New York governor takes swing at online sports betting
The governor has once again reiterated his opposition to the gambling modality this week.
US.- Sports betting has been spreading its reach in the United States ever since the US Supreme Court lifted the federal ban, but despite the fact that eight states have legalised and regulated the segment, they’re now trying to expand the operations to the online market as well.
New York, which has approved sports betting services at four upstate casinos, is one of the states that is considering the modality. However, Andrew Cuomo, governor of New York, has once again expressed his opposition, as he believes there is not enough benefit to legalise it.
“I’m not a fan… of the new mobile sports betting,” said Cuomo during an interview with WAMC radio. The governor used New Jersey as an example and said that the state only obtained US$13 million in state tax revenues from it in 2018. He explained that in a state like New York, where the budget will be about US$170 billion, mobile sports betting is a “rounding error,” so he doesn’t “even think the economic benefit is there.”
Cuomo’s administration has already said that mobile sports betting would violate the state’s constitution, but despite their opposition, multiple discussions have surfaced in recent months. Tomorrow, the administration is set to issue regulations that authorise the gambling at the four upstate casinos and kicking off a 60-day public comment period.
A change in the state constitution would require passage by two successive sessions of the Legislature and then a statewide referendum, Buffalo News explained. If all of that is successful, the earliest that the question could go before voters would be in 2021.
Assemblyman Gary Pretlow, who also chairs the Assembly’s racing and wagering committee, claims that Cuomo is not considering the tax benefits that will come to the state: “I don’t think it has a shot in the budget and I’m not advocating that it be in the budget, but I do think the governor should take a closer look than he’s taking on this situation.”
“I think the benefit to the State of New York totally outweighs any other consideration,” Pretlow added.
