BetMGM New York: Legal, Licensed, Taxed at 51%

BetMGM New York has been a real, licensed sportsbook since mobile wagering launched on January 8, 2022 — no asterisks, no ballot measure pending, no compact fight. The question worth asking here isn’t whether BetMGM is legal in New York, it’s why the state with one of the biggest sports betting markets in the country also runs the harshest tax rate on the operators selling it, and why that same company owns a casino twenty minutes from Manhattan that its own sportsbook app can’t touch.

Legal status in New York

New York legalized statewide mobile sports wagering through the 2021 state budget, and the market went live January 8, 2022, regulated by the New York State Gaming Commission under a competitive-bid licensing structure. BetMGM was one of the operators licensed at launch and remains active. What hasn’t changed since then is the tax: New York charges licensed mobile operators 51% of gross gaming revenue, the highest rate of any state with a legal mobile market, and a 2026 Assembly bill (A4856) that would have phased it down to 25% over four years stalled in committee without passing. Online casino gaming is a separate question New York still has not answered — bills to legalize it (S2614 in the Senate, A6027 in the Assembly) remained stuck in committee through 2026 without the governor’s office backing them.

State gambling authority: New York State Gaming Commission — licenses and oversees every mobile sportsbook operator, including BetMGM, and separately regulates the state’s racinos and commercial casinos. It does not license online casino gaming because no state law authorizing it exists yet.

BetMGM New York is one of the rare BetMGM state pages that gets to open with a straight yes: the sportsbook has been legal and licensed since mobile wagering launched statewide on January 8, 2022. There is no pending vote, no tribal compact dispute, no constitutional amendment standing in the way. What makes New York worth a closer look isn't whether BetMGM can operate here — it's the price the state charges for the privilege, and a casino footnote most bettors never hear about.

Is BetMGM Legal in New York?

Yes. The 2021 state budget created a licensing framework for mobile sports wagering, the New York State Gaming Commission ran a competitive bidding process, and the market went live on January 8, 2022, with BetMGM among the operators licensed at launch. That license is still active. Anyone 21 or older and physically located in New York can open an account and bet real money through the actual BetMGM app — this isn't a gray-market workaround, it's the regulated product working as intended.

The number that matters more than the launch date: New York taxes licensed mobile sportsbook operators 51% of gross gaming revenue — the highest rate of any state with a legal mobile market, well above New Jersey's roughly 13% or Nevada's 6.75%. A 2026 Assembly bill, A4856, would have phased that down to 25% over four years. It stalled in committee and did not pass.

Is BetMGM Legit in New York?

Legit here means two things: is the company real, and does the tax math make New York a market BetMGM actually wants. On the first question, yes — same Nasdaq-adjacent, MGM/Entain-owned operator running a licensed book in 23 states plus D.C. On the second, it's genuinely uncomfortable for the operator. New York is one of the largest handle states in the country, but a 51% tax on gross gaming revenue eats most of the margin, and operators including BetMGM have lobbied for years to get it reduced. That's a business problem for BetMGM, not evidence the New York product is somehow less real than the one in New Jersey.

No Online Casino — Even Though MGM Owns One Here

New York has never passed a law legalizing online casino gaming, so there is no BetMGM Casino product for a New York address, full stop. Two bills aimed at changing that — Senate Bill S2614 and its Assembly companion A6027 — sat in committee through 2026 without the governor's office backing them, and neither reached a floor vote.

Here's the part that surprises people: MGM Resorts, BetMGM's co-owner, actually operates a physical casino in New York. It bought Empire City Casino at Yonkers Raceway, a video-lottery-terminal racino about twenty minutes from Manhattan, in a deal that closed in January 2019. That property runs under New York's racino licensing rules and has no connection to BetMGM's mobile sportsbook license or to any online casino product — because there isn't one to connect it to. MGM has a physical foothold in this state that it simply cannot extend online until Albany passes an iGaming law.

Is BetMGM Safe in New York?

Yes, in the way that matters for a regulated product: New York State Gaming Commission oversight, mandatory geolocation to confirm a bettor is actually in New York, and the standard toolkit of deposit limits, cool-off periods, and self-exclusion through the state's problem gambling programs. None of that changes the underlying math of sports betting — the house keeps its edge in a 51%-tax state exactly as it does everywhere else — but the licensing and recourse are real.

Who It Fits

New York bettors 21 and older get the full, licensed BetMGM sportsbook experience with none of the legal uncertainty readers in Texas or California are stuck with — just a higher state tax baked into the pricing and promotions they'll see, and no BetMGM Casino until New York decides to legalize one. Treat any bet as entertainment spending, not income, regardless of how high the state collects on the other side of it. 21+. If gambling stops being fun, call 1-800-GAMBLER.

BetMGM New York — Frequently Asked Questions

Is BetMGM legal in New York?

Yes. Mobile sports betting became legal statewide on January 8, 2022, under a licensing framework created by the 2021 state budget, and BetMGM has operated under a New York State Gaming Commission license since that launch. There is no residency trick or workaround needed — a New York bettor who is 21+ and physically in the state can use the real, licensed app.

Is BetMGM legit in New York, or is the tax rate a red flag?

The tax rate is real but it isn’t a sign anything is wrong with BetMGM — it’s a state policy choice. New York charges mobile operators 51% of gross gaming revenue, by far the highest of any legal mobile market, and multiple operators including BetMGM have pushed for years to get it lowered. A 2026 bill to phase the rate down to 25% stalled in committee. That tax affects BetMGM’s New York profitability, not the legitimacy of the product a bettor is actually using.

Is BetMGM safe to use in New York?

Yes, in the regulatory sense that matters: New York State Gaming Commission oversight, mandatory geolocation to confirm you’re in-state, and standard responsible-gambling tools like deposit limits and self-exclusion. Safety here is about licensing and recourse, not about the odds — the house edge is unaffected by how high the state’s tax bill runs.

Does BetMGM have an online casino in New York?

No. New York has never legalized online casino gaming (iGaming), so there is no legal BetMGM Casino product for a New York address regardless of what exists in Michigan, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, or West Virginia. Two 2026 bills aimed at changing that, S2614 and A6027, stayed stuck in committee without the governor’s backing.

Why does New York tax sports betting so much higher than other states?

New York structured its 2022 launch around a competitive-bid license auction rather than a flat fee, and the winning bid structure locked operators into a 51% gross-gaming-revenue tax — far above New Jersey’s roughly 13% or Nevada’s 6.75%. Lawmakers have introduced repeated bills to cut it, including a 2026 proposal to phase it to 25%, but none has passed, so the rate that launched the market in 2022 is still the rate today.

Does MGM actually own a casino in New York State?

Yes, which is the part most bettors don’t know. MGM Resorts bought Empire City Casino at Yonkers Raceway, a video-lottery-terminal racino about 20 minutes north of Manhattan, in a deal that closed in January 2019. It has nothing to do with BetMGM’s online sportsbook — it’s a retail property regulated under New York’s racino rules, not a license that extends to online casino play, which New York still hasn’t legalized.

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