The advantage is that these two sites are in direct competition and will endeavor to try and outdo the other site by offering similar bonuses to the sportsbooks. However, shopping around for value is not really an option as both sites offer very similar commission structures. Daily Fantasy Sports v Offshore Sportsbooks – Verdict. Top Daily fantasy sports. The Houston Rockets didn't win the NBA Finals this past season and James Harden didn't repeat as Most Valuable Player. ThriveFantasy offers DFS contests on major US sports, such as NFL, MLB, NBA, and NHL, as well as esports contests, such as CS:GO, League of Legends (LOL), and Defense of the Ancients (DOTA). ThriveFantasy offers the traditional daily fantasy sports betting contests and a 'versus' contest. FanSided Fantasy. About Blog Fansided is the one-stop-shop for top fantasy sports analysis. DFS Tools & Insights. Daily Fantasy Cafe.
You don't have to be a Knicks fan or a Giants fan to want to bet on sports in New York. Sports betting in the Empire State has been a hot topic over the past few years, as federal and state governments jockey to lay out what's legal, what's illegal, and what's in a gray area. Those looking to get into the NY betting action now will need to utilize offshore gambling options. Here's a full list of the best New York sports betting sites offering services to your state.
Betting Site | Bonus | Bet Now | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | up to €30 Free Bet | Go to Site | |
| 2 | 22Bet | 100% up to €122 | Go to Site |
| 3 | 100% up to €200 | Go to Site | |
| 4 | 10Bet | 100% up to €50 | Go to Site |
| 5 | 100% up to €50 | Go to Site |
Are New York Sports Betting Sites Legal?
The state of sports betting in New York is consistent with the laws throughout the rest of the country—it's unclear and confusing. Let's see if we can unpack the facts and clear up some of the misinformation.
In 2018, the federal government reversed certain laws limiting the legality of sports betting across the US. In short, they made sports betting legal on a national level and paved the way for states to put out their own guidance about how they want the landscape to look for their residents. Many states jumped at the opportunity to rake in the tax benefits, including New York.
In 2019, New York lawmakers and the New York State Gaming Commission passed legislation to allow sports betting in four upstate casinos, as well as in the tribal casinos throughout the state. According to these laws, it would seem that no new regulation legalizing the use of online betting has been passed. Some would argue this is not necessary, as the federal government's 2018 ruling should take precedence over state actions.
In response to New York's struggling government budget issues, Governor Cuomo made it clear he's currently not interested in the added tax benefits that could come from mobile betting or New York betting sites:
'There's no gimmicks. There's no new casino revenue… This is not the time to come up with creative, although irresponsible revenue sources to solve a problem which doesn't really exist.'
For now, those that want to bet on sports online in New York will need to stick to offshore options. The legality of these sites is up for debate, with the general consensus is that they continue to operate in a legal gray area. To date, no residents or visitors to the state using online New York sportsbooks have had any legal problems with playing, betting, or collecting winnings.
Obviously, you'll want to proceed at your own risk, and if you need a more concrete answer on the issue, you'll want to contact a gaming attorney with expertise in NY law. Be advised, though, you'll probably get different answers based on which attorneys you choose to consult.
What New York Sports Betting Sites Offer
Those looking to wager on sports through time-tested and trusted offshore companies will have extensive options when it comes to betting. The best New York sports betting sites offer action on all four major sports (basketball, baseball, football, and hockey), minor sports (auto racing, soccer, MMA, boxing, tennis, etc.), and seasonal events (Olympics, politics, etc). Within each sport covered, you'll find extensive bet options, including things like:
Offshore Daily Fantasy Sports Sites Online
Looking to bet on your favorite New York sports team? You'll find PLENTY of action on the Jets, Giants, Islanders, Yankees, Mets, Knicks, Nets, Rangers, and more. While the top New York sportsbooks recommended here are not exclusively made for New York bettors, we have confirmed they cover action on all of the popular (and some less popular) NY sports teams.
Offshore Sportsbooks vs. State Regulated Options
If you're new to betting on sports online, terms like 'offshore' and 'state-regulated' may be a little foreign, but they are important to understand what your current options are. State-regulated New York sportsbooks are books that are acknowledged and approved by the government.
