New York may not yet allow online gambling, but sports betting has already made great strides toward legality and could pave the way for legal online gaming in future years. While its laws are less liberal than in New Jersey or other leading states like Nevada or Delaware, they have recently relaxed substantially and adding sports betting will bring NY much closer in line with other US states.
I-Gaming has quickly become an integral component of the gaming industry and New York’s land-based casinos have long been trying to join in. Although they offer similar offerings as big online operators sites like blackjack and roulette, as well as slots – but their true opportunity lies online where more customers await them.
An legal iGaming environment would provide an enormous boost to the economy and employment opportunities, potentially raising annual state revenues by over $170.4 million and helping cut back on illegal gambling activity. As such, it should come as no surprise that state governments seek to bring it under their jurisdiction and regulate it effectively.
One of the main obstacles facing online casino operators, such as land-based casinos, is that existing regulations and licensing systems don’t translate well to this space. Furthermore, finding people qualified to oversee and implement it can be challenging; however, California has taken significant steps in rectifying this problem with several major steps already being implemented.
Sports betting was the initial piece to this puzzle to fall into place when Governor Cuomo signed sports betting legislation into law in 2021. Since then, New York state lawmakers have attempted to pass an online casino bill; there have been signs that this may happen imminently as Joe Addabbo, chairman of the Senate Racing, Wagering, and Gaming Committee has introduced legislation to license and regulate iGaming activities within New York state.
If approved, online casino gaming should follow a similar structure to sports betting in terms of age restrictions, geolocation technology and other rules. Players will have access to responsible gambling features like self-exclusion and deposit limits as well. Many of the same companies operating sportsbooks will likely apply for permits to operate NY online casinos once this bill passes and becomes law.
FanDuel and Betfair stand out among potential online casino operators in New York, which makes their launch all the more intriguing as licensed sportsbook operators; expanding into casino operation could allow them to extend their brand reach while tapping into an entirely new audience. Other big names could follow, depending on how many licenses the NY State Gambling Commission grants – this list of operators will then be displayed on the state website, increasing transparency while guaranteeing only reliable sites can serve New Yorkers.