If you mention casinos to a New Yorker today, the first thing that will probably spring to mind is the “super” casinos coming to the city in the near future. Two venues have been pegged for Queens and one for the Bronx. The former includes the massive complex being developed by New York Mets owner Steve Cohen. Construction should be getting underway this year, marking an almost decade-and-a-half journey since the first legislation was introduced to allow new casino venues across the state, with three specifically tagged for NYC.
While not everyone will agree with the need for casinos, it’s almost certain they will be a financial success in one of the world’s biggest metropolises. Yet, there are also calls for New York to open up its iCasino legislation. For several years now, lawmakers have been trying – and failing – to pass legislation on online casino gaming, and they are expected to try again in 2026.
New Jersey has liberal online gambling laws
New York lawmakers can, of course, look elsewhere for inspiration, as many different states have implemented new online gambling laws since the Supreme Court paved the way for individual states to decide in 2018. And, most certainly, they can look across to New Jersey to get a feel for the implementation, the benefits – such as hefty tax receipts – and the drawbacks.
New Jersey has one of the most open gambling markets in the country. In terms of online casinos, it is arguably the leading state in the nation. BetMGM, Fanatics, FanDuel, Caesars, DraftKings and many others operate legally in the state. You can continue reading for a full list of online casino providers in NJ. Yet, the upshot is that the state has been called the forefather of online casino gaming, and many states take their cue from the DGE (Division of Gaming Enforcement) when it comes to regulation and oversight.
Online casino gaming is booming in NJ
One of the main takeaways from 2025 was that online casino gaming revenues surpassed land-based casinos in New Jersey. Total online gaming revenue was just shy of $3 billion, meaning the state recouped about $600 million in taxes. Notably, NJ increased its baseline tax on online gaming revenue from 15% to 19.5%, so state authorities had a record haul in 2025. You should note, however, that proposals for New York iGaming has taxes set at over 30%, which is close to other states, such as Illinois, that are also mulling over legalizing online casinos.
That is not meant to say that everything is rosy. It’s widely understood that Atlantic City’s casino resorts are suffering of late. Now, to be clear, it is not only the challenge from the online sector that’s hurting those resorts, but it does play a role. The state gets its share of taxes regardless, but the fact that people can play games – often with better odds – from the comfort of their homes does play into the decline in the casino resorts as destinations. Indeed, it should not be overlooked that Nevada has refused to implement iGaming legislation, with the protection of casino tourism and jobs in the state among the chief reasons.
Of course, comparing New York City to Atlantic City is like (big) apples and oranges. The small number of major casinos in the state and in the city itself will mean that the venues should be shielded somewhat from the quotidian online gaming activity. In short, someone playing a few hands of blackjack online is not going to impact the footfall of a tourist-friendly casino resort in Queens.
For now, it remains a guessing game as to what NY legislators will do with the proposed bills. While some lawmakers have been dogged in their approach to introducing bills, there is not much momentum behind them. Like many other states, it feels up in the air.
