For years, Sen. Joseph Addabbo has pushed for the legalization of online casinos in New York. He has pointed out that Empire State residents are taking part in iGaming already, whether in neighboring states with legal online casinos or using illegal, offshore platforms.
To help illustrate that point further, the democrat representing the 15th Senate District decided to poll his constituents on a variety of issues, including the legalization of NY online casinos.
However, the results of that poll may not have been as eye-opening as he hoped.
Less than half of respondents support NY online casinos
According to a poll of 523 constituents in the 15th Senate District, just 44% of respondents approve the legalization of iGaming in New York.
Those residents were posed with this question regarding online casino legalization:
“With many New York residents participating in illegal, unregulated, and unsafe gaming operations over the Internet, I introduced legislation allowing licensed interactive gaming operators to offer online casino games to the public. Steps to protect consumers, combat compulsive gaming, and prevent minors from accessing online gaming sites are included. iGaming would create an estimated $1 billion in additional revenue annually and create jobs.
Do you support or oppose iGaming?”
Takeaways from iGaming poll question
The results of this question, with 33% opposing legalization and 23% remaining unsure, could be perceived as a disappointment. Especially considering that many could read the prompt as a bit leading and loaded.
On top of that, the findings become more prominent when you look at other questions posed to the respondents.
More residents supported a bill that the legalization of prostitution (56%), which would not prosecute those involved in prostitution but rather the “pimps, traffickers, and sex buyers,” according to the legislation. Nearly three-quarters of respondents (72%) supported the NYS Medical Aid in Dying Act, which relates to terminally ill patients requesting for and using medication for medical aid in dying. And some 75% of respondents approved QueensLink, which would reactivate the abandoned Rockaway Branch train service as an M train subway extension.
But there’s a bit more to these results and what they say.
Addabbo’s district home to Resorts World NYC
Addabbo, of course, has relentlessly pushed for the legalization of online casinos in New York. This past session was perceived as the best chance to date, but his efforts ultimately fell short.
A major reason of this stemmed from the pushback from the New York Hotel and Gaming Trades Council (HTC), which represents over 5,000 gaming workers. The union told PlayUSA earlier this year that any legislation to legalize iGaming “is not a job creator,” adding that online casino gaming “completely decimates” the land-based ecosystem.
Similarly, over 700 employees from Resorts World New York City signed a letter to Addabbo calling his efforts to legalize iGaming “appalling” and that such legislation “would hurt workers like us.”
Why this becomes relevant to the poll: Resorts World NYC sits just outside of Addabbo’s district, which obviously includes many employees of the racino that seeks one of three downstate licenses to become a fully fledged casino.
Certainly that fact played a part in the perhaps lower-than-expected iGaming poll results. But, as Addabbo has frequently said before, this is all a starting point for a conversation. It would seem unlikely that it completely derails Addabbo’s future efforts to legalize online casinos.
