The NY sports betting process hit a timeline milestone on Thursday.
The New York State Gaming Commission (NYSGC) released a 29-page question and answer document to applicants’ first questions, as the application process for mobile sports betting platforms began on July 9.
Applicants’ second questions are due by 3 p.m. EDT on Tuesday, with a second NYSGC response to those questions scheduled to be released on Aug. 2.
All applications are due by 4 p.m. ET on Aug. 9.
Q&A Highlights
Collusion
Q: Can the Commission provide guidance on non-collusive bidding?
A: The purpose of the non-collusive bidding prohibition is to prevent tax rate collusion among applicants. The RFA process is intended to foster a competitive process among parties seeking to operate mobile sports wagering for the benefit of New York state. Collusion among potential bidders concerning a submitted tax rate would be contrary to state interests, hence its prohibition. For clarity, the non-collusive prohibitions are to prevent applicant-to-applicant collusion, not to prohibit discussion of tax rates among platform providers and operators within a single application.
SURVEY: What New Yorkers Want In Their Sports Betting
Q: Will only the primary applicant be required to exercise a non-collusive bidding certification?
A: No. All parties to an application must sign an Appendix D: non-collusive application certification form.
Application Information
Q: Can a platform provider join multiple bids?
A: Yes.
Q: If a platform provider is in multiple bids and wins with one, how will its second bid be scored?
A: Each application containing the same platform provider will be scored independently, irrespective of the score obtained by another application containing that platform provider. Please note that if the platform provider is included in multiple selected applications, the platform provider will be required to pay the $25 million licensing fee for each selected application.
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Q: If an operator is in multiple bids and wins with one, how will its second bid be scored?
A:If an operator is included within a selected application, the operator will be assigned to the highest-scoring application containing that operator. All other applications containing that operator will be restored, removing that operator for the purpose of making additional selections. An operator will be licensed in connection with only one platform provider.
NY June Revenue: Sign Of Promise
On Monday, New York’s four commercial casinos continued the recent trend of seeing increased sports betting revenue as June revenue numbers were released.
Tioga Downs in Nichols, Del Lago in Waterloo, Rivers in Schenectady and Resorts World Catskills in Monticello combined for nearly $1.9 million ($1,858,642) in sports betting revenue for June, up 16.9% from May.
It’s the second month-to-month increase in sports betting. The state saw a 20.2% increase from April to May. New York does not release monthly handle figures, just revenue.
NY online casinos have not been legalized by the state.
