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What's legal
Retail sports betting opened at upstate casinos in July 2019. Mobile betting went live on January 8, 2022, run by operators the Gaming Commission licensed. The minimum age for mobile betting is 21, and you must be in New York when you bet.
The Commission's own list shows nine licensed mobile operators: Bally Bet, BetMGM, Caesars Sportsbook, DraftKings Sportsbook, theScore Bet, Fanatics Sportsbook, FanDuel Sportsbook, Resorts World Bet and Rush Street Interactive. The state taxes mobile sports wagering revenue at 51 percent, the highest rate in the country, and most of it goes to public schools.
Crypto and offshore sites
Licensed New York sportsbooks are US-regulated and fund accounts in dollars. Crypto is not a standard deposit method, so you would normally sell coins for dollars first and check the app's cashier for what it accepts.
Offshore crypto sportsbooks hold no New York license, and they are not licensed in any US state. The attorney general has acted against unlicensed online gambling: in June 2025 her office stopped 26 online sweepstakes casinos, and in April 2026 it sued Coinbase and Gemini over their prediction-market products. A licensed operator answers to the Commission, while an offshore site answers to no regulator you can reach.
What's changing
In December 2025 Governor Hochul signed a law banning online sweepstakes casinos, with civil penalties of $10,000 to $100,000 per violation. The Gaming Commission sent Kalshi a cease-and-desist letter in October 2025. On April 24, 2026 the CFTC sued New York to block enforcement against federally registered exchanges. On July 7, 2026 a federal judge in Manhattan denied Kalshi a preliminary injunction, finding that federal law does not preempt New York's gambling laws as applied to its sports contracts.
On July 31, 2026 the state sued Kalshi in state court, seeking an order to stop it operating without a license, plus restitution and fines of three times its gains. These cases are still open.
Tax on winnings
New York starts from your federal income, so gambling winnings are taxed at graduated state rates, plus city tax for New York City residents, on top of federal tax. Losses cannot be netted against winnings on the state return. Ask a tax professional about your own situation.
Common questions
Is crypto sports betting legal in New York?
Betting with a New York-licensed sportsbook is legal, but crypto is not a standard deposit method there. Offshore crypto sportsbooks are unlicensed in New York.
Are sweepstakes casinos legal in New York?
No. A law signed in December 2025 bans online sweepstakes casinos and sets civil penalties of $10,000 to $100,000 per violation.
Is Kalshi legal in New York?
The state says no. It sent a cease-and-desist in October 2025 and sued on July 31, 2026, and a federal judge refused Kalshi's request for an injunction. The cases are still open.