New Yorkers are participating in iGaming one way or another, and not regulating online casinos doesn’t help them addiction-wise. Instead, legalization would create more funding to address gambling addiction.

In any case, NY online casinos should be live sometime in the next few years. That’s not the case with other states, where AZ sweepstakes casinos, TX social casinos, and CA online sweepstakes casinos are likely to be the only viable source of gambling entertainment. FL sweepstakes casinos are more likely to be soon replaced by real money casinos like in NY.

Why You Should Trust Our Recommended NY Online Casinos

We’ll be here to let you know the best online casinos whenever they launch. We’re dedicated to bringing you resources and information on all things legal gambling within the US. So we do not promote offshore online gambling sites that claim to accept US players because there’s no guarantee for player protection.

Instead, you can trust us to point you to the safest state-regulated platforms. Our team of expert analysts will check out these sites, test them first hand and arrive at a verdict. With decades of experience in the industry, we will always point you in the direction where you can get the best possible experience, the latest development on legislative decisions, as well as updates on bonuses, promotions, and all the fun stuff.

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