Can you bet on college sports in New York? Yes, with two big exceptions
College betting is legal at New York’s licensed sportsbooks. You can bet on Duke, Alabama, Kansas and nearly every other school in the country. But two rules take a big slice of the board away:
- No bets on New York college teams, home or away.
- No college player props, for any school.
High school sports are off-limits too.
The law: New York’s “prohibited sports event” rule
The rule comes from Section 1367 of New York’s Racing, Pari-Mutuel Wagering and Breeding Law. The current text, in a revision dated May 16, 2025, defines a “prohibited sports event” as:
“a sport or athletic event in which any New York college team participates regardless of where the event takes place, or high school sport or athletic event.”
It then carves out tournaments. A collegiate tournament isn’t a prohibited event, and neither is any game within it, “so long as no New York college team is participating in that particular sports event.”
Two things follow:
- The team decides it, not the venue. If a New York school is playing, the game is off the board, wherever it’s played.
- Out-of-state games played in New York are allowed. The current statute contains no venue ban. Older guides described a ban on any college game held in New York, but that rule isn’t in the law as it now reads.
College player props: banned for every school
New York sportsbooks can’t offer props on individual college athletes, such as a guard’s points or a quarterback’s passing yards. That applies to every school, not just New York’s.
The NY State Gaming Commission has defended the rule nationally. In an April 15, 2024, letter to NCAA President Charlie Baker, Commission Chair Brian O’Dwyer wrote that “the prohibition of college proposition betting on student-athletes is appropriate.”
Team-level bets on non-New York schools remain open: spreads, moneylines, totals and futures. Our props betting guide explains which prop markets are allowed in New York’s pro sports.
Worked examples: what’s on and off the board in NY
| Game | Can you bet it in NY? | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Syracuse at Duke (Durham, N.C.) | No | A New York team is playing, wherever the game is |
| Syracuse vs. Clemson at the JMA Wireless Dome | No | Same rule, home or away |
| St. John’s vs. Villanova at Madison Square Garden | No | St. John’s is a New York team |
| Two non-NY Big East teams at Madison Square Garden | Yes | No New York team, and no venue ban |
| Michigan State vs. North Dakota State in Buffalo (2026 NCAA) | Yes | Tournament game with no New York team |
| Ohio State at Michigan, player prop on the quarterback | No | College player props are banned for every school |
| Ohio State at Michigan, point spread | Yes | Team bet, no New York team |
Army, Buffalo, Colgate, Columbia, Cornell, Fordham, Hofstra, Iona, LIU, Siena, St. Bonaventure, Stony Brook, Syracuse and St. John’s are among the schools whose games are always off the board in New York.
March Madness in New York: who you can and can’t bet
The NCAA tournament is fully open to New York bettors, minus any game with a New York school.
The 2026 field showed how much that can bite. St. John’s earned the No. 5 seed in the East Region, while Siena and LIU both reached the field as No. 16 seeds. Every one of their games was unavailable at New York’s licensed sportsbooks.
New York also hosts tournament games in the coming years:
- 2026: Buffalo’s KeyBank Center hosted first- and second-round games on March 19 and 21, 2026.
- 2027: Madison Square Garden hosts the East Regional on March 26 and 28, 2027.
- 2028: Barclays Center in Brooklyn hosts first- and second-round games in March 2028.
Under the current statute, those games are bettable in New York unless a New York school is playing in them. If St. John’s or Syracuse reaches the 2027 East Regional at the Garden, their games come off the board even though the rest of the bracket stays up.
Compare the 8 licensed apps in our NY sportsbook rankings before tip-off.
Why the Empire State restricts college betting
The stated reason is protecting athletes. New York regulators have defended the props ban as a shield against bettors harassing college players over individual stat lines. Barring bets on New York schools keeps the state’s own campuses out of the betting market entirely.
New York’s advertising rules add a separate layer, restricting gambling ads and promotions on and near college campuses.
What about prediction markets and offshore sites?
New York’s college rules apply to state-licensed sportsbooks. Some prediction markets have listed contracts on college games, and New York’s September 2026 lawsuit against Polymarket says the exchange offered markets on New York college teams. The state argues those contracts are illegal gambling. See our guide to prediction markets in New York.
Offshore sportsbooks that take bets on St. John’s or Syracuse aren’t licensed anywhere in the U.S., and you’d have no protection if they refuse to pay.
College sports betting in NY FAQ
Can you bet on college sports in New York?
Yes. You can bet on college games at licensed NY sportsbooks, except games involving New York college teams. College player props are banned for all schools.
Can I bet on St. John’s or Syracuse in New York?
No. New York law bans bets on any event where a New York college team plays, regardless of location.
Can I bet on college games played in New York?
Yes, if no New York school is playing. The current statute bans games by team, not by venue, and tournament games without a New York team are expressly allowed.
Can I bet on March Madness in New York?
Yes, on every game that doesn’t involve a New York school.
Are college player props legal in New York?
No. New York sportsbooks can’t offer props on individual college athletes from any school.
For the full rulebook on every form of gambling in the state, see New York gambling laws.
21+ and physically in New York. Gambling problem? Call or text 1-877-8-HOPENY (467369).