New York online poker New York made significant headway in the fight to regulate online poker in 2016 and 2017, with legislation making it past the introductory phase for the first time. Online poker passed the Senate in both years, but little progress was made in 2018  or 2019. Dec 18, 2019  Online Poker New York. Poker is a game that has been very popular throughout the history of New York. Up until the 1990s poker players in New York did not have any legal ways to play so underground poker rooms were common. In the 1990s the state developed compacts with Indian Tribes to allow tribal casinos.

New York has given rise to some of the best poker players that the world has ever seen, players such as Erik Seidel and Stu Ungar were both from New York and they even went on to be crowned champions.

However, even though poker has always been popular in New York, it was never fully legally accepted and hence was restricted mostly to dingy, poorly lit backrooms of back alley clubs in and around central New York.

There is now a push which is gaining steam to legalize and regulate online poker so New Yorkers can play legally, and in a safe environment. The proponents also want to pass legislation which will bring in some big brand land based casinos to the state.

If everything goes as per plan, it will not be long before you can play poker in online poker rooms which are regulated by the State itself. As of 2017, New Yorkers cannot legally play real money poker in online casinos of their own but they are still do have some choices when it comes to playing real money poker tournaments at state regulated online poker rooms.

Top New York Poker Rooms for January 2020All Poker Rooms are Licensed , Mobile Friendly Advertiser Disclosure

Ny Online Poker News

Contents

• Status of Online Poker in New York
• Frequently Asked Questions

Status of Online Poker in New York

The fact of the matter is that whether online poker specifically is legal or not in the State of New York would depend on the definition of Poker and whether it is classified as a game of skill or a game of luck. As per New York state law Penal Code 225.00

The letter of the law is as follows –

A person engages in gambling when he stakes or risks something of value upon the outcome of a contest of chance or a future contingent event not under his control or influence, upon an agreement or understanding that he will receive something of value in the event of a certain outcome

However, the legality issue surrounding poker is a gray area since it can be argued that poker is not entirely a game of luck and is instead a game of skill and the players do have certain control over what happens in the game unlike in blackjack or roulette where it is purely skill. This is a strong point for online New York poker players and is good sign that the push for legalization and clarity may be successful.

Legislation

When it comes to legalizing online Poker, there are two bills that have been drafted which specifically target legalization and they are the apple of the eye for poker players across the state right now.

A ray of hope came when Lawrence DiCristina was charged for hosting poker games in his private property, but the charges were dismissed by a lower court which considered that Poker was a game of skill and not chance. This verdict sent a strong message in terms of how the thinking had changed within the state’s judicial system.

Following this almost landmark decision, a state bill was drafted and proposed by Senator John Bonacic. This was Bill S6913 and it was essentially an amendment which would explicitly recognize Poker as a game of skill and shed some light on the legality issues that surround it currently. If passed, it would inevitably lead to a number of new regulated New York online poker rooms.

Currently, the bill remains just a proposal and is awaiting approval from the Senate Committee on Racing, Gaming and Wagering.

Live Poker in New York

Given the legal challenges around online poker, it is understandable that live poker at this time is mostly restricted to unregulated back door Poker rooms.

What does the future hold for online poker in New York?

Fortunately, there has been a shift in the thinking of the state when it comes to online poker. Poker is heading towards legalization and regulation and it is only a matter of time. Having said that, a lot of it is still in limbo as we await the verdict on the proposed bills and amendments seeking to recognize Poker as a game of skill and hence have it legalized without a question of a doubt.

However, unlike in New Jersey, it does not seem likely that online casinos will be legalized in New York, just online poker rooms only. Therefore, there are going to be a lot of poker only sites coming up for sure.

It may still take a year or two before online Poker can be played without any legal challenges, but for the moment, the biggest chance is through bill S6913.

However, if you were to look at the possible challenges which online poker could face, the most notable one would probably be in the form of the Restoration of America’s Wire Act. This bill is supported by a land based casino kingpin Sheldon Adelson and it essentially proposes the opposite of S6913 in that it does not allow for any relaxation laws surrounding legality of online poker. It would basically outlaw online poker not just in New York, but throughout the country (including states like Nevada and New Jersey). Passage of this would crush any hopes that poker players in New York have of legalization and it would also render bill S6913 useless and would not even consider it.

Frequently Asked Questions

There are several State regulated online poker only rooms that serve New Yorkers specifically. You can most certainly play online Poker legally in these websites. Furthermore, there are several other Poker rooms which accept players from anywhere in the US, and New York players can play on such sites as well.

As per the state laws in effect in New York. You need to be at least 21 or over to be able to legally take part in gambling activities. Most regulated racinos in New York will not allow you to participate any real money Poker tournaments of games if you happen to be under the age of 21.

There are several racinos in New York. This is a hybrid kind of casino which includes not only a horse racing track and horse racing events, but also a casino. In most such Racinos, the gambling is mostly limited to slot machines, but table games are beginning to make appearances in these establishments. You can find live poker in many such racinos nowadays.

Yes! Some credit card and debit card processors will decline transactions that involve a casino or a poker room as the merchant in question. However, you can overcome this with the use of e – wallets. You will not have any issues making real money transactions with the State regulated and white listed casinos.

