While the state made casino gambling legal in 2013, there are only four commercial casinos in updated New York, which include Jake’s 58 Hotel & Casino in Long Island, Del Lago Resort & Casino, Casino in Tyre, Tioga Downs in Nichols, Tioga, Seneca County, the Rivers Casino & Resort in Schenectady & the World Catskills. Still, people found ways to make bets, which included horse racing and betting on political elections, while the upper class enjoyed gambling in private clubs.Īs land-based casinos were banned for years, those who enjoyed casino games often had to travel to places like Atlantic City and Las Vegas to enjoy their favorite casino games. In 1967, they were legalized once more and have been a popular form of entertainment for many across the state.īetting has been popular in New York since it was founded but illegal for many years. While lotteries were popular when the state was initially founded, they were outlawed during the mid-1800s. The state of New York has an interesting and lengthy history with gambling, despite it not being legal for a significant portion of this time.