- The New York Gaming Commission approved limited sports betting regulations.
- Sports betting can only happen in retail locations.
- Sportsbooks are hoping to open before football season begins.
ALBANY, N.Y. – The New York Gaming Commission unanimously approved sports betting rules on Monday.
What Is Currently Allowed
Right now, sportsbooks can only open in retail locations. There are four casinos that have approval to have sports gambling in upstate New York. In the future, seven tribal casinos could open sportsbooks if they choose to do so. Licensing for sports gambling is likely to start this summer.
There are also some limits on what gamblers can wager on. New York sportsbooks cannot take wagers on New York collegiate games. This includes Columbia, Cornell, Wagner, or any other colleges from the state. Sportsbooks are also not allowed to take bets on college games that happen in the state. This includes games not involving New York colleges.
The Next Steps For New York
There is still more work that needs to happen for New York sports betting. Upstate casinos are undergoing construction to build sports betting lounges. The del Lago sportsbook has partnered with DraftKings. The casino is going to have LED terminals, video display walls, up to 20 sports betting kiosks, and more. Similar amenities are expected in the other three approved casinos.v
On top of that, lawmakers are working on creating laws that would allow mobile and online sports betting in New York. Senator Joseph Addabbo has introduced NY SB 17 which would allow mobile wagering to happen.
There are a couple of factors that are going against mobile wagering right now. The legislative session ends on June 19. That leaves only a week for the bill to pass through the entirety of New York’s Congress.
Governor Andrew Cuomo is also a hurdle to surpass as well. In the past, Gov. Cuomo has opposed the idea of mobile sports wagering. He had previously insisted that mobile wagering must go through a voter referendum. That would take up to two more years to do.
Regardless, New York will soon have sportsbooks opening up in the state. Sportsbooks are hoping to open by the end of summer, around August 1. If they are successful in doing so, sportsbooks will open at the start of the NFL preseason. This will maximize initial profits for the new sportsbooks.