New York Sports Betting – Is Sports Betting Legal In New York?

• Bally Bet: Bally Bet first launched in New York in June 2022, then relaunched in the state in November 2022 after a five-month hiatus. It also temporarily shuttered operations in Indiana and Iowa while it transitioned to a new operating system. It’s the official sports betting partner of the New York Yankees.
• BetRivers Sportsbook: BetRivers became one of the state’s first sportsbooks when it launched on Jan. 8, 2022. It has a physical presence in the state in Schenectady.
• BetMGM Sportsbook: The official sports betting partner of the New York Jets, the “King of Sportsbooks” launched in New York on Jan. 17, 2022.
• Caesars Sportsbook: One of the state’s biggest sportsbooks, Caesars is the official partner of the New York Knicks, New York Rangers and Madison Square Garden. It launched in New York on Jan. 8, 2022, with BetRivers, FanDuel and DraftKings.
• DraftKings Sportsbook: One of the first sportsbooks in the state, DraftKings is an official partner of the New York Giants along with the Rangers and Knicks. It’s headquartered in nearby Massachusetts.
• ESPN BET: ESPN’s sportsbook expanded to New York in late September 2024, replacing WynnBet.
• Fanatics Sportsbook: Fanatics launched in New York on Feb. 29, 2024, becoming the 15th state for the new sportsbook. It’s known for its generous rewards program that allows bettors to earn bonus bucks that can be used for free bets or team merchandise.
• FanDuel Sportsbook: The other big name in North American sports betting, FanDuel launched in New York on the first day sports betting was legal. It is the official sportsbook partner of the Brooklyn Nets, Buffalo Bills, Buffalo Sabres, New York Liberty and Jets.
• Resorts World Bet: The sports betting arm of Resorts World Casino, this mobile sportsbook is only available in New York. It launched in March 2022.

The legal sports betting age in New York is 21, which is true in most states with legal sports betting. If you’re under 21 years of age and try to sign up for a sportsbook in New York, you won’t be able to create an account or place a wager.

Sportsbooks verify your age based on your date of birth and social security number when you sign up.

New York is a unique state when it comes to age limits. You can be 18 and bet on horse racing, visit Native American casinos and play the lottery, but you need to be 21 to visit commercial casinos and bet on sports. That age limit applies to both retail and in-person sportsbooks.

Between the New York metropolitan area and Buffalo, New York has plenty of professional teams to wager on.

• New York Yankees

One of the most iconic franchises in American sports, the Yankees have won a record 27 World Series and 40 American League pennants. They’ve enjoyed multiple dynasties led by superstars such as Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle and Derek Jeter.

The Yankees are famous for their pinstripe uniforms and play at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx. They’ve been owned by a member of the Steinbrenner family since 1973.

• New York Mets

The Mets were founded in 1962 as one of the first two National League expansion franchises in response to the Brooklyn Dodgers and New York Giants leaving for California in 1958. While the Mets were historically terrible at first, they won their first World Series by the end of the decade, beating the heavily favored Baltimore Orioles in 1969.

The Mets won again in 1986 against the Boston Red Sox, who were infamously one strike away from winning the series in Game 6. They play at Citi Field in Queens.

• New York Islanders

Formed in 1972, the Islanders didn’t take long to build a dynasty, winning four straight Stanley Cups from 1980 to 1983. The Islanders haven’t had much success since then, however, as they haven’t won their division since 1988.

The Islanders play at UBS Arena in Elmont and most of their fans hail from Long Island.

• New York Rangers

Founded in 1926, the Rangers are one of the “Original Six” NHL teams before the league expanded in 1967. The Rangers quickly assembled a powerful team that won the Stanley Cup in 1928, followed by championships in 1933 and 1940. New York’s most recent championship came in 1994.

The Rangers play their home games at Madison Square Garden and last reached the Stanley Cup Finals in 2014.

• Buffalo Sabres

The Sabres were established in 1970 alongside the Vancouver Canucks when the NHL expanded to 14 teams. It took three years for them to make the playoffs and they made their first Stanley Cup appearance in 1975.

The Sabres have made three Stanley Cup Finals but, like the Buffalo Bills, they have yet to win a championship.

• New York Giants

The Giants have had their share of ups and downs since being founded in 1925. They won four NFL championships before the Super Bowl era and have won four Super Bowls since, including massive upsets of the New England Patriots in 2008 and 2012.

Known as the G-Men, the Giants play in the Meadowlands in New Jersey, where they share MetLife Stadium with the New York Jets.

