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Guide to Online Gambling in New Mexico
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New Mexico’s breathtaking landscape prompted its nickname, the Land of Enchantment. But situated within its desert and mountains are 29 casinos and racinos. Legal NM gambling came into play in the early 1900s through horse racing and pari-mutuel betting.
Although opportunities like lottery and casinos have emerged since then, New Mexico online gambling isn’t at the forefront of expansion. The best New Mexico gambling sites do offer real money betting and gaming, but they’re not based within state borders.
How We Rate
Safety & Security
You should be able to gamble online without fear. So we only recommend licensed sites that use the latest security and encryption techniques.
Bonuses
Maximize your bankroll with fantastic bonuses. Our recommended sites offer valuable bonuses with fair terms and conditions, including manageable wagering requirements.
Games & Betting
The best sites have the best wagering options. That’s why you will find extensive games and betting opportunities on our recommended sites.
Banking
Getting your money to and from your account shouldn’t be a hassle. We only recommend sites with a variety of convenient banking methods, including cryptocurrency and e-wallets.
Even though NM was number six in the US to approve sportsbooks, there aren’t provisions for online sports betting, at least not through in-state operators. As with online casino gambling, New Mexicans turn to out-of-area sites to place some straight bets or parlays.
The lottery, casinos, and racinos are also strictly land-based operations. While NM players participate in daily fantasy sports (DFS), legislators have pretty much just looked away regarding the practice. Formal regulation has yet to pass, but DFS isn’t prohibited either.
So, there are real money gambling sites for New Mexico, meaning online casinos, sportsbooks, and poker rooms that accept players from the Land of Enchantment. Still, all of them are global providers based in other jurisdictions.
Best New Mexico Gambling Sites
You’re not going to have a flyer posted on your door or see a TV ad for New Mexico online gambling sites. Even if you go on a hunt for one, it could be challenging.
While an internet search will produce a list of names, figuring out which real money gambling sites accept NM players, as well as provide safe and secure betting and gaming, isn’t straightforward.
You’ll typically find location inclusions and exclusions in the terms and conditions posted on each website. So, if you’re starting from scratch, it could take a while for you to narrow your options by visiting every possibility.
That process is part of what we do, though, courtesy of our team of experts. We’ve got extensive experience in assessing the quality of real money online gambling sites.
Not only do we compile recommendations that point you in the right direction, but we have all of the reviews to back them up. So, if you want to know more about what a particular site has to offer as far as its games, banking, bonuses, or any other aspects of the service, we have a library of information at your disposal.
Because there aren’t any NM online gambling sites with in-state regulations, you need to be selective about which sites you join. Even though you won’t find endless opportunities for gambling online that cater to your home state, there are still a few to choose from. And not all of them are worthy of your money.
However, you can rest assured that our recommendations are genuinely the best New Mexico gambling sites. They are all safe and trustworthy operations.
History of New Mexico Gambling Laws
NM Gambling Laws and History
New Mexico isn’t unlike many of its sisters when it comes to humble gambling beginnings. Pari-mutuel typically kicked off legal betting in many locations across the United States.
In NM, it all started in 1933. Although La Mesa Park, the first big racetrack, wasn’t at the starting gates until 1946.
New Mexico’s Gambling Evolution
The typical lull in activities followed for four decades until charity gaming was next on the legislative floor. A 1978 bill allowed nonprofits to hold bingo games, raffles, sweepstakes, and sell pull tabs. At this point, there wasn’t even a lottery as of yet.
While the state was quick to adopt pari-mutuel wagering, it was in no hurry for a state lottery. When ticket sales finally started in 1996, college students benefited through a lottery-backed scholarship program that’s still running today. The lottery is exclusively a brick-and-mortar operation, like everything else that’s state-regulated.
From Casinos to Sportsbooks
Casino gaming isn’t the exception, either. The Land of Enchantment is home to 23 tribal casinos and five racinos, but none of them have betting site counterparts.
Four of the casinos have jumped into the sports betting pool with in-house books that have launched since 2018. Players can walk up to a window in the Hilton Buffalo Thunder, Inn of Mountain Gods, Isleta, or Santa Ana Star casinos and place a sports bet. However, they’ll be unsuccessful if they pull out their mobile phones and try to do the same.
Even though NM was quick on the draw as the sixth state to approve sports betting, it’s relatively limited. Only a handful of casinos are offering the service, and there are currently no provisions for online or mobile action.
State Lottery
New Mexico was late to legalize a lottery, but they finally did so in 1996. It’s a good thing that the state got onboard because the New Mexico Lottery has provided a boost to the government’s General Fund.
Minus payouts and other expenditures, the state lottery contributes over $40 million annually to the General Fund.
Live Poker
Several tribal casinos around the state offer poker rooms. One example is the Buffalo Thunder Casino, which features plenty of cash tables, tournaments, and a bad beat jackpot.
Real Money Gambling Online in NM
The current gambling laws in New Mexico do not currently cover online gambling. So, you’ve got casinos but no online casinos. There are sportsbooks, but they disallow mobile access. The lottery is an in-person venture, as is pari-mutuel wagering. NM gambling laws do not currently cover
Where does that leave residents regarding real money gambling online in New Mexico? It means they have to turn operators based in other jurisdictions.
That’s why our rankings of the top New Mexico gambling sites are so valuable. They’ll point you in the right direction.
