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Governor Cuomo And State Lawmakers Battle Over Mobile Sports Betting

Daniel Borjas — Wed, 20 Mar 2019 19:47:00 +0000

Governor Cuomo is firmly against mobile sports betting expansion.
State senator Addabbo says that a constitutional amendment is not needed.
New York law firms agree that no constitutional amendment is not needed.

NEW YORK – Governor Andrew Cuomo has stated on Monday that he is not in favor of mobile sports betting.

Cuomo has doubled down on his position against mobile sports betting in a roundtable with WAMC. Cuomo doesn’t believe that the potential fiscal impact for sports betting is worth it for New York.

“They [New Jersey] raised something like $13 million dollars [on sports betting] – $13 million dollars is a rounding error in our state. So I don’t even think the economic benefit is there,” said Cuomo.

This fact is echoed by the fact that Governor Cuomo has completely left sports betting out of his proposed financial budget.

This doesn’t mean that Governor Cuomo is completely against sports betting. He is in favor of the sportsbooks that are going to open upstate. Cuomo said that the new sportsbooks will help a part of the state where there isn’t too much economic development. He also stated that it will create high-paying jobs for residents in upstate New York.

The Amendment Debate

Governor Cuomo has made his position very clear on how he feels about any expansion of any gambling. He has said that he and his budget director believe that a constitutional amendment is needed to authorize online mobile betting. This would take three years and require a statewide referendum to accomplish.

Lawmakers are not standing for that position. Senator Joseph Addabbo has constantly rebuked the governor’s position about needing a constitutional amendment to authorize mobile sports betting. Now he has other opinions backing his idea.

New York Law Firms Weigh In

A good number of law firms including Gibson Dunn & Crutcher has stated that there does not need to be a constitutional amendment to authorize mobile sports betting. There are two main reasons why Gibson Dunn believes a constitutional amendment is unnecessary.

The first reason is that mobile sports wagering fits under the “casino gambling” umbrella. Casino gambling can be legalized and regulated by state lawmakers thanks to the constitution.

The second reason is because of where online sports betting occurs. Online and mobile sports betting happens within the confines of a server. If that server is physically located within a location that has legal sportsbooks, then sports bets are happening at a casino facility.

This gives lawmakers like Addabbo the ammo they need to combat the governor’s opinion on the issue.

“It’s a hurdle we can easily jump over. We have a number of independent law firms that have written briefs on how it would be constitutional. If we take a broad-but-correct interpretation of our current constitution, we can do sports betting in the four casinos with a mobile component,” said Addabbo.

The opinions from the law firms will help Addabbo and other lawmakers push for expanding sports betting in New York into the mobile space. Addabbo now has no reason to back down on this issue and he will push for mobile sports betting in New York.

The post Governor Cuomo And State Lawmakers Battle Over Mobile Sports Betting first appeared on SportsBettingInNewYork.com.

Legalizing Sports Betting In New York Makes Sense

Michael Molter — Mon, 25 Feb 2019 19:44:00 +0000

What do you do when your state is about to pass a budget that fails to account for nearly $2.3 billion of costs? Legalize sports betting, regulate the industry, and collect the tax revenue.

New York has completed the first stage, as a 2013 voter referendum passed in support of legal sports betting.

The state is in the process of completing the second stage when the New York State Gaming Commission approved a draft of the regulations. The regulations, which were unanimously approved, must enter into a 60-day public comment period.

The sixty days concludes on Friday, March 29.

Upon expected approval, the state would allow for sports gambling in the four upstate New York commercial casinos. The tribal casinos throughout the state would also be permitted to participate as they, by NY law, are allowed to offer any game that the commercial casinos do.

What Will The Tax Revenue Support?

The new industry would remove the underground operators from power and allow for the state to bring in some extra money to close the budget deficit.

Neighboring New Jersey operators have seen sports betting revenue at nearly $63 million in the last three alone and New York legislators are looking to capitalize on this as well.

