Is It Illegal to bet on sports online in NYS?

Question

im thinking about betting on sports online but it is illegal to gamble in New York State. i was wondering if i would get in legal trouble or not be able to cash my winnings being that its a check from an online sports betting site. need a little clarification on the laws.

Answer 1

as Potsie said above, online gambling is not illegal, however is illegal for financial institustions to make transferes for you towards gambling companies. You can still make deposits with ease using pre-paid cards (keep them for reference, bookies might ask for a copy), western union or checks.

a list of US friendly bookies can be found here

http://www.igamingbook.com/sportsbook/

go winning

Answer 2

There is NO federal law that makes the act of wagering online with an offshore sportsbook illegal. The only federal law that addresses gambling is the wire act from the 1960's which makes it illegal to place wagers via the telephone. The US government passed a port security law and tacked on provisions (UIGEA) that make it illegal for BANKS, not players, to fund or accept payment from "illegal" gaming sources. The only problem (for the govt) is that there are dozens of third party methods available for funding and no way to trace ACH credits. Another problem for the DOJ is that they qualified the online gambling statement with "illegal online gambling" yet failed to define "illegal online gambling". There is no law that speaks to online gambling so UIGEA refers to no specific activity. In other words, the new provisions are only for show, a meager attempt to turn the banks into law enforcement agencies, and the end result is a waste of ink. I still use my VISA check card and e-check on my favorite sites. Online gaming will be impossible to completely eliminate from the US. The offshore gaming sites contend that since the wagers are being placed on their servers that the actual wagering is occurring outside of the USA, thus making the enforcement of any anti-gaming legislation impossible. The best they can do is make it inconvenient. Eventually I see the industry being regulated and taxed.

The only states with laws directed towards online wagering are Michigan, Illinois, Louisiana, Oregon, Wisconsin, Washington, Indiana, Nevada, New York, New Jersey and South Dakota. Although these states do have specific laws pertaining to online gaming, there has not been any charges laid and those laws are vague and currently being challenged.  The state laws are extremely weak and are being challenged.  Furthermore have you noticed that every time that you hear about a betting ring getting busted that it's only the bookie that gets popped?  Never the players, not even Wayne Gretzky. :)

Some sites have decided, on their own, to no longer accept American players. These are the publicly traded companies and most have returned to private owners. All of the sites that have been prosecuted have been for accepting wagers from Americans WHILE being based on US soil! It has nothing to do with off shore online gambling. There are still many highly reputable sites that welcome and cater to American clients.

I have wagered online for years and make good money betting on sports. You can get free sports betting tips, tools, sports picks, and independent reviews of only highly reputable gaming sites at http://GamblingReviewsSite.com

The recommended sites all offer top customer service, security, and fast/free payouts.

Answer 3

Its legal, a lot of people bet online. The law was made only to make banks end their services for deposits into online sites. However there are other ways you can deposit if your debit card wont let you. Such as Echeck or Visa Gift Card, be sure to try first with debit card, there are some banks that allow it. You cannot get into legal trouble, because BETTING IN USA is legal. See http://www.bettingwise.com/usagamblingsi...

for some USA welcome sites. Intertops is the best choice for sportsbetting.