A New York Senate committee has moved forward in the approval process of an online and mobile sports betting bill after the committee passed the bill to its next stop, the Senate Finance Committee.
Monday’s session was intended on pushing for the legalization of mobile and online sports betting in New York, given that the state has legalized retail-only sports wagering for the upstate commercial and tribal casinos.
Proponents for online and mobile sports betting still have a lot of work to do, and still need to gain the backing from Governor Andrew Cuomo, who has previously spoken out about the constitutional concerns with the expansion of gaming under the legislation.
Senator Joe Addabbo, the committee chairman and the main sponsor of the bill, 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.
Should Cuomo’s stance prove indomitable, New Yorkers would likely be able to place sporting bets in time for summer, but only in person at one of the state’s four upstate licensed casinos. That would be in direct contrast with the Garden State where 80 per cent of bets are placed via mobile.
The New York Senate has long been in favor of pushing for online gambling, with officials still gearing up for a launch of brick-and-mortar sports betting at the upstate casinos.
