In April 2021, Governor Cuomo legalized mobile sports betting. He included mobile sports betting in the new budget, giving his office the task of implementing it. New York already has a thriving retail sports betting industry. However, this will bring it to many more bettors and give New York a chance to compete against New Jersey. That means more bettors will have access to sportsbook bonuses in NY. Here’s what New York’s sportsbook bonuses look like now and what they’ll look like with mobile sports betting.
Best Online Sports Betting Bonuses In New York
- BetRivers – 100% deposit match up to $250
- Caesars – $500 matched bet
- FanDuel – $1,000 risk-free bet
- Golden Nugget – Free bet up to $250
- PointsBet – Two risk-free bets up to $2,000 – One fixed odds bet up to $500, One PointsBet up to $1,500
- DraftKings – 20% deposit match up to $1,000
- FOX Bet – $500 risk-free bet
- Barstool Sportsbook – $1,000 risk-free bet
Online Sports Betting In New York
Now that online sports betting is legal in New York, the State has to get it up and running. It’s on track to launch at the end of 2021. So, New York could have mobile sports betting in time for the next NFL season. Here’s a selection of likely online sportsbook operator candidates:
BetRivers
100% Deposit Match up to $250
BetRivers is a popular sportsbook brand with access to many markets in the United States. Its deposit match is particularly noteworthy. Its low redemption amount is offset by its high match rate. Bettors have to deposit $250 to get $250. But they also have to play through their money to get the deposit bonuses. Bettors will get $1 in bonus credits for every $1 they wager. BetRivers is available in these states:
- Colorado
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Michigan
- New Jersey
- Pennsylvania
- Virginia
In many of these states, BetRivers offers a website and an iOS and Android app. However, the iOS app isn’t available in Indiana, Michigan, and Pennsylvania. But bettors interested in BetRivers’ rewards program should find the BetRivers website satisfactory.
Caesars
$500 Matched Bet
Yes, Caesars Entertainment has a sportsbook app too. It’s one of several casino companies that have expanded into mobile sports betting. Caesars has a location in New York, so New York is a prime candidate for Caesars Sportsbook to expand to. It offers a $500 matched bet. However, the amount bettors get on their free bet is the same amount they make on their first wagers–up to $500. After they make their first wagers, bettors will get access to the free bet. Bettors can place their bets on Caesars’ website or app.
It’s only available in Indiana and New Jersey, but it’s expected in New York. There’s Caesars Hotel in New York, so it’d make the licensing process easier.
FanDuel
$1,000 Risk-free Bet
FanDuel has strong odds on underdogs and mid-tier futures odds. So, it’s a worthwhile online sportsbook for New York bettors to consider if they haven’t already tried it in New Jersey. Its $1,000 risk-free bet only refunds the first bet, so bettors are encouraged to bet big from the beginning. FanDuel is available in several other states:
- Colorado
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Michigan
- New Jersey
- Pennsylvania
- Tennessee
- Virginia
- West Virginia
FanDuel’s app is available online with a website and an iOS and Android app. Its easy accessibility and strong market presence will undoubtedly allow it to thrive in New York.
Golden Nugget
Free Bet up to $250
Golden Nugget offers a $250 risk-free bet. However, bettors have to go to the promotions page and opt-in to this bonus to use it. Like the others, bettors have to lose their selected bet to get the free bet. This is a good sportsbook for bettors who frequent the Golden Nugget Casino. Its sportsbook is available on state-specific websites and on iOS and Android apps. Golden Nugget Sportsbook is available in Michigan, New Jersey, and Nevada. It doesn’t have the reach that many of these other sportsbooks have. But its market access deal suggests a New York entrance.
PointsBet
Two risk-free bets up to $2,000
PointsBet offers a unique type of betting. It offers standard fixed-odds wagers, but it also offers Points Betting. Bettors can win exponentially more money by making a precise prediction about point spreads and point totals. However, bettors risk more money too, so this is for risk-seeking bettors only. PointsBet also offers two risk-free bets. One is a $500 risk-free bet on a standard fixed odds bet. The other is a $1,500 risk-free bet on a Points Bet. PointsBet has a website, an iOS app, and an Android app. So, bettors can use it easily from multiple platforms.
PointsBet is active in:
- Colorado
- Indiana
- Illinois
- Iowa
- Michigan
- New Jersey
It’s a contender for New York legalization, but it’s the least guaranteed out of the sportsbooks on this list. New Yorkers should watch for it but avoid getting their hopes up.
DraftKings
20% Deposit Match up to $1,000
DraftKings offers a daily fantasy sports product and a sportsbook, so bettors will find both popular games bundled together in DraftKings. DraftKings has a website, iOS app, and Android app for bettors to use. It’s also available in many states:
- Colorado
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Michigan
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- Pennsylvania
- Tennessee
- Virginia
- West Virginia
And it’s predicted in several others, including New York. However, bettors should temper their expectations of DraftKings’ $1,000 deposit bonus. Bettors’ first deposits determine how many bonus credits they get. Then they have to wager $5 to receive $1 in site credits. It’s a steady boost over time. It’s not a free $1,000.
