Can I play the best legal poker sites in NJ from NY?

August 3, 2017May 21, 2018 Aileen Barro

The short answer is: YES! New York may have a long list of gambling laws but laws against online poker are not that clear, so you can play the best legal poker sites in NJ from NY. For example, the Federal Wire Act of 1961 only outlawed interstate wagering on sports but did not mention other forms of gambling such as online poker.

The Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006 (IUEGA) also failed to specifically address the legality of online gambling and only outlawed financial transactions from online gambling providers. Thus a lot of gambling operators and offshore providers continue to provide services to US customers.

If you can find, which is made easier nowadays, a New Jersey Poker site that accepts players from other states, you’re all set to wager even from miles away.

New York Internet Gambling Legislation

In 2015, seven states have introduced bills that would legalize online gambling. The states of California, New York, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Mississippi, Massachusetts, and Washington hope to join Nevada, New Jersey, U.S Virgin Islands and Delaware as states that provide online casino games. The following are the online gambling legislation submitted in New York.

Bill AB 6007 – Amends the Mental Hygiene Law. It requires a statewide study done to measure the extent of legal and illegal gambling, including online gambling, in New York.

Bill SB 5302 – Makes corresponding penal law amendments allowing certain games of skill like interactive poker games. Also discusses the authorization, required safeguards, minimum standards and scope of licensing as well as state tax implications of such games.

Bill S 3898 – Senator John Bonacic’s bill to regulate online poker in New York got unanimous favorable votes from the Senate Racing, Wagering, and Gaming Committee.

Bill A 5250 – Assemblyman Gary Pretlow also proposed the legalization and regulation of online poker in New York.

As of now, New York does not express internet prohibition, which means it hasn’t adopted any laws criminalizing offerings from US online casinos. The success of the bills mentioned above relies on the reclassification of poker as a game of skill.

Legality of online gambling in New Jersey

Why is online poker legal in New Jersey and not in New York? Thanks to a bill proposed by Gov. Chris Christie that has been signed in February 2013, it is now legal to gamble online in New Jersey. The republican governor aims to bring financial benefits to the state in a form of a projected 85 percent increase in casino tax revenue. Gambling analysts predict that online gambling could bring $1.5 billion annual business to the state in the next five years.

Three operators dominate the online poker market in NJ, they are Borgata, WSOP and PokerStars. Caesars casino and NJ online poker set a new revenue record in January, surpassing last month’s record. Only the sites approved by the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement can offer regulated online poker. To make sure you’re playing on an authorized website, look for the DGE logo.