These site options will always have more oversight and require more documentation to bet with, but they're typically safer for consumers. The problem, though, is that none of these sites currently exist for New York sports bettors.
Offshore betting sites, on the other hand, are sportsbooks that serve customers around the world from headquarters located outside of the US. The legality of these operations has always been a gray area, and to this day, it has yet to be clarified sufficiently by mainstream lawmakers. These options will have no state oversight, but they are typically licensed in the country they're based out of and undergo regular third-party audits.
Are these New York sports betting sites that operate offshore safe? For the most part, yes, as long as you stick to the sites that have passed the test of time and been fully vetted. Legally speaking, they're undefined by the law, but for decades, NY sports bettors have been using them daily to make billions of dollars in wagers.
Daily Fantasy vs. Sports Betting in New York
Several years ago, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, signed the Interactive Fantasy Sports Bill into law, opening up a clear path for state-regulated daily fantasy sports sites to service NY customers. Since then, temporary licenses have been approved for major providers like FanDuel and DraftKings, a great sign of steps forward for the industry.
In the eyes of lawmakers, daily fantasy sports (DFS) and traditional sports betting are different, even though you're still wagering money on the outcome of sporting events. According to lawmakers, DFS contests are just that—contests.
And in these contests, you're competing against other players to win prizes instead of betting against the house with individual bets. At the end of the day, we'd argue that these should all fall under the same umbrella, but governments operate outside the confines of logic from time to time.
The bottom line is, those looking to play fantasy sports online in New York are fully cleared to do so at NY sports betting sites.
Can You Use NY Betting Sites in Other States?
You may be curious about what happens to your betting abilities when you leave the state of New York. The answer is that it depends. The best New York sports betting sites operating offshore will offer service in most other states with the common exceptions of Delaware, Pennsylvania, and Nevada. When in these states, though, you'll have access to state-regulated sports betting sites, but you will need to sign up for new accounts.
When it comes to daily fantasy sports, it will depend on whether you're using state-regulated betting sites or offshore DFS operations. Offshore operations should work in most states across the US with the aforementioned common exceptions.
But state-regulated DFS sites will have strong limitations based on what the laws are in the state you're visiting. Legally speaking, it has more to do with where you're physically betting from as opposed to where you claim residence.
Betting on Sports in New York From Canada
NY residents who live close to the border often wonder if driving a little north is a remedy for their online sports betting woes. The answer is yes!
Once you cross the border and your computer or smartphone determines you're outside of the US, you'll have access to all of the international sports betting sites that serve Canadian residents. Do keep in mind that any winnings you collect will be subject to US taxes, though. If you're looking for the easiest way to use a government-approved site in New York, you might just want to head a little north, eh?
Be aware, you may need to drive a little bit past the border to ensure your internet provider or location service recognizes you're in Canada. Sports betting sites who are not offering services to US residents may err on the side of caution if players are close to the border.
Daily fantasy sports (DFS) and traditional sports betting
have a lot in common. They are both popular forms of gambling
for example, and they also require similar skill-sets and
knowledge bases. It's possible to gain an edge and make long
term profits with both as well.
In addition to the similarities they share, however, there
are also some key differences between the two. The commissions
charged are different for one thing, and in DFS the opponents
are other human players rather than bookmakers. The laws that
govern the two activities are different too, or at least they
are in some regions. This point is particularly relevant if you
live in the United States, due to the complicated laws regarding
sports betting as you're probably all too aware of. The legal
situation is a lot clearer with daily fantasy sports.
On this page we explore what we believe to be the biggest
similarities and differences between daily fantasy sports and
traditional sports betting. This should help you to make a more
educated decision about which one you'd rather pursue.
Keep in mind that daily fantasy sports and
traditional sports betting are NOT mutually exclusive. You can
easily enjoy both hobbies at the same time. In fact, any
experience you gain in DFS can improve your betting abilities,
and vice versa.