• New York Jets

Founded in 1960 as a fledgling AFL franchise, the Jets quickly rose to prominence after taking Joe Namath with the first overall pick in the 1965 Draft. “Broadway Joe” led the Jets to a major upset over the heavily favored Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl III in 1969.

The Jets have been largely mediocre since then, however, failing to return to the Big Game.

• Buffalo Bills

Like the Jets, the Bills were formed in 1960 as part of the upstart AFL. They haven’t won a championship yet despite reaching four straight Super Bowls from 1990 to 1993, losing all of them.

The Bills have recently returned to prominence thanks to star quarterback Josh Allen, but they haven’t been able to get past Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC.

• New York Knicks

Known as the Knicks, the Knickerbockers were founded in 1946 and play at Madison Square Garden. They won their only two NBA championships in the early 1970s behind Walt Frazier and Willis Reed, who took down the Los Angeles Lakers in 1970 and 1973.

The Knicks were good again during the 1990s with Patrick Ewing, but failed to win a championship despite winning conference titles in 1994 and 1999. They haven’t been back to the Finals since.

• Brooklyn Nets

The Nets were founded as an ABA franchise in 1967 before merging with the NBA in 1976. After decades of playing in New Jersey, the Nets moved to Brooklyn in 2012 and now play at Barclays Center.

The Nets have failed to win a championship in Brooklyn despite making several league-altering moves. Despite acquiring superstars like Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, Kevin Durant, James Harden and Kyrie Irving at various points, the Nets have largely been dysfunctional and haven’t made the Finals since 2003.

• New York Liberty

A charter member of the WNBA, the Liberty were founded in 1997. They’ve won three conference titles and have played in the WNBA Finals five times but have lost each time, making them the only original WNBA franchise without a championship.

• New York Red Bulls

Established in 1994 ahead of the launch of Major League Soccer, the team was originally called the New York/New Jersey MetroStars and began playing in 1996. The team was sold to Red Bull GmbH in 2006 and rebranded as the Red Bulls.

They play at Red Bull Arena and made the MLS Cup in 2008, but they are still seeking their first championship.

• New York City FC

In 2013, New York got its second MLS team when a group that included the New York Yankees founded the New York Football Club. The team played its first game in 2015 and won its first MLS Cup in 2021.

The team plays its home games at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx.

New York is full of colleges that play Division I sports. However, bettors in New York are prohibited from wagering on in-state universities. They also can’t wager on college prop bets.

• Albany Great Danes

Albany’s football team competes in the FCS and has been in action since 1973. Their best season came in 2023 when they won the CAA Championship and made it to the FCS semifinals.

In basketball, Albany plays in the America East Conference and has appeared in five NCAA Tournaments, including three straight from 2013 to 2015.

• Army Black Knights

Located at West Point at the United States Military Academy on the Hudson River, the Black Knights were previously an Independent but will join the American Athletic Conference in 2024. Army’s biggest rival is Navy (they play annually), and they also compete with the Navy and Air Forces for the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy.

The Black Knights’ basketball team competes in the Patriot League and has never appeared in the NCAA Tournament.

• Binghamton Bearcats

The Bearcats don’t have a football team, but their basketball team competes in the America East Conference. They made the NCAA Tournament in 2009, but it was later revealed that they had broken NCAA guidelines in building the team, causing the program to be gutted. They haven’t been competitive since.

• Buffalo Bulls

The only Mid-American Conference team in New York, the Bulls have won one MAC title in football along with four MAC East division titles.

Their basketball team was one of the nation’s best mid-major teams at the end of the 2010s. They made the NCAA Tournament in 2018 and upset No. 4 Arizona in the Round of 64 before earning a No. 6 seed in the tournament in 2019.

• Canisius Golden Griffins

The Griffins have played in four NCAA Tournaments, with their last appearance coming in 1996. They made three straight tournaments from 1955 to 1957, reaching the Sweet Sixteen in 1955 and 1956.

• Colgate Raiders

Colgate moved down to the FCS level in 1982 and has had immense success since. The Raiders play in the Patriot League and have won 10 conference championships since 1997, even advancing to the FCS National Championship in 2003.

On the hardwood, the Raiders have made it to seven NCAA Tournaments but have yet to win a game in the tournament.

• Columbia Lions

One of two Ivy League schools in New York along with Cornell, the Lions are an FCS program in football and have the third-oldest college football program in the nation. Prior to becoming an FCS program, they played in one bowl game, defeating Stanford 7-0 in the 1933 Rose Bowl.

