How to sports bet in New York - Step by Step
Legal online sports betting is - finally - live in New York! (Just in time for Super Bowl LVI!)
"But how do I even begin to bet on sports here in New York?", you might be asking yourself.
If you want to know the answer to that question, follow our step-by-step guide on how to start sports betting in New York to make sure you choose a safe betting site(s) with a great welcome bonus (never underestimate the power of a good bonus!).
Step 1 - Pick a NY betting site with a good welcome offer
There will eventually be a total of nine betting sites in New York to choose from, with each betting operator having its strong points as well as its weak points.
Important Note: As of February 1, 2022, six of the nine betting sites are currently accepting bets in New York:

What's most important is that you understand which betting site will offer YOU the best experience, based on what you are looking for in a betting site. To help solve this riddle, we have compiled a list where we rank the sports betting sites in New York from best to worst.
Best Online Betting Sites New York
- FanDuel Sportsbook → Best US betting app
- DraftKings Sportsbook → Great for beginners
- Caesars Sportsbook → Best welcome bonus
- BetMGM → Overall high-quality betting option
- WynnBET → Great futures market
- BetRivers → Good live streaming options
NY Betting Site Promos
21+. Gambling problem? Call (877-8-HOPENY) or text HOPENY (467369)
First Bet up to $1,000 on Caesars
T&C apply21+ only. New customers in AZ/CO/IL/IN/IA/KS/KY/LA/MA/MD/MI/ NJ/NY/OH/PA/TN/VA/WV/WY only. Deposit required (min $10). Must place first real money Qualifying Wager (min $10) within 30 days. Qualifying wager must settle within 30 days of being placed. Qualifying wager returned as non-withdrawable bonus bets only if wager is settled as a loss. Maximum Bonus Bet $1,000. Bonus Bet expires 14 days after receipt. Full T’s and C’s apply, visit Caesars Sportsbook for more details.
Bet $5, Win $150 in Bonus Bets
T&C applyPlace a $5 Moneyline Wager and get $150 in Bonus Bets if Your Team Wins
21+. New customers only. Offer available in
AZ/CO/CT/IA/IL/IN/KS/KY/LA/MA/MD/MI/NJ/NY/OH/PA/TN/VA/WV/WY. Minimum $10 first deposit required. Promotion bonus will be credited to your account within 72 hours settlement of Qualifying Wager as a win. First online real money wager only (minimum $5). Bonus issued as non-withdrawable bonus bets that expires in 14 days.
See full T&C at FanDuel.20% Deposit Bonus up to $1,000
T&C apply21+. New customers only. AZ/CO/CT/IL/IN/IA/KS/LA/MD/MI/NJ/NY/OH/PA/TN/VA/WV/WY only. Minimum $5 deposit. Bonus amount is equal to 20% of the deposit amount, not to exceed $1,000. Bonus funds will be awarded following play-through requirement of 25x the bonus amount: eg every $25 played on DFS/Sportsbook/Casino will release $1 in bonus funds. Play-through requirement must be met 90 days from the first deposit to receive maximum bonus. Full T's & C's apply, visit DraftKings Sportsbook for details.
Second Chance Bet up to $500
T&C apply21+. New Customers Only. AZ/CO/IA/IL/IN/LA/MD/MI/NJ/OH/PA/VA/WV Must make a qualifying deposit of $10+ with claim code SPORTS. Must make qualifying cash wager with odds of -200 or greater. If the first qualifying wager settles as a loss, receive a non-withdrawable Bonus Bet equal to your stake, up to a maximum of $500 ($250 in CO/NJ, $100 in NY/OH/AZ/WV/IA). Full T's & C's apply, see BetRivers for more details.
Bet $100, Get $5 Bet Credit
T&C apply21+. New customers only. NY. Must opt-in to the promotion then make first deposit of $100+. Must place at least one qualifying wager of $100+ on any straight or parlay bet with odds of -120 or greater. Non-withdrawable Bet Credits will be awarded when the qualifying wager settles as a win, loss, or push. Full T's & C's apply, visit WynnBET for details.
Best Parlays in NY
T&C apply21+. NY only.
21+ If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, help is available. Call (877-8-HOPENY) or text HOPENY (467369)
Step 2 - Create a NY Sports Betting Account
Now that you've found a betting site (or betting sites 😉) with a good welcome bonus, it's time to create your account(s).
Here is our step-by-step guide on creating a betting account.
Create a New York sports betting account in a few easy steps!
Although the exact sign-up process and order in which you enter your information may slightly vary from operator to operator, they all typically require the same information.
We've created this guide for you so you can know what to expect when registering for a New York betting site.
Find the right NY betting site for you
Pick from the list of NY betting sites above, or visit our Sports Betting Sites in New York page to find the right betting site for you.
Once you've found the one(s) that you like, press one of the green 'CLAIM' or 'JOIN' buttons to make sure you don't miss out on your welcome offer on your way to signing up.
Enter your email and create a password
Provide personal information
Learn more about creating a betting account!
How to Create an Online Betting Account
You're soon at the stage where the talking will stop, and the betting will begin. But just before, you’ll need to set-up a betting account. This chapter simplifies an already ... Read more
Step 3 - Start betting in NY!
Now for the fun part! At this point in the process, you should now be able to log in to your betting account and place your first bet.
We'll now show you how to place your first wager!
- Note: There are many different types of bets you can place, such as Money Line, Point Spread, or Over/Under bets, just to name a few. For this example, we will use the most common and straightforward type of bet, the Money Line (i.e. the winner of the game).
⒈ Find the sport/league you want to bet on
Let's say we want to place a bet on the Knicks money line (ML). Start by browsing through the listed sports menu, typically found on the left-hand side navigation menu, to find the sports you want to bet on (in this case that would be Basketball/NBA).

