Best New York Poker Sites 2024

Top Online Poker Sites in New York: where to roll

Although you can only access a few poker sites from New York, which one should you choose? Some of them are subpar due to stingy promotions, poor traffic and game selection, and other factors.

To help you avoid picking a so-so site, we have tested the New York online poker market. We have also taken into account numerous reviews from Worldpokerdeals players. Check out the best options right now.

• 

  Chico Poker Network

  BetOnline

  4.7

  • Bitcoins accepted

  4.7

  Bonus

  100% up to $1,000

  Rakeback

  VIP

  Sign upReview
• 

  Winning Poker Network

  Americas Cardroom

  4.7

  • Bitcoins accepted

  4.7

  Bonus

  up to $2,000

  Rakeback

  up to 65%

  Code: WPD27

  Sign upReview
• 

  Independent

  CoinPoker

  4.5

  • Bitcoins accepted

  4.5

  Bonus

  150% up to $2,000

  Rakeback

  33%+

  Code: WPD

  Sign upReview
• 

  Paiwangluo Poker Network

  Ignition Casino

  4.3

  • Bitcoins accepted

  4.3

  Bonus

  150% up to $1,500

  Rakeback

  Sign upReview
• 

  Paiwangluo Poker Network

  Bovada

  4.3

  • Bitcoins accepted

  4.3

  Bonus

  100% up to $1,000

  Rakeback

  Sign upReview

CoinPoker

CoinPoker is a Curaçao-licensed crypto online poker room where each newcomer is entitled to a generous 2,000 USDT welcome bonus for playing Texas Hold’Em, Omaha, and 5-card Omaha. The website is great for competitive poker players, featuring regular tournaments with prizes of $10,000+.

BetOnline Poker

If you’re looking for a tried and tested poker room, you’re welcome to BetOnline. It has operated since 1991, which not only attests to its safety but also to its quality.

BetOnline is the flagship site of the US-friendly Chico Poker Network and is renowned for its soft play in NLH and PLO games up to $1k. Hundreds of thousands of dollars are guaranteed each week on the tournament schedule. New players at WPD receive a welcome package including a rakeback deal and a massive 100% first deposit bonus of up to $1,000.

ACR Poker

Lastly, we’d like to recommend ACR Poker, a poker room that will suit pro players. It has some of the biggest tournaments online, allowing you to win a share of $12,500,000 in the legendary GTO Venom Tournament. Besides being pro-oriented, ACR is also welcoming toward beginners, promising a 27% flat rakeback and a $2,000+ deposit match to every newcomer.

Our ranking criteria for choosing the best New York online poker sites

We rank every poker room according to the five criteria:

1. License. When the online poker site obtains a license, it becomes legally exposed, which guarantees fairness and transparency. We prefer recommending sites with UKGC, Isle of Man, Malta, and Curaçao licenses.
2. Background. With more than 3 years behind the scenes, zero court cases, and a mostly positive reputation among poker players is certainly a reliable choice.
3. Security. We ensure the safety of your data and cash by recommending rooms with software from certified providers and SSL encryption.
4. Cashier. Depositing and withdrawing winnings is crucial, which is why we pick the sites with the widest range of payment options (e-wallets, credit cards, and crypto). We also prefer sites with low fees and fast payment processing.
5. Games and traffic. Players like different poker types, so the sites we recommend always feature at least Texas Hold’Em and Omaha cash games and MTTs. Traffic is also an important factor, so player activity peaks at NY time.

Overall, the poker sites we've selected cater specifically to the needs and requirements of both amateur and professional players.

How to play poker online in New York: Step-by-Step

Once you find a poker site you prefer (whether it’s from our list or from your own research), you can join it in the following way:

1. Visit the website. Ensure you’re accessing an official website specified for the NY region.
   Register an account. Click “Registration” and indicate your phone number, email, password, etc.
   
   
   
   
2. Download and install the poker client. You can get an application for Android, iOS, and Windows to access poker rooms with top convenience.
   
   
   
   
3. Verify your account. To unlock withdrawals from poker sites, you must verify your identity by providing the site’s management with your passport, driver’s license, etc.
4. Deposit and start playing.

Keep in mind that you will most likely need to verify your account before withdrawing winnings, as poker rooms often must comply with Know Your Client (KYC) policies.

Online poker in New York

The situation with online poker in New York is quite similar to other states. NY online poker resides in a gray zone. The law doesn’t regulate it, which means that you can play online poker with legal consequences.

Where can you play? NY doesn’t provide a legal foundation for online poker sites, so they can’t be based in your state. You can only play on offshore poker sites. We’ve presented such platforms above.

They all have Curaçao-like licenses, which make them safe, disregarding the NY government not recognizing them.

Unfortunately, online poker has always been like that in New York. Even though lawmakers tried to legalize that type of gambling in 2014, they had no success.

Alternatively, you can travel to neighbouring states such as New Jersey and Pennsylvania to play on legal US poker sites. Their governments recognize online poker and allow several sites.

