New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has stated that the state’s legislature has decided to include online and mobile sports betting in the state budget for the 2022 fiscal year. This follows a long period of campaigning in favor of making sports betting sites legal. The question of which model New York will choose remains open, though.
Sports betting in New York would be regulated by the New York Lottery, as the governor has previously stated. In addition, he said, the organization would only approve a small number of mobile sports betting sites, and those that did get approval would be subject to stringent regulations. The Governor said that he is not seeking to enrich casinos but rather the state of New York, and that a state-run sports betting sector is the best way to achieve this goal.
Worries About Monopolies
Many people have criticized Governor Cuomo’s choice, despite the fact that his proposal would bring in a lot of money for New York. Monopolies and the potential implications on the Constitution have been a source of concern for critics. In addition, a strategy that permits only a small number of operators diverges significantly from the norm in jurisdictions that have legalized sports betting. Multi-operator models are legal in certain states including New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
The New Jersey businesses that run sports betting sites are worried that if gambling is legalized in New York state, they will lose customers. However, there is also widespread agreement that New Jersey operators have nothing to worry about as a result of Cuomo’s proposed model with a restricted number of operators.
The Origins of Sports Gambling Where: New York
Before sports betting was even permitted in any state, New York was among the first to create regulations for such sites. In 2013, less than a decade before sports betting was legalized in the state, legislators passed a bill allowing the state’s four commercial casinos to provide the service. The Supreme Court’s decision to strike down PASPA in 2018 cleared the way for states to legalize sports betting. New York State legalized in-person wagering not long after.
However, as New Jersey demonstrates, one of the most prosperous industries in the country relies heavily on mobile sports betting. Online wagering accounts for almost 90% of the state’s total.