New York Poker Sites
While there are various poker rooms available to players in the state of New York, the New York poker sites are some of the more generous options available. While the laws regarding Internet poker are somewhat ambiguous, we can tell you that there are currently not restrictions on playing online poker. Websites such as BetOnline Poker and Ignition Poker are some of the finest choices in New York. They come with a plateau of poker games tested by thousands of players who not only have an account registered at these poker rooms but also make a point of participating actively.
- Poker Rooms In New York
- Free Poker Sites
- Best Online Poker New York
- New York Online Poker Sites
- Online Poker In New York
- New York Poker Sites
New York is further behind its neighboring states when it comes to the availability of online gambling in various forms. New York sweepstakes sites offer the chance for players to have fun with online casino games and online poker while playing for cash prizes.
New York State is, however, one of only two states that impose strict limits to sweepstakes cash prizes. The other is Florida.
If the cash prize can exceed $5,000, the operator has to file a Games of Chance Registration (form DOS0255-f) with the New York Department of State. That means playing any of the sweepstakes sites as a New York resident restricts your cash prize potential to $5,000.
However, the State of Washington has outright outlawed social gaming sites, so New York State at least allows all of the online sweepstakes options. Here’s an overview of what’s on offer:
What Sweepstakes Products Can I Play In New York State?
New York State has set the sweepstakes prize potential to no more than $5,000. Lawmakers have also kept online gambling illegal. But those with a NY address can still win cash prizes through the following social gaming sites:
Online Casino
You have your choice of two sweepstakes casinos in New York State: Chumba Casino and LuckyLand.
Chumba Casino has a larger selection of slots as well as blackjack, American roulette, and Jacks or Better video poker. Their progressive jackpots are also massive and better than most traditional online casinos. However, the no-purchase welcome package isn’t the best.
LuckyLand has a more modest selection of slots, but still has over 30 titles. They also have a couple of digital scratch cards, which is a unique form of slots not offered by Chumba.
Further, their no-purchase welcome bonus is fantastic, rewarding players with up to 10 Sweeps Coins.
Online Poker
Global Poker is the only legitimate social poker site available to people in New York. As it stands, only four states offer traditional online poker, and New York isn’t one of them.
The good news is that Global Poker offers a huge player pool that extends to all of the US and Canada except for the State of Washington and Quebec. That means thousands of players are actively using the site every month.
At Global Poker, you can play using Gold Coins or Sweeps Coins. If you have enough Sweeps Coins in your account for redemption, you can do so in the form of a gift card or cash prize.
Online Sportsbook
New York State’s online sports betting laws are convoluted. If you were to look it up, you’d think there are no legal sportsbook websites. But visiting the DraftKings sportsbook site tells a different story.
Still, it’s better to be safe rather than sorry, and that’s where FendOff Sports comes into play. This social sportsbook is structured like the sweepstakes casinos and poker sites. You can make sports picks using Gold Coins or Sweeps, and Sweeps can be redeemed for cash prizes.
FendOff offers picks for all types of sports as well as pari-mutuel racebook picks. They also accept in-game picks on top of all the standard pre-game and futures action.
How Are Sweepstakes Sites Different Than Online Gambling Sites?
Sweepstakes sites don’t take deposits. Instead, you purchase the website’s proprietary currencies, which are Gold Coins (GC) and Sweeps Coins (SC). Only SC can be redeemed for a monetary reward.
Online gambling sites simply take deposits in local currencies, allow members to bet on their games with that money, and you can withdraw the remaining balance in your account. While different online gambling sites have different terms and conditions, that’s the general overview of how it works.
Sweepstakes sites, on the other hand, allow you to redeem your SC for cash prizes or gift cards. You cannot purchase SC either, you can only receive it for free, either as a bonus for purchasing GC or through a few other methods. We’ll get into more details in the next section.
Another big difference between social gaming sites and gambling sites is the legality. Real-money online poker is available in just four states (DE, NJ, NV, and PA). And online casinos are legal in the same states minus Nevada. Sweepstakes sites are legal in every state and Canadian province except Washington and Quebec, respectively.
However, in terms of the selection of games, the differences are fairly negligible.
Check out our full guide to Sweepstakes Casinos In The US.
Can You Win Real Money At Sweepstakes Casinos And Poker Sites From New York State?
You can win cash prizes from sweepstakes sites like social casinos, Global Poker, and FendOff sports. Here’s how it works:
When you join a sweepstakes site, you receive both Gold Coins (GC) and Sweeps Coins (SC). Playing games using GC is strictly for fun and cannot result in any cash prizes. However, playing with SC can earn you cash prizes.
To redeem SC for a cash prize, you need to play using the SC at least once for it to be considered “cleared” or “redeemable” SC. You also need to have enough to meet the minimum requirements for redemption.
For example, at Chumba Casino, cleared SC 10 can be redeemed for a gift card. But you need SC 100 to receive a cash prize.
Of course, you’re using your SC to play games of chance, which means it’s likely that you’ll run out before you can redeem it. To receive more, you have a few options:
- Purchase GC packages, some of which include a set amount of SC.
