NY Sen. Addabbo pushes Gov. to legalize mobile sports betting by the end of 2020

On Saturday, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo cleared the state’s race tracks to resume running on June 1, but it’s still illegal in New York to place mobile sports wagers. New York State Sen. Joseph Addabbo is hoping to inspire the governor to sign the mobile sports betting bill into law by the end of the year.

The senator estimates New York could make up to $200 million a year. “We do not as a state have the luxury of declining revenue at this point. We have a severe budget deficit. Even prior to the coronavirus we had it, so now there’s a need for revenue,” Addabbo told CBS2.

“I think we all share the concern for those who have an addiction, and right now, New Yorkers are going to Jersey to do mobile sports betting, they’re doing it illegally, so we can’t help them because we don’t know who they are. So there are a number of issues that we address in our bill. That’s why I had this ‘Plan, Pass and Prepare’ strategy for this year to try and get mobile sports betting done this year.”

Two years ago, the US Supreme Court paved the way for legal sports betting on a state-by-state basis by repealing PASPA, and New Jersey was one of the most favored jurisdictions, as nearly 90% of the state’s bets were made online.