Sen. Joe Addabbo (D-Woodhaven) is, once again, preparing to legalize online casinos in New York. Addabbo introduced a bill on Tuesday that would bring iGaming to the Empire State.
Addabbo, chairman of the New York Senate Committee on Racing, Gaming and Wagering, has been in favor of bringing online casinos to the state for years. He introduced legislation in 2022 and 2023, neither of which moved out of committee. Last year’s bill did not push across the finish line, either.
The current bill, SB 2614, appears to be identical to the 2024 bill, though, amendments can be included later. There are many key players in getting online casino legalization over the hump in New York.
Details concerning newest online casino bill in NY
Just like in 2023, it didn’t take Addabbo long to propose iGaming legislation in the Empire State. With that, there are lots of similarities to last year’s bill.
The bill allows only one gaming skin per license over a period of 10 years. Live dealer games are also included, with the following stipulation:
“Live gaming studio means a physical location in New York state that utilizes live video streaming technology to provide authorized casino games to a player’s interactive gaming device or multi-use computing device.”
There doesn’t appear to be a sound tax structure in place as of yet. However, Addabbo did state that promotional deductions cannot exceed 1.75% in the first year of legalization.
Along with online casinos, the bill calls for the addition of an online lottery in New York. That would include draw games and instant games for online purchase. Currently, New York residents can only use courier services to make online lottery purchases.
Responsible gambling is also covered to a solid degree in the bill. Here are some of the requirements:
- $11 million annually for problem gambling education and treatment purposes
- $25 million in employee training, responsible gaming training and education
- Daily, weekly and monthly self-exclusion limits
- Licensees must submit a problem gambling plan to be approved by the NYS Gaming Commission
Addabbo is hoping that the fourth year is the charm for his online casino bill.
Key players in online casino legalization in NY
Addabbo is obviously the main character of the iGaming saga in the Empire State. He has tried to push it forward since 2022. Assemb. Gary Pretlow is another key figure in the online gambling market.
Pretlow represents the opposite side in the political realm. However, he and Addabbo usually see eye-to-eye when it comes to expanding online gambling. Pretlow was instrumental in the state launching NY sports betting apps in January 2023. He also introduced a bill to legalize online poker in 2023.
Gov. Kathy Hochul is another important figure in expanding the gambling market in New York. She seems to have an openness to it, being one of the final pieces to legalize sports betting two years ago.
Hochul is also in favor of expanding the retail casino market in New York. However, she’s doing so cautiously. Hochul vetoed a bill, proposed by Addabbo, that would that speed up the downstate casino licensing process.
Addabbo believes that once the downstate casino issue is resolved, Hochul will be much more open to discussing online casino legislation.
The New York Hotel and Gaming Trades Council (HTC) is Addabbo’s biggest opponent in getting iGaming across the finish line. The HTC fears cannibalization of the retail industry.
Bhav Tibrewal, political director for the HTC, told PlayUSA back in September that online casinos would hurt the retail job market:
“The fund is putting bells and whistles on a job killer. We firmly believe that iGaming harms the best part about casino gaming in New York States, which is jobs.
“No matter how much state revenue iGaming creates, if it comes at the cost of hurting the prospects for jobs at casinos, in our minds it’s a no-brainer that it’s the wrong thing to do.”
Each side must come to an agreement to make online casinos legal in New York.
Addabbo addresses sweepstakes conundrum
Online sweepstakes are currently operating in New York as an unregulated form of gambling. They do so in many states, especially where online casinos are not legal.
While Addabbo is steadfast on legalizing iGaming, he also discussed the issue with sweepstakes. In a statement released on Tuesday, Addabbo is going to do one of two things with social casinos:
“To close this loophole, I will work to ban or incorporate Sweepstakes Casinos in the state, akin to current laws in Michigan, Idaho, and Washington, and I will push for iGaming as a safe, effective alternative for online casino enthusiasts.”
Addabbo noted that it’s his job to protect New York citizens, who should be gambling on a legal and regulated playing field. The state would also maximize tax revenue by either regulated or banning sweepstakes.