- Participate in the sweepstakes site’s social media contests.
- Mail in a request for free SC.
- Take advantage of daily, weekly, and seasonal bonus offers.
What Kinds Of Bonuses Do Sweepstakes Casinos And Poker Sites Offer To Players In New York State?
Generally speaking, bonuses are different from simply purchasing Gold Coins (GC) at full price and receiving SC as a bonus. At social gaming sites, the bonuses that players look for involve receiving free Sweeps Coins (SC) for free or through a discounted purchase.
Registration Bonus
It’s required by law for sweepstakes gaming platforms to award you free SC when you create an account. This applies to all four sites without exception.
Daily Sign-In Bonuses
At Chumba Casino, you receive a free SC just for logging in every day after you create an account. But remember that you need to play with the SC first before it can be redeemed for a cash prize.
Social Media Contests
Some of the sweepstakes sites host daily and weekly social media contests. Entry is free, and the prize potential is a large amount of SC in your account.
Mail-In A Sweeps Request
Like the sweepstakes of yesteryear, you can mail in a request for free SC directly to the social gaming site. Check their terms for more specific directions.
Discounted Gold Coins Pack
Whether through your account on the site or in your registration email’s inbox, you’ll be routinely offered discount GC packages that include SC.
For example, one received recently from LuckyLand was a $5 GC pack that included 15 SC.
What Kinds Of Games Are Available At New York State’s Sweepstakes Poker Sites?
Global Poker has a huge player pool. Even 888Poker and WSOP combining their pools across three states can’t compete with Global Poker’s reach across the US and Canada.
At any given moment, but especially at peak hours, hundreds of players can be ready to play against you through a variety of game types and formats.
The way the stakes work are very similar to more traditional online poker sites. Global Poker also takes a rakeback of 5% on all pots. The 5+ player cap for rakeback is SC 4, which is the most Global Poker takes on a single event.
Unlike gambling online poker sites, you don’t need to download anything to play at Global Poker. You can play directly on both your computer’s web browser and your mobile device’s web app. All non-sweepstakes American online poker sites require that you download an app to play.
At Global Poker, the game formats for every type of game are Texas Hold’em, Omaha, and Crazy Pineapple. You play using chips that represent either Gold Coins (GC) or Sweeps Coins (SC). Since playing in SC is the most popular option, we list the stakes below in SC rather than GC.
Game Types (and their stakes) | Lowest Stakes Offered | Highest Possible Stakes |
---|---|---|
Ring Games (small blind/big blind) | SC 0.02/SC 0.04 | SC 10/SC 20 |
Multi-Table Tournament (tickets) | SC 0.11 | SC 33 |
Sit ‘n’ Go (entry fee/jackpot) | SC 0.05/SC 0.5 | SC 18/SC 200 |
Jackpot Sit ‘n’ Go (entries/jackpot) | SC 0.5/up to SC 5,000 | SC 20/up to SC 200,000 |
As you can see, you can play SNG, MTT, and ring games, and the different stakes are comparable to all major non-social online poker platforms. But instead of USD, the Global Poker stakes are in SC or GC, player’s choice.
What Kinds Of Slots Can I Play At Sweepstakes Casinos?
Both Chumba and LuckyLand offer a large selection of slots that span all the genres and styles of games. Combined, New Yorkers have their choice of around 100 titles.
Unfortunately, neither Chumba nor LuckyLand offer a very intuitive navigation. They don’t offer a search bar much less filter options. That means you have to browse every choice and base your selection either on the cover or the progressive jackpot.
Chumba has a slightly more intuitive setup that at least has a “Recently Played” section. So once you find your games of choice, you can easily find them in that section.
All games are available to play in either Gold Coins (GC) or Sweeps Coins (SC). You can’t play any of the games in demo mode. But if you set the stakes low on GC, you can play with the millions of free coins you receive forever.
To receive a cash prize or gift card, you’ll need to play with SC. Therefore it’s recommended to use GC to become familiar with the game before you risk SC. This will give you the best odds of success.
Here is a table of the top 10 best slots at sweepstakes casinos in terms of win potential at the time of writing this article.
Slot | Description | Progressive Jackpot | Social Casino |
---|---|---|---|
Western Gold | 5-reel, 50-line | SC 1,000,000+ | Chumba |
Stallion Grand | 5-reel, 50-line | SC 322,000+ | Chumba |
Dancing Gold | 5-reel, 50-line | SC 322,000+ | Chumba |
Wild Roads | 3-reel, 5 lines | SC 234,000+ | Chumba |
Triple Double Fever | 3-reel, 5 lines | SC 234,000+ | Chumba |
Dr. Amazing | 5-reel, 243 ways pays | SC 156,000+ | LuckyLand |
Long Zhi Bao Zhang | 5-reel, 50-line | SC 153,000+ | Chumba |
Reeling n Rockin' | 5-reel, 50-line | SC 132,000+ | Chumba |
Stampede Fury | 5-reel, 243 ways pays | SC 132,000+ | Chumba |
Neon Valley | 5-reel, 30-line | SC 125,000+ | LuckyLand |
What Other Casino Games Can I Find At Sweepstakes Casinos?
