Current Status of Online Gambling in New York

As far back as the days of Prohibition, strict laws have been imposed on gambling in New York. New York’s attitude towards gambling is slowly becoming more tolerant.

In a time when the online casino gaming industry is experiencing rapid growth, it seems a little ironic that New York should tighten its restrictions on the future. Given the history of the state’s attitude towards gambling, it’s hardly a surprising move.

New York’s conservative attitude towards betting has a deep history. It was the first state to implement a constitutional ban that lasted from 1821 until the end of Prohibition in the 1930s. Though illegal during this period, gambling still existed in underground mafia-run casinos. The most infamous casino was located in Saratoga Springs.

Over time, this outright ban was eventually lifted when New York legalised horse racing betting, along with bingo games in 1957. The ban on casinos and table games, however, remained for many years until the state eventually permitted the construction of casinos to be built on tribal lands.

Over the years that followed, the construction of tribal casinos in the state rose significantly with more or less zero competition. Recently, legislation in the state was passed that permitted the construction of commercial casinos as well as tribal ones.

“Gambling qualifies as anything that involves stakes of risks of something of value to the person, whereby the outcome is determined by chance. This includes any contest, game, gaming scheme or device that is based on chance, irrespective of whether or not an element of skill is involved,” Section 225.00 of the New York Penal Code, states.

Currently, online casino gaming in New York shows no signs of changing. Perhaps in the future things will change and people will see how the pros of legalising online gaming outweigh the cons.