Smart Players Can Profit from Both
One of the better written books about gambling is How to Make
$100,000 a Year Gambling for a Living by David Sklansky and
Mason Malmuth. In that book, the authors point out that there
are only a handful of gambling activities where you can
realistically gain enough of an edge to make a living. These are
as follows.
- Blackjack
- Poker
- Sports Betting
- Video Poker
The book came out long before the advent of daily fantasy
sports, but had they been around when the book was written then
the authors might well have included them.
One of the observations in the book was that a smart, skilled
sports bettor can make more money as a professional gambler than
anyone specializing in any of the other forms of gambling on the
above list. That may be up for debate, but it's a fact that you
can make money from sports betting if you know what you're
doing. The same applies to daily fantasy sports, and they have
the potential to be just as profitable as traditional sports
betting for most gamblers.
Both DFS and traditional sports betting offer the opportunity
to profit from your knowledge of a particular sport, or sports.
That's not enough by itself, as you need to be able translate
that knowledge into mathematically advantageous strategies, but
consistent profits are possible with the right approach and a
willingness to learn.
In other words, if you're smart and willing to work hard, you
can earn a living from daily fantasy sports or from sports
betting. Remember, as we already mentioned, you don't even have
to choose between the two. There's no reason why you can't be
profitable at both.
Daily Fantasy Sports Is Legal and Safe
Sports betting is completely legal in many parts of the
world. Certain regions, such as the United Kingdom for example,
have bookmaking shops where you can bet on any sport you want.
In many other places, online betting is 100% legal and fully
regulated.
If you live in the United States, however, your situation is
somewhat different. The only way to bet on sports without having
any cause for concern is to use Las Vegas books. This is legal,
and perfectly safe too. There's no need to worry about getting
arrested or not getting paid out, as these books operate within
the law and pay their winners right away. Betting online is an
alternative option, but it's not an entirely legal one.
The gambling laws in America are
confusing at best, but we've tried to explain them as clearly as
possible on our page covering US gambling legislation.
No American is likely to be arrested for betting online, as
the laws and enforcement activities focus on the books and not
the people using them. This can still affect you though. If an
offshore sportsbook you're using gets shut down by US law then
you may lose any money you have there.
Consider, too, what kinds of businesses are willing to
operate on the wrong side of the law. If they're willing to take
your action knowing that it's illegal under federal law, are
they likely to have a strong moral code when it comes to paying
out winnings? Maybe some of them will, but surely some of them
won't. This problem can be avoided by using reputable betting
sites, but it's still something for American sports bettors to
think about.
Daily fantasy sports, on the other hand, are legal and safe.
These games use the same rules as traditional fantasy sports
contests, which have never been legally controversial in the
USA. You can play from your computer too, so there's no need to
travel to Vegas to participate.
For Americans wanting to get money into action on sports over
the internet, daily fantasy sports have a clear advantage over
offshore sports books.
DFS & Sports Betting Both Have Commissions
Daily fantasy sports sites usually keep a 10% commission on
all entry fees before paying out cash prizes. Here's how that
works.
sports contest. You each pay $50 to enter. The prize for the
winner is $90. The other $10 goes to the site for hosting the
event. That's a 10% commission.
Bookmakers also keep a commission, but the net amount is
usually lower. Here's how that usually works.
in order to win $100. That looks like a 10% commission, but it's
actually only around 5%. The total potential return when
wagering $110 to win $100 is $210, and that's the figure used to
calculate the commission percentage.
The net effect of this difference is that you'll need to
maintain a higher winning percentage in order to break even in
daily fantasy sports. You need a roughly 52.4% win rate at
sports betting when laying $110 to win $100. But in daily
fantasy sports, you need a roughly 55.6% win rate to break even.
This also means that you need a correspondingly higher win rate
in order to achieve the same goals for your ROI (return on
investment).
NY residents who live close to the border often wonder if driving a little north is a remedy for their online sports betting woes. The answer is yes!
Once you cross the border and your computer or smartphone determines you're outside of the US, you'll have access to all of the international sports betting sites that serve Canadian residents. Do keep in mind that any winnings you collect will be subject to US taxes, though. If you're looking for the easiest way to use a government-approved site in New York, you might just want to head a little north, eh?