“It offers great potential for increasing revenue without placing the burden on taxpayers,” said New York Senator Joseph Addabbo, Jr. (D- Howard Beach).

While the tax contributions from the revenue wouldn’t come close to balancing the budget, it would help promote a healthier economy.

The economic advantages that legalizing sports betting would impact include increased sales and tax revenues, along with additional jobs for the local economy. Tax contributions and supplementary income would help fund essential programs in the state, mainly based around education.

Addabbo has even pushed for an online betting platform which would include mobile betting. However, the originally approved regulations have no mention of adding a mobile feature.

“I am confident that by working together, we can develop and enact a comprehensive plan. It is big money, we know it is,” Addabbo said.

Upon approval of the regulations, sports betting in New York would be able to start as early as April.

Additionally, the state has until April 1 to vote on the 2020 budget set forth by Governor Andrew Cuomo.

The post Legalizing Sports Betting In New York Makes Sense first appeared on SportsBettingInNewYork.com.

Constitutional Amendment Threatens New York Mobile Wagering

Daniel Borjas — Fri, 08 Feb 2019 19:42:00 +0000

NEW YORK – If mobile sports wagering must get a constitutional amendment before becoming a law, the process to do that could delay online sports betting by three years in New York.

Sports betting is now legal in New York and it should launch later this year. One of the key factors about how wagering on sports is going to work in the state is that commercial casinos are the only facilities able to open sportsbooks.

This is a huge problem because to driving to these locations from New York city takes two to three hours. As a result, most New Yorkers would rather go to a casino in New Jersey that is just 15 miles away.

Lawmakers are worried that New York City residents going to New Jersey - or another state - for sports betting will cause a massive loss in state revenue.

“People get into a rhythm in lifestyle and get used to it,” said State Senator Joseph Addabbo. “I’m hoping that they change their lifestyle and utilize our apps and facilities. We need to capture their money here before people get too comfortable jumping to Jersey.”

That loss of revenue would be very beneficial to help alleviate New York’s financial troubles. According to Governor Andrew Cuomo, state tax revenue is currently $2.3 billion under projections of the current fiscal year.

Even though that is the case, Cuomo said that a constitutional amendment is necessary for New York to include mobile wagering. The process to make a constitutional amendment is three years. The Governor also said that sports wagering from the casinos upstate should be enough to help close the financial budget gap that the state is facing.

Jeff Gural, who owns a casino in both New York and New Jersey saidthe way New Jersey handles online wagering should be fine for New York.

“But my own opinion, based on the legal opinions that I’ve ready from smart people, is that it’s where the server is that’s considered where the bet is being made, so it shouldn’t need a constitutional amendment,” said Gural.

But until Cuomo agrees with that, the State of New York will need to go through the process of a constitutional amendment to make mobile and sports betting in New York a reality. Lawmakers are worried even if an amendment were to go through, residents in New York city will continue to go to New Jersey or elsewhere because they are used to it. They also do not want potential revenue for New York to go to another state.

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Caesars And The Oneida Indian Nation Enter Into Deal To Bring Sports Betting To New York

Michael Molter — Mon, 07 Jan 2019 19:40:00 +0000

As one of the states determined to build a powerful sports betting industry, New York has seen further advancements towards opening their first in-state sportsbook. This week, Caesars Entertainment Corporation finalized a deal with the Oneida Indian Nation at their three upstate casinos located between Syracuse and Utica.

Details Of The Deal

The alliance includes both licensing and branding at Turning Stone Resort Casino, Point Place Casino, and Yellow Brick Road Casino as both Caesars’ Executives and Oneida Tribe Representatives believe the launch will occur in 2019. Executive Vice President of Gaming and Interactive Entertainment at Caesars, Christian Stuart, said “the Oneida Indian Nation has already established Turning Stone as the preeminent New York gaming destination, which makes the property and its sister casinos fitting partners for Caesars”

“The Lounge With Caesars Sports” will be set to open pending approved legislation from NY lawmakers.

