During the first seven weeks of New York mobile sports betting, bettors have put the industry and the state into another galaxy.
Now, New York wants to enter a whole new stratosphere.
On Thursday, State Senator Joseph Addabbo, Jr. – who also serves as Chairman of the Senate Racing, Gaming and Wagering Committee – introduced his second bill in less than two weeks that could bring online interactive gaming to the state. The bill, S8412, would include any authorized casino slot or table game determined to be suitable for any online wagering.
Addabbo’s key bill points include: Casinos would house servers (just like sports betting); two skins for each license holder which would include both casinos and tribes; 25% tax rate (sports betting is 51%) and master licenses will have a $2 million fee
“We are going to try to build and expand on our sports betting success and with this bill and the other bill I introduced earlier in the month, both do just that,” Addabbo said in a call to EmpireStakes.com on Friday afternoon. “It’s an introduction to expansion to begin the discussion. If it doesn’t make it into the budget, as I have said in the past, it’s a start and builds a foundation toward the future.”
Currently, the state does not have real money online casinos. New Yorkers can wager on slots and table games at four up-state casinos and others operated by the state’s Tribal casinos. Three neighboring states – Connecticut, New Jersey, Pennsylvania – each have legalized online gaming, along with four other states.
The state legislature is already reviewing and focused on a possibility of three downstate casinos. Gov. Kathy Hochul mentioned these casinos during her budget address.
Both the state Senate and Assembly will offer their proposals by mid-March to coincide with Hochul’s already-released budget proposal.
The New York State budget deadline is April 1.
Horse Wagering with Sports Betting Kiosks
In mid-February, the New York Senate Racing, Gaming and Wagering Committee unanimously voted, 7-0, to approve another Addabbo bill, S7536. This bill would allow online sports betting operators to place mobile kiosks at pro sports venues, auto racing facilities, horse race tracks, off-track betting sites (OTBs) and video lottery terminals (VLTs).
That bill is now in the Senate Finance Committee.
The committee meets again at 3:30 p.m. Monday. Billed as the “2022 Economic & Revenue Consensus Forecasting Conference Meeting,” the bill most likely will not be a part of the meeting’s agenda.
But in New York, who knows what will happen?
