New York online Sports Betting Provision Left Out of Budget

Sports Betting

Despite a clamor for more revenue to fund education and other services, mobile sports betting did not make the final cut in the new $175.5 billion New York state budget.

“We’re sitting on the sidelines and letting our money go out of state,” fumed Sen. Joe Addabbo (D-Queens), who chairs the racing, wagering and gaming committee.

Many New Yorkers trek over the border to place mobile bets in New Jersey.

“It’s disappointing,” said Assembly Racing and Wagering Committee chairman Gary Pretlow (D-Mt. Vernon).

The Senate Democratic majority were the biggest boosters of mobile sports betting, allowing downstate gamblers to remotely place wagers through servers connected to four upstate casinos.

But Gov. Andrew Cuomo raised constitutional concerns and Speaker Carl Heastie (D-Bronx) and his Assembly Democrats were resistant to the idea, sources said.

Under current law, the four upstate casinos, Resorts World Catskills in Monticello, Rivers Casino in Schenectady, del Lago Casino in Tyre near Rochester and Tioga Downs near Binghamton, are authorized to offer sports betting. The New York State Gaming Commission has drafted rules to allow it.

But there’s a catch: sports bettors must physically show up at the casinos to place the bets, thus barring online or mobile bets from anywhere in the state.

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