The Backstory On New York Sports Betting

Sports betting in New York has been legalized since 2013, when voters passed the referendum allowing it at the commercial casinos- even before the May 2018 appeal of PASPA. There were no regulations set in the state and the State Gaming Commission still must promulgate these standards; however, the Oneida Tribe has the right to offer the same types of gaming as the commercial casinos, per New York law.

The proposal must also be agreed upon by the National Indian Gaming Commission. Assemblyman Steve Hawley explained, “then it goes to the NYS Gaming Commission, who will put forth regulations and the Oneida Nation would have to accept those and implement those before they would start sports betting.”

Following Other Tribal Footsteps

The National Indian Gaming Commission has already seen the Santa Ana Star Casino in New Mexico and the Pear River Resort in Mississippi begin their own sportsbook ventures so here should be no different.

The Oneida Indian Nation is awaiting those guidelines but don’t think they are sitting idly. Already with plans, there is no hindering their excitement for a worthwhile agreement. “Caesars is in a class of its own. We are pleased to be joining forces with this world-renowned gaming leader … creat[ing] the perfect synergy for a meaningful long-term partnership, said Ray Halbritter, CEO of Oneida Nation Enterprises.

Surrounding states like New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island have already started their state-run industry as well and have been poaching New York residents in the meantime. The spread of legalization in the Mid-Atlantic Region is occurring instantly as Delaware, West Virginia, and D.C have all moved aggressively towards starting their own industry. These states were quick to launch and adopted regulations in 2018, something New York residents are hoping for sports betting in New York this time around.

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New York Sports Betting Update

Sierra Kennedy — Tue, 05 Jun 2018 19:39:00 +0000

New York sports betting enthusiasts got their wish on May 14th, 2018, when the Supreme Court decided to throw out the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA). Well, they sort of did, anyways. This is because, in 2013, New York Legislators enacted a law that expanded gambling within the state, opening up four private casinos. These casinos - Del Lago in Seneca County; Rivers Casino in Schenectady; Resorts World Catskills in Sullivan County; and Tioga Downs in Tioga County – were opened under the New York Gaming Economic Development Act. This law also gave the state the ability to offer sports betting at these four locations, should federal prohibitions ever be removed.

So you might be thinking - alright, now that PASPA has been repealed, sports betting in New York is going to be available pretty much immediately, right?

Wrong.

While New York seemed to be ahead of the game when it passed the New York Gaming Economic Development Act back in 2013, a closer look at the law shows us its true flaws – it’s extremely limited.

The 2013 law only allows for sports betting to be offered at four private casinos located in upstate New York. This would mean in-person betting is the only type of sports betting in New York. Mobile betting would not be legal, and sportsbooks would not be able to operate at any of the numerous racetracks or off-track betting locations throughout the state.

The language in the law is ambiguous enough that it is also questionable whether or not Native American Casinos would be able to offer sports betting, although many tribes – like the Oneida Indian Nation – insist that they are allowed to offer sports betting under the 2013 law.

The 2013 law gave regulatory authority to the State Gaming Commission. Because of this, the Gaming Act states that casinos would have to wait until the State Gaming Commission presented regulations for sports betting before they could open any sportsbooks. To be fair, New York Gaming Commission officials did go on the record in late May stating that they had begun work on creating those regulations. But we all know how long these things can take.

Now, before you get all sad, there is a small glimmer of hope - there is a bill on the floor currently that plans to expand sports betting in New York to include mobile and off-track betting. SB 7900 was introduced by Senator John Bonacic, who hopes to get the bill passed into law before the session ends. Proponents of SB 7900 are hoping that it will be passed and enacted in time for the 2018 football season.

The bill (S 7900) would open the option for mobile betting in the state, expanding gambling much further than just the four casinos that are allowed under the 2013 law. In order to participate in mobile betting, bettors would first have to register in person at one of the four casinos. After that, however, they would be able to bet from wherever they’d like using a mobile device.