The Lions won three pre-NCAA Tournament National Championships in the early 1900s but haven’t made the NCAA Tournament since 1968.

• Cornell Big Red

Another of the nation’s oldest college football teams, the Big Red won five National Championships before World War II. They’ve since won three Ivy League championships, most recently in 1990.

The Big Red’s best season on the hardwood came in 2010 when they advanced to the Sweet Sixteen thanks to upsets over Temple and Wisconsin. They also advanced to the Sweet Sixteen in 1954, albeit in a tournament with a much smaller field.

• Fordham Rams

Fordham became an FCS program in football in 1989 and joined the Patriot League a year later. The Rams have won three conference titles since then.

While the Rams have played in four NCAA Tournaments, their big claim to fame is playing in the first nationally televised college basketball game in 1940, where they lost to Pitt.

• Hofstra Pride

Located in Hempstead, the Pride play the occasional game at Madison Square Garden and Barclays Center. The Pride have made it to four NCAA Tournaments but haven’t won a tournament game yet.

• Iona Gaels

The Gaels have made it to 17 NCAA Tournaments, but their only tournament win in 1980 was vacated due to one of the players already signing with an agent. They finished as the runner-up in the 2011 CIT.

• Le Moyne Dolphins

The Dolphins were a Division II powerhouse before beginning the transition to become a Division I program in 2023. They play in the Patriot League but are ineligible to participate in the NCAA Tournament until 2027.

• Long Island University Sharks

The Sharks are a combination of LIU’s two campuses (Brooklyn and Long Island), a unification that happened in 2019. The Sharks moved up from Division II to the FCS level, where they play in the Northeast Conference. They won four Division II conference championships from 2011 to 2018.

The Sharks have made seven NCAA Tournaments in basketball, all of which came prior to the unification.

• Manhattan Jaspers

The Jaspers compete in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference and have won five conference championships. They’ve advanced past the first round of the NCAA Tournament three times (1958, 1995 and 2004).

• Marist Red Foxes

The Red Foxes have competed in the Pioneer Football League since 2008. They won a share of the PFL title in 2013 but missed out on the playoffs when Butler won the conference’s auto-bid due to a tiebreaker.

While the Red Foxes haven’t won a game in the NCAA Tournament, their claim to fame is producing Rik Smits, who went on to become an All-Star in the NBA.

• Niagara Purple Eagles

Another MAAC school, the Purple Eagles have gone 2-4 in the NCAA Tournament, picking up wins in 1970 and 2007. They made it to the NIT Championship game in 1972 but lost to Maryland.

• St. Bonaventure Bonnies

The Bonnies have made it to eight NCAA Tournaments, with their best showing coming in 1970 when they made it to the Final Four. They compete in the Atlantic 10 and have won two A10 regular-season championships.

• St. John’s Red Storm

The Red Storm’s best season on the hardwood came in 1952 when they made it to the NCAA National Championship but lost to Kansas. They made it to the Final Four in 1985 but lost to No. 1 Georgetown.

• Siena Saints

Siena was one of the nation’s best college basketball teams in the 1950s, winning the National Catholic Invitational Tournament in 1950 before ranking 18th in the final 1951 AP poll. They’ve appeared in six NCAA Tournaments, going 4-6.

• Stony Brook Seawolves

The Seawolves fielded a Division I football team from 1999 to 2006 until they moved to the FCS in 2006 and joined the Big South. They’ve since moved to the Coastal Athletic Association and produced their first NFL player in 2015 when tight end Will Tye played for the Giants.

Stony Book’s basketball team joined the Division I ranks in 1999. It previously played in the America East Conference before joining the CAA in 2022. The team’s lone NCAA Tournament appearance came in 2016.

• Syracuse Orange

The state’s most recognizable college program, Syracuse has been in the Atlantic Coast Conference since 2013. It’s the only Division I FBS school in New York to compete in a Power Five conference. The Orange have made 28 bowl games, 10 of which have been New Year’s Six games.

The Orange have an impressive resume on the hardwood as well. Despite being unranked in the preseason AP poll, they won the National Championship in 2003 behind Carmelo Anthony and coach Jim Boeheim.

• Wagner Seahawks

The Seahawks have won one National Championship in football, defeating Dayton 19-3 in the 1987 Division III Championship. They moved to the FCS level in 1996 and play in the Northeast Conference.

The Seahawks picked up their first-ever NCAA Tournament victory in 2024, defeating Howard in the First Four before losing to No. 1 seed North Carolina in the Round of 64.

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