While slots make up the vast majority of options at both Chumba and LuckyLand, you can find a few other gaming options that allow you to play in either Gold Coins (GC) or Sweeps Coins (SC). Here’s an overview of each option:
Blackjack (Chumba)
Chumba Casino offers a blackjack with better return to player (RTP) than most of their slots. It also has some rules that are good for the player, and some that are bad.
Good Rules
- Blackjack pays 3 to 2
- Dealer stands on soft 17
- Doubling down on split hands
- Can split aces
Bad Rules
- All 6 decks shuffled after every hand
- Doubling down only on 9, 10, or 11
- No surrender
In terms of online blackjack with stakes that range from SC 1 to SC 100, it doesn’t get much better than this.
Poker Rooms In New York
American Roulette (Chumba)
American roulette is the worst roulette variation in terms of RTP. European roulette is better, French roulette is the best.
The reason is because of two green pockets rather than one, and French roulette refunds 50% of lost chips if the ball lands in the single green pocket.
Jacks Or Better Video Poker (Chumba)
Jacks Or Better has one of the lowest RTPs in the casino. It’s underrated namely because it’s most commonly found mounted into bar tops at Vegas casinos. But make no mistake: the RTP can be even better than blackjack.
Digital Scratch-Offs (LuckyLand)
Digital scratchers are set up just like a physical scratch-off lotto ticket you’d buy at a New York State corner store or gas station. You receive winning symbols, then “scratch off” your hidden symbols in the hopes that one or more match the winning symbols.
Free Poker Sites
At LuckyLand, you have two options, and the largest possible prize is SC 25,000.
New York State Online Casino & Poker Sweepstakes FAQ
18. The legal age to play social gaming sites in New York State (and everywhere else in the US) is 18 and up.
Before you can redeem your Sweeps Coins for a gift card or cash prize, you’ll need to verify your identity.
So while anyone with an email can create an account, no one under the age of 18 can benefit financially from a sweepstakes offer in NYS.
No, not directly.
However, Sweeps Coins (SC) that you win playing the sweepstakes games can be redeemed for a cash prize or a gift card. The more redeemable SC that you have, the higher the value of your cash prize or gift card.
You do not need to make a purchase to receive SC and win a cash prize. However, to participate in the sweepstakes, you do need to play any games using SC at least once.
The average daily users for Global Poker is hard to come by. But from our experience, Global Poker has a larger pool of players than even the largest legal online poker sites in the US. Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Global Poker numbers continue to grow at a steady and impressive rate.
Best Online Poker New York
No. Once an online casino, poker site, or sportsbook accepts deposits, they become a gambling site in the eyes of New York State.
Social gaming sites avoid that distinction by not accepting deposits. Instead, they allow members to purchase Gold Coins (which may include Sweeps Coins) using a variety of payment methods.
However, Visa and other methods may be restricted. That’s why we recommend Skrill, an e-wallet that you can use to purchase Gold Coins as well as redeem cash prizes.
As mentioned beneath the previous question, Skrill is the best way to receive your cash prize from a sweepstakes site. It’s quick and easy to create a Skrill account, and its navigation and setup is similar to PayPal.
However, PayPal has been recently separating itself from sweepstakes sites as they gain popularity. We don’t see the same happening for Skrill, which is a world-renowned e-wallet that’s specifically popular for online gaming.
If you live in New York choose from any of the below USA legal poker sites. These poker sites allow players from New York. Sign up and claim a great bonus for playing online poker in New York.
At this time there are no online poker sites located in New York. As more states pass legislation regulating online poker New York will most likely open an online poker site themselves. Check back shortly for a listing of legal online poker sites located in New York. In the meantime play online poker at any of the below recommended poker sites. These poker site are all licensed and regulated outside the United States but offer a great online poker experience.
Best Legal Online Poker Sites – New York
Bad Beat Jackpot
Progressive Rake Chase
Americas Card Room Review
Credit Cards Work Well
In Business Since 1995
Bovada Poker Review
Loose Players
Sportsbook and Casino
BetOnline Poker Review
New York Online Poker Sites
Americas Card Room is our top recommended USA online poker site. They have the best site traffic and offer the largest tournaments of all USA online poker sites. Running on the Winning Poker Network, site traffic is good even at off peak times. Americas Card Room also gets USA deposits approved easily and you can deposit with your credit card or Bitcoin. When it is time to cash out you will receive your withdraw quickly, especially if you choose Bitcoin. We have had Bitcoin withdraws processed and available in as little as 10 hours.
Online Poker In New York
Playing Online Poker in New York
New York Poker Sites
Be sure to check your current state laws in New York to determine if online poker is legal in your area. Local and state laws may prohibit playing online poker from New York. All the above poker sites accept New York residents however it is the responsibility of the user of this website to check state and local laws for regulations.