In a late-night move, the NY State Assembly published its fiscal year budget with mobile sports betting provisions included. This was the next step in the long process that could result in the legalization of mobile sports betting in New York before the end of 2021.
NY State Assembly Budget Is Published
Saturday night’s legislative action is the latest move in the legalization process. New York Assembly Bill A1257, pushed by mobile betting advocate Assemblyman Gary Pretlow, includes provisions permitting commercial casinos and tribal casinos to apply for licenses. The State Assembly included these provisions in its 2021-2022 state budget, which was published late on March 13, 2021.
Similar provisions are included in New York Senate Bill S1183. Long-time mobile betting proponent State Senator Joseph Addabbo Jr. would be looking to press the State Senate to similarly publish its one-house budget with mobile betting provisions included.
Although Governor Andrew Cuomo has been advocating for a state-run lottery model for New York, each of these proposed bills focuses on commercial and tribal casino-run sports betting. Companies like Penn National are already entering into agreements with local casinos in anticipation of legalization.
See our complete guide to NY Sports Betting to see what this would mean for NY sports fans.
What This Means For New York Mobile Betting
Just last week, Albany Law School hosted a panel discussion on the future of sports betting in New York. Panelists included Shanna Cassidy, the Committee Director of the Racing, Gaming, and Wagering Committee. Although the panel spoke about the nitty-gritty details of the two proposed sports betting bills, overall the panel seemed to suggest mobile betting is inevitable in the state.
Although Cuomo has been pushing for a lottery-run model, his suggestions haven’t been backed up by details of how this would operate. And, it wouldn’t keep bettors in New York City interested enough to keep them from heading over to New Jersey and betting with big-name companies like DraftKings and FanDuel.
In contrast, both Addabbo’s and Pretlow’s bills are detailed and specific, including provisions around who could apply for a license and proposed licensing fees. These fees could go a long way to plugging up New York’s growing budget shortfall.
All eyes are now on the NY State Senate, and Addabbo, to see if they can publish their one-house budget with mobile betting provisions before the March 31 budget deadline.
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