FOX Bet
$500 Risk-free Bet
FOX Bet is part of a partnership with FOX Sports that offers a marriage between sports reporting and sports betting. Bettors who want media personalities to inform their wagers should consider signing up with FOX Bet. Its $500 risk-free bet is a good mid-tier risk-free bet. Like the others, it’s only good for a bettor’s first wager. So, bettors need to make them count. Bettors can wager on FOX Bet’s website or iOS and Android apps. They can also find FOX Bet in these states:
- Colorado
- Michigan
- New Jersey
- Pennsylvania
Given FOX Bet’s presence in the northeast, New York seems like a likely market for FOX Bet to penetrate next.
Barstool Sportsbook
$1,000 Risk-free Bet
If bettors like sports news, then Barstool Sportsbook is a solid sportsbook candidate for them. Its provocative content complements its sportsbook, giving bettors a one-stop-shop for betting tips and betting. It has a $1,000 risk-free bet. If bettors lose their first bets, then they’ll get however much they wagered back, up to $1,000. Barstool Sportsbook is in Colorado, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, and Pennsylvania. It also has plans to grow, so New York may get a Barstool Sportsbook app this fall. If it arrives, bettors will have access to the Barstool Sportsbook website and iOS and Android apps.
Types Of Sports Betting Bonuses In New York
Bettors will find a bedrock of standard bonuses in New York. New player bonuses are exclusive to new bettors. Welcome bonuses entice new bettors to sign up for sportsbook accounts with specific sportsbooks. Ongoing bonuses offer promotions throughout the year, giving regular sports bettors many betting options. Finally, some sportsbooks offer loyalty or VIP programs to reward high rollers. But understanding what to do with these wagers is important too. Here’s what bettors need to know.
Risk-Free Bets
Risk-free bets are one of the two most common types of bonuses. They’re particularly useful welcome bonuses because the dollar amounts bettors can redeem can be high. For example, FanDuel offers a $1,000 risk-free bet. As we’ve seen, bettors have to use their first wagers to cash in on this bet. That’s a common condition among risk-free bets. So, bettors have to make their first wagers with this bonus in mind.
However, bettors may see smaller risk-free bets on events throughout major sports seasons. They may not be more than $25 or $50, but they’ll reward bettors for taking risks. A common condition may be to award bettors a small risk-free bet for betting a certain amount of money on a certain sport or league in a set time frame. They’re worth checking out for bettors with money to spend. They’re not great for bettors with little to spend though.
Deposit Bonuses
Deposit bonuses are the other common bonus type. It’s also often used as a welcome bonus, as we saw with DraftKings. Deposit bonuses have two parts to them. The first is the match rate. That tells bettors how much they have to deposit or wager to get $1 in bonus credit.
For example, DraftKings offers a $1,000 deposit bonus at a 20% match rate. That means bettors can get up to $250 and only have to wager $5 to get $1 in site credit. But BetRivers offers a $250 deposit bonus at a 100% match rate. Bettors only have to wager $1 to get $1. So, even though BetRivers offers less, more bettors are likely to redeem BetRivers’ full value than DraftKings’ bonus.
Deposit bonuses are usually limited to welcome bonuses. They’re hard to make work for ongoing bonuses.
No-Deposit Bonuses
No-deposit bonuses are the closest thing to free cash that sportsbooks offer. They’re small amounts of site credits awarded to bettors for signing up for sportsbooks. They’re usually not more than $50, and they’re often not even that much. Barstool Sportsbook offers a $10 no-deposit bonus just for signing up. It’s a nice gesture, but it’s not going to win bettors a lot of money. Frankly, if bettors are lured to a sportsbook because of $10, then they should find a different pastime.
How To Claim Online Sportsbook Bonuses In New York
Online sports betting is still a few months away in New York. However, bettors should know how to claim them before they’re flooded with sportsbook advertisements.
Claiming online sportsbook bonuses begins with selecting a sportsbook. Usually, that means searching the app store or browsing different sportsbook websites to decide which has the best welcome bonus or other features that set it apart. Bettors can find sportsbooks on websites in-browser. so if bettors don’t want an app, then they can keep their sports betting on their computers.
However, selecting a sportsbook also means differentiating between sportsbook apps and daily fantasy sport apps. Some sportsbooks have separate apps for each service, and bettors need to make sure they’re selecting the sportsbook app. Some sportsbooks have one app, but others have different ones for each state. Bettors should make sure that they select the app for their state.
From there, downloading the app is straightforward. iOS users can download their apps from the App Store. However, Android users will have to check both the Google Play store and the sportsbook website for an Android app.
After the app is downloaded, bettors can register their accounts. Many welcome bonuses come with a promo code. The box to enter that promo code is usually on step one or step three of the registration process. If bettors have promo codes, then they’ll use them during registration.
Other times, bettors will have to read the terms and conditions to satisfy their welcome bonuses. Bonuses can be triggered upon a first deposit or wager, so bettors need to check before betting. If they win, the withdrawal option is in the cashier section of bettors’ accounts.
