Some of the clubs and rooms that offer poker in New York claim to be operating legally (or at least in a gray area of the law) by not charging rake as a typical casino does, relying instead on membership fees or other creative ways of making money by offering poker cash games and tournaments. That doesn’t mean you won’t find numerous poker clubs and card rooms operating in New York City, including some that operate quite openly it does mean that you could be gambling when you take a seat in those games, as busts by the NYPD are quite common. New York state law prohibits gambling in all forms other than state-run or state-sponsored lotteries and betting on horse racing, so the only legal option to play poker (other than poker charity events) in the state is at Indian casinos near Niagara Falls and at Turning Stone Casino in Verona, New York.
While poker fans in New York City do have a lot of options when it comes to enjoying their favorite game, they have to tread carefully if they plan to play in the city.