The sports menu is found on the left-hand side
⒉ Scroll until you find the game you want to bet on
Scroll through the page until you find the game you want to wager on and then click it to see all the available bets for that game.

Scroll until you find the game you want to bet on
⒊ Find the type of bet you want to place
Now that you've found the game you want to bet on, click on the bet you would like to wager on (in this case it would be the Knicks money line).

Select the bet you wish to wager on
⒋ Place your wager
The final step is to enter the amount you would like to wager, and then press 'place bet'.

Choose how much you want to wager on your bet
Congrats, you have now placed your first bet! Sit back, enjoy the game, and hope your bet wins!
Ways to bet on sports in NY
Now that you know how to set up an account and place a wager, let's quickly go over some of the different ways you can bet on sports in New York.
We'll take a quick look into the most popular ways to bet on sports in New York.
Money Line
For its simplicity, this is an excellent first bet. All you have to do is call the game's winner. The odds supplied indicate the team's possibility of victory, as determined by the bookie, who will consider form, team selection difficulties (injuries, suspensions), and are displayed with a monetary value and either a positive or negative before it.
The side with a negative value is the favorite to win, with the number equating to how much one must spend to win $100. Naturally, backing the favorite will necessitate a larger bet in order to make a considerable profit.
The opposing team, with a positive value, is the underdog and is not anticipated to win. Here, the odds indicate how much you can win from every $100 wagered. Given the lower probability of the underdog winning, that translates to steeper odds and means you don't need to stake as much for a favorable return. High-risk, high-reward.
Best for: NBA, NFL, MLB, NHL, SOCCER
Point Spread
Point Spread betting is similar to a Money Line bet in the sense you pick one of the two sides to come out on top. Instead of choosing an outright winner, you call the margin of victory (or defeat) this time. Games with a large talent gap between two teams frequently have minimal value as the money line can become too skewed and thus deems the ML not worth playing. The point spread, which is a line established by the bookmaker, can offer a better value instead.
The team allocated the negative figure, as with the Money Line, indicates who is likely to win. Assume that Team A +22.5 and Team B - 22.5 have the following point spreads (the .5 differentiates clearly between 22 points and 23 points and avoids a 'push' for the bet).
To win a bet on Team B, you must have a winning margin of at least 23 points. For Team A to win the bet, a losing margin of 22 points or less, which includes a victory, is required. This form of wager assures that the playing field is balanced and adds value to a game that would not otherwise exist.
Best for: NFL & NBA
Totals (Over/Under)
This wager foregoes betting on a winner completely in favor of focusing on the cumulative score of both teams and whether it falls Over or Under a predetermined line.
For example, if the line is set at 66 points for a certain game, and you believe the game's score will result in a total that surpasses 66, you would bet Over (the line).
If you believe the teams will err on the side of caution and play a more defensive game, resulting in a total score of fewer than 66, you should bet Under.
Best for: NFL, NBA, NHL, MLB
Futures
This type of wager involves laying money on the eventual outcome of an event and is often played far in advance of the event's commencement, with the goal of earning a large sum if your prediction is correct.
Typically, the winner of a league championship or tournament generates the greatest attention. You may also wager on clubs to enter the playoffs, get relegated, or even the two teams to meet in the Super Bowl.
Futures can be found for practically any tournament across all major leagues and have been known to yield large sums at the end of the season if you guess correctly!
Best for: All sports