NY State Assembly halts mobile betting bill
Bill will unlikely be considered until 2020 now that the legislative session has finished for the year
The New York State Assembly has failed to pass the state’s mobile betting bill despite the the Senate voting in favour of it earlier this week.
With the legislative session now ended for the year the issue will not be addressed again until 2020.
Until then New York bettors will have to visit one of four upstate casinos to place legal wagers in the state.
Senator Joseph Addabbo expressed his disappointment on Twitter, stating New York will lose out on approximately $75m in revenues that could fund education and job creation.
I have not witnessed a clear reason why NY can’t implement mobile sports betting this year. Just for the remainder of this fiscal year, we would be losing out on approximately $75 million in revenue, educational funding and both job creation and retention.
— SenatorJoeAddabbo (@SenJoeAddabbo) June 19, 2019
Addabbo said the decision would allow offshore and illegal sports betting to continue to thrive.
NY will be stuck like a disabled car on the shoulder, while we allow an illegal sports betting business in our state thrive and idly watch other neighboring states pass us up with enormous revenue gains from mobile sports betting.
— SenatorJoeAddabbo (@SenJoeAddabbo) June 19, 2019
He proposed New York followed in New Jersey’s footsteps by having servers held locally at the licensed casinos.
The bill included a clause to allow in-stadium betting at major sports venues outside of counties where licensed casinos and racetracks are located.