The idea of the Jewish Culture intersecting with online casinos seems improbable. However, they seem to have a lot in common. Read this article to know more about it.

The Intersection of Jewish Culture and Online Casinos in New York

New York is home to the largest and oldest Jewish community in North America, with more than one-third of all Jews in the country living in New York City alone, including Iranian, Israeli, and Russian Jews.

Through the course of the 20th century, Jews became more and more important in New York’s general cultural life. Particularly after 1920, with many New York’s top writers, artists, fans, and performers of Jewish descent.

Many significant American Jewish organizations have their headquarters in Manhattan, New York City and this is why it is commonly seen as the organizational and cultural “capital” of the American Jewish community.

There are many different key milestones and contributions the Jewish community made in New York and some of them are highlighted below;

●   Central and Eastern European Jews pioneered the rise of the garment industry at the end of the 19th century as many found work in the needle trades and to a lesser extent, in the tobacco industry.

●   Many of New York’s modern artists were Jewish immigrants or children of Jewish immigrants, and as such, many artistic movements arrived from Europe through New York. For example, American music was greatly influenced by Irving Berlin, Ira, and George Gershwin.

●   Jews also played a significant role in literature. Indeed, American intellectualism was often closely associated with the New York Jewish community. An example is the poem “The New Colossus” (1833), which a Jewess Emma Lazarus wrote.

Online Casino Landscape in the Big Apple

The state of New York welcomed the online gambling industry in 2022 by granting its approval, thereby legalizing it and allowing players who want to enjoy online casinos to have legal access to the landscape.

Although the New York State Gaming Commission approved the industry, the $227 billion executive budget by Gov. Kathy Hochul didn’t include iGaming at the time.

However, with the robust growth of commercial online casinos in New York, including high roller online casinos and the applications for official licensing being approved, proponents see 2024 as the aim for the legalization of online casinos.

Jewish Traditions and Gambling in New York

Over the years, there has been a conflict in the Jewish tradition in relation to world of gambling and how both parties intersect because there is no explicit Jewish prohibition on gambling.

The Mishnah in Sanhedrin makes the clearest statement when it states that a person who “plays with dice” is not permitted to testify. However, the specifics of this prohibition are under dispute.

One interpretation found in the Mishnah holds that the prohibition only applies to professional gamblers who have no other income source.

According to a different viewpoint, as the loser of a wager forfeits their money without their will, gambling might be considered a type of theft. According to this reasoning, a person who gambles occasionally cannot even testify as a witness.

Though it is assumed that both participants to a wager participate voluntarily in the wager and thus accept the chance of losing, this opinion is not generally shared.

However, under the halachic permissibility, there are grounds where players are permitted to gamble, and depending on which of these grounds, a gambler may or may not be disqualified from testifying.

For example, a wager here and there might be allowed just because gambling is a recreational activity.

Prominent Jewish Figures in New York’s Casino Scene

The New York casino landscape has long boasted its fair share of prominent Jewish figures in the industry.

Meyer Lansky and Bugsy Siegel played a key role in setting up gambling on various activities, pretty much everything you might wager on, but particularly on cards and other games of chance in casinos.

The most infamous Jewish sports gambler of all time was Arnold “The Brain” Rothstein. His initial area of interest was horse racing, where his extensive network of informants providing insider knowledge helped turn him into a millionaire by age thirty.

Celebrating Jewish Culture in New York casinos

To incorporate Jewish themes and values, New York casinos organize events and promotions or carry out initiatives that embrace Jewish culture. Below are some of them:

●   Host a special Hanukkah event featuring traditional menorah lightning and themed entertainment at the casino.

●       Create a VIP club that offers exclusive benefits inspired by Jewish values, including goodwill, loyalty, and community.

●   Provide an inclusive gaming experience for Jewish players by introducing slot machines with Jewish themes, such as famous Jewish historical figures and symbols like the star of David.

●   Introduce charitable poker tournaments to donate a dedicated portion of the proceeds to Jewish charitable organizations.

There are many other activities – try all of them!