Sports betting arrives in Buffalo
The Seneca Buffalo Creek Casino has debuted sports betting in Buffalo last Friday after the New York Legislature approved the segment this year.
US.- New York approved sports wagering this year and the segment has already launched in some venues. However, sports betting debuted in Buffalo as the Seneca Nation President Rickey Armstrong Sr. bet US$40 on the Bills.
The Seneca Buffalo Creek Casino is the first to host the segment in the second-largest city in the state. Punters bet on everything from hockey, football to basketball and mixed martial arts, but couldn’t bet on horse racing.
Bettors must use digital kiosks and manned teller windows to access sports betting at the Buffalo casino. Mobile betting is also available, as customers must create a bet offsite, then obtain a QR code to complete it.
“Brick and mortar [betting] is going to be substantial profit. However, we’re also waiting for (online betting) to come in, maybe next year through legislation,” said Armstrong.
Holly Gagnon, CEO of Seneca Gaming, declined to say how much extra revenue the three casinos expect from sports betting to generate. “I think we really expect for Buffalo to be much more active than some of the other markets [in the state] because Buffalo is such a great sports town,” she said.