PayPal has developed a reputation as one of the safest and most secure online payments systems in the world. There are literally millions of websites that now accept PayPal as a method of payment, including a number of legal and regulated online casino and poker sites across the US.

PayPal transactions can be conducted in more than 25 different currencies and the payment processor’s 200 million active users worldwide use it to send, receive and hold funds in all of them.

Now, thanks to PayPal reversing a no-gambling transactions policy it had in place for years, gamblers and poker players in the US can use PayPal to deposit and withdraw funds form several online poker and casino sites operating legally inside the US.

Which online poker and casino sites in the US accept PayPal?

PayPal is now accepted as a method of deposit and withdrawal by four online poker sites operating legally in the US.

The sites include:

Additionally, five more legal and regulated online casino sites in New Jersey also accept PayPal.

These sites include:

Banking with PayPal

Making a deposit on an online poker or casino site with PayPal is a simple three-step process.

You must first ensure the email address you are using for both your poker or casino site is the same one you’re using for your PayPal account.

Next, you must fund that PayPal account. PayPal accounts can normally be funded through a transfer from another PayPal account or by direct transfer from your bank account.

PayPal usually accepts major credit and debit cards as well. However, there are fees associated and several online poker and casino sites do not accept PayPal deposits from accounts funded in this manner.

Once there is money in your account, the third and final step is to choose PayPal as your method of deposit on the online casino or poker site of your choice and follow the prompts.

Once you have successfully made a deposit using PayPal, you can then withdraw funds using the online payment processor.

Is PayPal safe and secure?

As a licensed money transmitter in the US, PayPal is subject to many of the laws governing the US banking industry. For the most part, this means your money is as safe with PayPal as it is with any bank in the country.

Additionally, PayPal uses Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) encryption technology to keeps all of its users personal and financial information safe and secure. This means your privacy is protected.

Finally, PayPal has its own Buyer Protection and Account Protection programs that will help you on the rare occasion your money somehow disappears. Essentially, these programs help resolve any disputes over transactions. They help prevent fraud and provide an additional layer of protection for all PayPal users.

In the end, you can count on PayPal being one of the safest and most secure ways to make a deposit on accepting online poker and casino sites in the US.

Are online casino and poker sites that accept PayPal safe?

Government oversight ensures the legal and regulated online poker and casino sites in the US are safe and secure. In New Jersey, that oversight is provided by an arm of the State Attorney General’s Office called the Division of Gaming Enforcement.

In Nevada, it’s the Nevada Gaming Commission and the Nevada Gaming Control Board.

These government bodies have put in place regulations guaranteeing the safety of all player funds. They are also responsible for testing the games and software for fairness.

The history of PayPal and US poker and online casino sites

PayPal launched online payment processing services back in 1998. At the time, online gambling sites were one of its biggest business partners.

The online auction site eBay bought PayPal in 2002 and it wasn’t long before the U.S. Attorney’s Office first alleged PayPal was processing payments for what it considered illegal gambling operations.

PayPal and eBay settled the case against it by agreeing to pay a $10 million fine, admitting it had aided illegal offshore online gambling sites, and instituting a strict no-gambling transaction policy.

This policy stayed in effect for close to seven years.

By that time, governments around the world had begun legalizing and regulating online gambling operations. PayPal moved back into the online gambling market in 2010 by beginning to act as payment processors for online casino sites in Europe that were licensed and regulated in different jurisdictions.

The strict no-gambling transaction policy was changed with PayPal now interested in working with online gambling operators, as long as they were licensed and regulated by local governments.

Caesars Interactive Entertainment’s NJ online gambling sites struck a deal to start accepting PayPal in 2015. The WSOP.com Nevada site came on board at that time as well. Two New Jersey sites operating under Golden Nugget Atlantic City’s internet gambling license came aboard in 2017.

PayPal online poker and casino FAQ

Are there fees for using PayPal?

The online poker and casino sites in the US that accept PayPal as a method of deposit do not charge users a fee for using PayPal.

There are also no fees for funding a PayPal account directly from a US bank account or by electronic funds transfer.

Can you use PayPal without an account?

Players must create a PayPal account to use it as a deposit method on sites that accept it. Plus, the email address has to be the same one on both accounts.

Can you use someone else’s PayPal account?

No. The PayPal account used to deposit at a US online poker or casino site must belong to the site account holder. It must also needs to use the same email address.

Why can’t I see PayPal as a withdrawal method?

PayPal only appears as a withdrawal option once its used as a deposit method.

How do I make a withdrawal from PayPal?

Users can almost always make a withdrawal from PayPal using the same methods used to fund the account. Users can also request electronic check and a check by mail.
PayPal users also have the ability to obtain a PayPal debit card that can be used at ATMs and places where most major credit cards are accepted.

Why should I use PayPal?

PayPal offers instant deposits at the US online poker and casino sites that accept it. It is safe and secure and money on PayPal can also be used all over the internet.

Online Poker Paypal New York Free

The only downside is withdrawal times can sometimes be slower than other online payment processors.