The Legal background of online poker in New York State

As we’ve previously stated, New York state doesn’t recognize online poker and cannot prohibit it. You can choose any online poker site you can access from your device. However, it’s recommended to stick with offshore sites with licenses, as they guarantee the safety of your data and money.

Sweepstakes poker is also one of the best ways to play online poker in the state of New York. 
It's a social poker format where you play with virtual currency instead of real money, which makes sweepstakes poker completely legal in the majority of US states.

Even though sweepstakes poker might sound difficult in theory, it’s elementary in practice. Instead of making a deposit, you purchase Gold Coins tokens, the in-game currency. When you buy Gold Coins, you get Sweeps Coins, which you can use to play for real money prizes. Sweeps Coins can also be exchanged for real money at a 1:1 ratio via bank transfer or cheque.

Alternatively to online poker, NY allows live poker games. These are conducted in special licensed poker rooms in local casinos, such as Resorts World Catskillsm and Del Lago Resort & Casino. Playing them is 100% legal, as they are subject to regulations.

Another gambling activity that is crucial for poker players is fantasy sports. Besides just being fun (you place wagers on emulated games between famous players), fantasy sports are important for poker legalization. When fantasy sports became legal, they used the same argument that applies to poker: their product is a game of skill. Thus, lawmakers' efforts can potentially make online poker legal in NY in the future.

Will NY legalize online poker?

Currently, NY doesn’t plan to regulate online poker. However, lawmakers are attempting to legalize the game (two bills addressing the game were introduced in January 2023) due to the taxes. It could bring a lot of money to the government, which could help New York a lot after the COVID-19 pandemic hit.

Currently, both bills are in the introductory phases and are waiting for voting.

New York card rooms

Unlike online poker, New York does regulate land-based poker. What’s the purpose of visiting it? It’s a completely different experience; you can read other players’ emotions, which enhances your ability to expose bluffing. Here are some brick-and-mortar NY card rooms to visit:

Deposit and withdrawal methods at NY online poker sites

Online poker sites available in NY offer different deposits and withdrawals. However, as NY online poker isn’t legal, you can use primarily crypto. So, if you have a web3 wallet with some BTC, ETH, USDT, LTC, DOGE, etc., it will be easy for you to jump into off-shore sites.

Sometimes, e-wallets are displayed as available on cashier pages for NY residents. However, it doesn’t mean they are. Once you log into the site and try to pay with Skrill, Neteller, Webmoney, etc., you won’t succeed.

History of poker and gambling in New York

As you already know from this page, New York doesn’t allow online gambling to this day. But what about gambling in the younger years of the state? Gambling was extremely widespread in NYC in the 20th century. The town featured plenty of discreet venues with games of chance such as cards, dice, and numbers, as well as betting on sports events, chiefly horse racing, regardless of their illegal nature.

Casino gambling was legalized only in 2013. It’s when the New York State Constitution was amended, allowing several land-based casinos (we’ve enlisted them in New York card rooms).

Best NY poker players

New York's top poker players are known not only in the USA but far beyond.

Bryn Kenney has been playing the most expensive tournaments around the world for ten years and has earned more than $67 million - the number one ranking in the world. Bryn holds the largest prize money in poker history at $20,563,324. This was for finishing 2nd in the $1.3M Triton Million tournament in 2019.

Isaac Haxton has more than $50 million in lifetime earnings and is ranked in the world's top 10. After starting his career playing online poker (more than $2 million on Full Tilt Poker alone), Haxton won his first major live tournament ($861,789) in 2007 - 2nd place in the WPT Championship Event at the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure. Haxton's biggest payout of $3,672,000 was in 2018 in the $300K Super High Roller Bowl V event.

Erik Seidel is a Poker Hall of Fame member and a truly legendary player. He came to poker after playing backgammon professionally for 8 years. Seidel won 10 World Series of Poker bracelets between 1992 and 2023. By the end of 2024, Erik has 7 career earnings of over $1 million.

Conclusion

Online poker in NY is in a gray area. Even though it means that you don’t have to pay fees, you also can’t deposit cash into online poker sites with tools besides crypto wallets, which is limiting.

What online poker rooms should you choose? CoinPoker, BetOnline, and ACR Poker, which are reviewed on this page, are perfect options for any NY resident. However, if you don’t like them, you can find another site. When you do, make sure you check their license, background, security, games, and the time zone they operate in.

Responsible Gambling in New York

Poker is one of the most entertaining card games that requires strong analytical skills and an ability to bluff. For some players, the fun can run out. When you start spending more money on poker than you can afford and the game starts to affect your life, you know you’re in trouble. Top NY online poker sites ward you away from them. They follow responsible gaming practices, helping their customers to detect and fight gambling addictions. You can find extra support regarding such issues here:

• NY State Office of Addiction Services and Supports – 1-877-8-HOPENY
• New York Council on Problem Gambling – 1-877-846-7369
• National Problem Gambling Helpline: 1-800-GAMBLER

Above all, we encourage all players to control their gambling behaviors and play moderately. If you feel like you’ve been gambling more often or playing compulsively recently, consider making a pause and seeking advice.

FAQ