It would also give New York racetracks and off-track betting venues the ability to partner with one of the four casinos in order to offer sports betting, giving residents more physical locations as sports betting options as well.

Unfortunately, the bill has a couple of big hurdles it needs to clear before it can become a law. The main problem right now is time – Session ends on June 20th, which is a very short amount of time for a bill to get passed through. It doesn’t help that the Senate seems to be split, with the Democratic majority leader and the Governor both voicing concerns on passing legislation too quickly.

Governor Andrew Cuomo even went so far as to tell reporters, “We’ll do an economic analysis and a legal analysis, but nothing’s going to happen this year because there’s literally just a number of days left in the legislative session and this would be a very big issue to tackle," when asked about whether or not sports betting would be available sometime in 2018. This proclamation does not bode well for getting New York sports betting up and running before the start of football.

Until the state government can get its act together, sports betting in New York looks like it might be a long time coming. The good news is that you still have a well-developed and safe sports betting option available to you through online, offshore sportsbooks. Which means that one way or another, you’ll be able to get those preseason football wagers in.

The post New York Sports Betting Update first appeared on SportsBettingInNewYork.com.

Betting On New York NFL Team Records

Dillon Appleman — Fri, 12 May 2017 19:37:00 +0000

The 2017 NFL schedule has been released and that means that New York football fans can check out the win/loss predictions for each NFL team in New York. The oddsmakers have set the over/under record projections for the Buffalo Bills, New York Jets, and New York Giants so if you are a fan of any of them, you now have the option of betting on New York NFL team records at the top sportsbooks.

NFL Win/Loss Betting Trends

Those who regularly bet on the NFL would probably tell you that betting on the NFL win/loss betting trends is similar to betting on the stock market. This is because it’s true more times than not that the best teams from a year before, likely won’t be as good the next year, and the same goes for the vice versa. This trend is called regression toward the mean which means that if somethings has an extreme initial measurement, it is likely that it will be an average measurement on the second go round; and if it was extreme on the second, it was probably average on the first.

With the schedules now released, New Yorkers can now put money on whether or not the predicted number of wins that have been decided by the oddsmakers will be over or under that figure. They look at the strength of schedule, the team’s roster, the team’s strengths and weaknesses and that sets their number. That being said, if you take a look at the predicted records of the Jets, Bills, and Giants, it’s clear that the oddsmakers have a firm grasp on that regression to the mean.

After the Giants won 11 games in 2016, they are now projected to win just 9, while the lowly Jets, who won just 5 games in 2016, are projected to win 5.5 in 2017. The Bills are the one anomaly in this theory but they had a 7 and 9 record in 2016 so they were kind of right in the middle of the pack. They are actually predicted to win only 6 games this coming NFL season and are the only team that had a losing record in 2016 that is projected to be even worse.

Why Is This The Case?

For teams with a good record like the Giants, the predicted regression is because of what’s called the ceiling effect. The Giants have a great roster and will likely be competing for the playoffs and a division title this season but the odds of the Giants winning more than 12 games is tough to justify due to all of the surrounding circumstance. They are in one of the toughest divisions in football, their quarterback is 36 years old and their run game didn’t improve during the offseason. Good teams show a steady trend of winning fewer games after a big year.

As far as the improvement of bad teams is concerned, the nine worst NFL teams from 2016 are all expected to improve this year, and the New York Jets are one of them. Now obviously all of these teams will not fall within that prediction but it’s almost certain that most of them will.

For reference, in 2015, there were a whopping seven teams that won at least 11 games. Only two ended up winning more games the next year, with three of them ending up having losing records. The 11 teams that won less than seven games, only four of them finished with a worse record. All others improved and three had double-digit wins.

Again, SportsBettinginNewYork.com wants you to know that none of this is a sure thing, which is the case with all betting ventures but the trends are always a good helper when you’re betting on New York NFL team records in 2017.

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