Be aware, you may need to drive a little bit past the border to ensure your internet provider or location service recognizes you're in Canada. Sports betting sites who are not offering services to US residents may err on the side of caution if players are close to the border.
Daily fantasy sports (DFS) and traditional sports betting
have a lot in common. They are both popular forms of gambling
for example, and they also require similar skill-sets and
knowledge bases. It's possible to gain an edge and make long
term profits with both as well.
In addition to the similarities they share, however, there
are also some key differences between the two. The commissions
charged are different for one thing, and in DFS the opponents
are other human players rather than bookmakers. The laws that
govern the two activities are different too, or at least they
are in some regions. This point is particularly relevant if you
live in the United States, due to the complicated laws regarding
sports betting as you're probably all too aware of. The legal
situation is a lot clearer with daily fantasy sports.
On this page we explore what we believe to be the biggest
similarities and differences between daily fantasy sports and
traditional sports betting. This should help you to make a more
educated decision about which one you'd rather pursue.
Keep in mind that daily fantasy sports and
traditional sports betting are NOT mutually exclusive. You can
easily enjoy both hobbies at the same time. In fact, any
experience you gain in DFS can improve your betting abilities,
and vice versa.
Smart Players Can Profit from Both
One of the better written books about gambling is How to Make
$100,000 a Year Gambling for a Living by David Sklansky and
Mason Malmuth. In that book, the authors point out that there
are only a handful of gambling activities where you can
realistically gain enough of an edge to make a living. These are
as follows.
- Blackjack
- Poker
- Sports Betting
- Video Poker
The book came out long before the advent of daily fantasy
sports, but had they been around when the book was written then
the authors might well have included them.
One of the observations in the book was that a smart, skilled
sports bettor can make more money as a professional gambler than
anyone specializing in any of the other forms of gambling on the
above list. That may be up for debate, but it's a fact that you
can make money from sports betting if you know what you're
doing. The same applies to daily fantasy sports, and they have
the potential to be just as profitable as traditional sports
betting for most gamblers.
Both DFS and traditional sports betting offer the opportunity
to profit from your knowledge of a particular sport, or sports.
That's not enough by itself, as you need to be able translate
that knowledge into mathematically advantageous strategies, but
consistent profits are possible with the right approach and a
willingness to learn.
In other words, if you're smart and willing to work hard, you
can earn a living from daily fantasy sports or from sports
betting. Remember, as we already mentioned, you don't even have
to choose between the two. There's no reason why you can't be
profitable at both.
Daily Fantasy Sports Is Legal and Safe
Sports betting is completely legal in many parts of the
world. Certain regions, such as the United Kingdom for example,
have bookmaking shops where you can bet on any sport you want.
In many other places, online betting is 100% legal and fully
regulated.
If you live in the United States, however, your situation is
somewhat different. The only way to bet on sports without having
any cause for concern is to use Las Vegas books. This is legal,
and perfectly safe too. There's no need to worry about getting
arrested or not getting paid out, as these books operate within
the law and pay their winners right away. Betting online is an
alternative option, but it's not an entirely legal one.
The gambling laws in America are
confusing at best, but we've tried to explain them as clearly as
possible on our page covering US gambling legislation.
No American is likely to be arrested for betting online, as
the laws and enforcement activities focus on the books and not
the people using them. This can still affect you though. If an
offshore sportsbook you're using gets shut down by US law then
you may lose any money you have there.
Consider, too, what kinds of businesses are willing to
operate on the wrong side of the law. If they're willing to take
your action knowing that it's illegal under federal law, are
they likely to have a strong moral code when it comes to paying
out winnings? Maybe some of them will, but surely some of them
won't. This problem can be avoided by using reputable betting
sites, but it's still something for American sports bettors to
think about.
Daily fantasy sports, on the other hand, are legal and safe.
These games use the same rules as traditional fantasy sports
contests, which have never been legally controversial in the
USA. You can play from your computer too, so there's no need to
travel to Vegas to participate.
