The Racing, Gaming and Wagering Committee passed a bill that allows that vertical for casinos

New York: mobile sports betting moves forward in the Senate

"This may not be phase one, it may not be tomorrow, but in the future I envision we streamline and reform the industry by including horse racing,” the panel's chair and sponsor of the bill, state Senator Joseph Addabbo.
2019-05-14
Reading time 3:06 min
The bill would require bettors to be in New York when wagering on sporting events. Casinos that offer mobile sports betting would be required to pay a USD 12 million licensing fee to the state and a 0.2% royalty fee to sports governing bodies. Gov. Andrew Cuomo previously raised constitutional concerns about mobile sports betting, and NYRA-operated thoroughbred racing tracks, as well as racinos, have raised concerns about the bill’s effects on their operations.

A key state Senate committee advanced a bill Monday that would allow mobile sports betting in New York, but the bill’s sponsor expects changes to the legislation before it’s signed into law.

The Senate Racing, Gaming and Wagering Committee approved a bill sponsored by the panel's chair, state Senator Joseph Addabbo, that would allow commercial casinos to offer mobile sports wagering. The measure received bipartisan support from the committee's members, including Republican state Sen. Pam Helming who represents the Finger Lakes region.

Addabbo said the issue was a balancing act. “This is a cement that’s nearly not yet hardened and hopefully we can mold it, and hopefully we can mold it to be more inclusionary,” Addabbo told reporters after the meeting. New Jersey already has a sports gambling provision in place, and Addabbo is worried the state is losing out on the revenue.

The committee's review of the legislation followed a public hearing Thursday in Albany. Several stakeholders testified at the meeting and spoke in support of Addabbo's bill to allow mobile sports betting. Some neighboring states, such as New Jersey and Pennsylvania, accept mobile bets. But New York's plan to legalize sports betting doesn't include a mobile component.

"There is so much revenue that could be coming to this state that is going to other states and that is going to operations that are not legal within the borders of New York," said state Sen. James Gaughran, a Long Island Democrat and member of the Senate Racing, Gaming and Wagering Committee. He supports the mobile sports betting bill.

The bill would require bettors to be in New York when wagering on sporting events. Casinos that offer mobile sports betting would be required to pay a $12 million licensing fee to the state and a 0.2% royalty fee to sports governing bodies. Casinos would pay a 12 percent tax on the gross gaming revenue from mobile sports bets.

The bill now heads to the Senate Finance Committee for consideration. If that panel advances the bill, it could get a floor vote.

Before the committee's vote Monday morning, state Gaming Commission Executive Director Robert Williams testified about the mobile sports betting bill and other matters. Gov. Andrew Cuomo previously raised constitutional concerns about mobile sports betting. He believes a constitutional amendment is needed before the state can accept wagers on mobile platforms.

Williams reiterated those concerns at the meeting. "I don't think we've resolved those yet, but it is something that I know from an internal standpoint we're examining the bill, taking a look at the new bill that was just introduced I think last week and seeing how those relate and whether those help address any of the concerns that we may have," he said, according to auburnpub.com.

Addabbo, D-Queens, and Assemblymember Gary Pretlow, a Westchester County Democrat, resolved differences between their bills and released an amended version earlier this month. “It’s the future of our state that maybe we include horse racing in with the gaming,” Addabbo said. “We need to streamline our gaming industry. This may not be phase one, it may not be tomorrow, but in the future I envision we streamline and reform the industry by including horse racing.” Addabbo said he didn’t want to punt the issue to the next year. The session is scheduled to end in June.

At the same time, NYRA-operated thoroughbred racing tracks, as well as racinos, have raised concerns about the bill’s effects on their operations. Sen. Helming said she supports the bill despite her concerns about the impact on racinos. Her district is home to Finger Lakes Gaming & Racetrack, a racino in Ontario County. She hopes that there will be further discussions about how racinos might be able to participate in sports betting or if there are options for providing financial assistance.

Leave your comment
Subscribe to our newsletter
Enter your email to receive the latest news
By entering your email address, you agree to Yogonet's Condiciones de uso and Privacy Policies. You understand Yogonet may use your address to send updates and marketing emails. Use the Unsubscribe link in those emails to opt out at any time.
Unsubscribe
EVENTS CALENDAR