As commercial casinos in New York launch sportsbooks, their tribal competitors aren’t far behind. The first New York Mohawk sportsbook is coming.
The Akwesasne Mohawk Casino Resort in Hogansburg will be a new location for New York sports betting. It isn’t alone by far, and the Mohawk tribe has bigger plans.
Details on the first New York Mohawk sportsbook
Akwesasne has partnered with The Stars Group to operate the sportsbook. The space will cover 5,200 square feet of the casino.
Along with a bar and dining, the sportsbook area will offer a high-definition video wall and 25 televisions. The sportsbook will open in time for the coming NFL season.
Stick’s Sports Bar & Sportsbook, as the space will be called, isn’t the extent of the agreement between Akwesasne and Stars, however. There are more components to the agreement that are pending changes to state law.
Stars Group to offer NY online sports betting, someday, maybe
If and when mobile sports betting should ever become legal in NY, Stars will be ready to shine. The agreement gives the Stars Group the option to use its relationship with the Mohawk tribe to apply for an online skin and operate an online sportsbook in NY.
The Toronto-based company will land a great market for its FoxBet — in conjunction with Fox Sports — product if that happens. That possibility could entice the Stars Group to join the chorus of voices applying pressure to Albany.
Legislators attempted to legalize mobile sports betting in New York during the last session, but several issues derailed that attempt. A successful change to the law may take years, but if it ever happens, the Stars Group will be ready.
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Commercial casinos beat tribal casinos to the punch
While preparations are underway at Akwesasne, two retail sportsbooks in NY are already open: Rivers Casino and the FanDuel Sportsbook.
The first legal sports bet in NY was placed at Rivers last Tuesday. The FanDuel Sportsbook at Tioga Downs opened later in the week.
Resorts World Catskills and del Lago Resort Casino both have sportsbooks under construction but have not yet announced launch dates for their operations. DraftKings will operate the sportsbook at del Lago.
Though these two retail casinos are first to market in NY, tribal casinos as a whole don’t lag far behind.
Tribal casino sportsbook set to launch next month
The first tribal casino sportsbooks in NY will open on Aug. 1. Point Place Casino in Bridgeport and Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, which are both operated by the Oneida Nation, are the sites. The Oneida have partnered with Caesars for the development and marketing of their sportsbooks.
The Senecas may appear on the list next. They have casinos in Buffalo, Niagara Falls and Salamanca. They are reportedly exploring their options.
The more tribal casinos that open sportsbooks, the better it is for the state. People in NY are more likely to place bets, as doing so is convenient. More action means more tax revenue.
The ideal situation there is being able to do so from a phone, but that’s a powder keg right now. Until that changes, the opening of each successive tribal casino sportsbook is good news for NY.