Overview of Gambling Laws in New Mexico
- Casinos: 23 tribal casinos and five racinos (with approval for a sixth)
- Sports Betting: In-person at four casinos
- Lottery: The state lottery funds college scholarships; tickets are sold in person only at local retailers
- Charity Gaming: Bingo, sweepstakes, raffles, and pull tabs approved for nonprofit fundraising
- Daily Fantasy Sports: The top providers accept NM residents, but it’s not a state-regulated program
- Pari-Mutuel: Five racinos with pari-mutuel wagering and slots
- Online Gambling: A limited number of casinos, poker rooms, and race and sportsbooks are open to NM players; no in-state providers
Reviewing New Mexico Online Gambling Sites
If you’re reading this, you’re probably in search of some online gambling sites for New Mexico-based players. You also know now that we’ve compiled all of this information for you, so you have access to a list of operators that have opened their virtual doors to NM residents.
We didn’t just pull our recommendations from the air, though. Our ranking methods take quite a while, as we build directories and prepare reviews for all real-money gambling sites. There’s no way that we could post rankings of the best operations without understanding what each of them has to offer.
Details Matter
Our review process is particularly essential when it comes to identifying the top-rated NM gambling sites, or any that allow Americans to participate. That’s because there are several aspects of online gambling that are a bit more complex in the US.
For example, the financial situation isn’t as straightforward as it is in Europe or other locations. Without e-wallets like Skrill or Neteller, or prepaid vouchers that are prevalent elsewhere, US players are either using cryptocurrency or are at the mercy of traditional banks that may or may not approve transactions.
So, when we review these New Mexico gambling sites, there’s a lot that we need to keep in mind.
Rankings Checklist
We have a checklist that we use when evaluating real money gambling sites. Additionally, we go beyond what we can see by researching information on ownership, longevity, and actual player experiences.
The basics that we cover include the following qualities.
- Website design
- User-friendliness
- Banking options
- Payout turnaround times and fees
- Betting opportunities (casino, live casino, poker, sportsbook)
- Customer service
- Bonuses and promotions
- Mobile access
- Transparency with terms and conditions
This is not an exhaustive list by any means. We have an entire page devoted to our review and ranking process if you’re interested in learning more.
Tips for Gambling Online on NM
Gambling online in New Mexico, or anywhere in the world for that matter, is different from just walking into a casino, racetrack, or other land-based venues. For one, you don’t have to place cash bets along with thousands of other people in a queue or make small talk with other patrons.
There’s an air of mystery about gambling websites and other online activities. That’s why it’s best to take some time to find the best providers for your area. You want safe, secure, and fair gambling with fast payouts and attentive customer service representatives. Here are a couple of tips to help with that.
Don’t Settle
The first tip that we have for gambling online is the most important, and it’s to locate the best gambling websites. Don’t do a simple search and click on the first result that appears. It may ultimately be a contender, but you’re better off taking recommendations, reading reviews, then deciding for yourself.
Our rankings on this page are for the overall best gambling sites for New Mexico, so you won’t go wrong with any of them. Another suggestion that we have is to narrow down your options even more by looking at the best sites for specific types of real-money gambling.
Money Matters
Once you’ve found a few gambling sites that look good to you, it’s best to review your banking options before you dive right in and set up a betting account. If you’re using Bitcoin, it’s easy to spot Bitcoin acceptance, as there’s typically a logo in the footer area. If not, just click on “Banking” for a full menu of deposit and payout selections.
You’ll also want to know that financial transactions aren’t always the same in both directions. Bitcoin stays intact for money in and out, but debit and credit cards aren’t always used for payouts. Some casinos opt to issue check payments to players who fund their player’s accounts using a card.
The same principle applies to bonus offers. Before you accept any, be sure to read through all of the rollover requirements.
Where Can I Gamble in New Mexico?
Apache Nugget Casino
Billy the Kid Casino & Racetrack
Buffalo Thunder Resort and Casino
Camel Rock Casino (Closed)
Casino Hollywood San Felipe
Casino Apache Travel Center
Cities of Gold Casino
Dancing Eagle Casino
Downs at Albuquerque
Fire Rock Navajo Casino
Inn of the Mountain Gods Resort & Casino
Isleta Casino & Resort
Kicks 66 Convenience Store & Phillips 66 Service
Northern Edge Navajo Casino
Palace West
Ohkay Casino Resort
Route 66 Casino & Casino Express
Sandia Casino
Santa Ana Star Casino
Santa Claran Hotel & Casino
Sky City Casino
SunRay Park & Casino
Sunland Park Racetrack & Casino
Taos Mountain Casino
Wild Horse Casino
Zia Park Casino, Hotel & Racetrack
Recap of Our New Mexico Gambling Guide
New Mexico gambling sites are in stark contrast to what the Land of Enchantment provides in person for its residents.
Players don’t have to travel far to find a casino or racino, and retailers across the state have lottery tickets at the ready. Charity gaming, like bingo, is also prevalent and easily accessible. But when it comes to real money online gambling in NM, it’s a different story. Providers are from other jurisdictions and don’t have in-state licensing and regulation.
Access to online sports betting, casino, and poker games is there, but choosing the right site is key. We strongly recommend that you stick to the best New Mexico gambling sites as per our rankings.