For Americans wanting to get money into action on sports over
the internet, daily fantasy sports have a clear advantage over
offshore sports books.
DFS & Sports Betting Both Have Commissions
Daily fantasy sports sites usually keep a 10% commission on
all entry fees before paying out cash prizes. Here's how that
works.
sports contest. You each pay $50 to enter. The prize for the
winner is $90. The other $10 goes to the site for hosting the
event. That's a 10% commission.
Bookmakers also keep a commission, but the net amount is
usually lower. Here's how that usually works.
in order to win $100. That looks like a 10% commission, but it's
actually only around 5%. The total potential return when
wagering $110 to win $100 is $210, and that's the figure used to
calculate the commission percentage.
The net effect of this difference is that you'll need to
maintain a higher winning percentage in order to break even in
daily fantasy sports. You need a roughly 52.4% win rate at
sports betting when laying $110 to win $100. But in daily
fantasy sports, you need a roughly 55.6% win rate to break even.
This also means that you need a correspondingly higher win rate
in order to achieve the same goals for your ROI (return on
investment).
Our explanation relating to how
bookmakers charge commission is deliberately simplified for the
purposes of this article. For a more detailed look at the
subject, please read our article on how bookmakers make money.
There's No Bookmaker to Beat in DFS
We've just mentioned how the commissions for DFS are
effectively higher than those charged by bookmakers. Although
this appears to be an obvious disadvantage of playing daily
fantasy contests, when you take other factors into account it's
not actually that big a deal.
One factor that should be taken into account is that sports
betting involves pitting your skills against the skills of the
odds compilers and handicappers that are employed by bookmakers.
These people are very skilled, and they are essentially the main
reason why the sportsbook business is so profitable.
In the case of the Vegas lines, you're talking about experts
with a practically unlimited access to data and its analysis.
It's hard to compete with that kind of analysis and win enough
wagers to make money on a consistent basis. They set the odds
and lines with such efficiency that it's incredibly difficult to
gain an edge over them. It's possible, but it's very
challenging.
When you enter a daily fantasy sports contest, you're facing
other people just like yourself. Some of the opponents you come
up against might be more skilled than you, but they won't all
be. In fact, many of them will be not very good at all. You
certainly won't face many opponents who are as hard to beat as
the bookmakers.
Fantasy Sports Sites List
In this respect, daily fantasy sports contests resemble poker
games. If you're one of the best players at a poker table, you
can consistently put yourself into positive expectation
situations and win money more often than you lose. The same
applies to being one of the best fantasy sports players on a
site.
Both Activities Might Be Addictive
Gambling of any kind can be a curse to people with behavior
control problems. The science behind gambling addiction is
clear, and it's all to do with the human mind and the
biochemistry of the brain. Without the right levels of
self-control, it's entirely possible to create a dependency on
the highs and lows of gambling.
This a very important point to note. The internet is rife
with horror stories of people whose lives have been ruined by
gambling, and you don't want to be one of those people. If
you're someone who has quit gambling on sports because of your
addictive personality, daily fantasy contests are not a safe
alternative. If you can't control your impulses when betting on
sports, changing to another form of gambling is not going to
help.
Gambling addiction is similar to alcohol addiction.
Alcoholics can't get their drinking under control just by
switching from whiskey to beer. It just doesn't work.
Lots of people can enjoy gambling as a hobby, but many others
can't. If you're in the latter category, just stay away from
traditional sports betting AND daily fantasy sports. The
potential misery isn't worth it. If you think you need help,
then do something about getting that help. Life is precious, and
every moment you spend as a slave to an addiction is a moment of
possible freedom wasted.
Summary
We've shown that traditional sports betting and daily fantasy
sports have some things in common, and there are also some
differences between the two activities. Each has its own
advantages and disadvantages.
An experienced sports bettor may feel much more comfortable
sticking with what he knows. An American may be happier playing
daily fantasy sports due to the clearer legal situation. There's
no right or wrong here, and it's a simple matter of personal
preference. We don't recommend one over the other.
What we do recommend, though, is that you at least give daily
fantasy sports a try. You might not like it, but you might just
love it.
