The state of New York is facing one of the worst public health crises in recent times but Governor Andrew Cuomo is working on the state budget as well. His divided attention and the ongoing coronavirus pandemic mean death for the state mobile sports betting bill.

Mobile sports betting bill killed

Legal Sports Report recently noted that the mobile sports betting bill did not make the cut on the state budget as lawmakers are still not convinced about the issue. Cuomo presented his annual budget for the fiscal year 2021 in January, which included a small expansion of the legal sports betting market in the state. However, it did not include any provisions for mobile sports wagers.

He said that the only way that online betting would be allowed in New York is via an amendment to the state constitution. However, many lawmakers like State Senator Joseph Addabbo Jr., etc. disagree with this decision. Some supporters of the bill were certain that it could be added to the budget till April 1, when the budget must be concluded. However, now it is certain that mobile sports betting has been suspended for at least one year.

Is the initiative legally sound?

The state’s top legal firms recently assured that the mobile betting initiative was sound, as noted by Assemblyman Gary Pretlow. The state lawmakers also hoped that the governor would be convinced to add the mobile betting provision on its gambling expansion plan to help fulfill the $6 billion deficit in the budget. The deficit is expected to rise dramatically as the state is using up its resources to fight the coronavirus pandemic. If the governor legalized mobile betting, he would have been able to fulfill this gap with ease.

Addabbo said,

“What is so astonishing is that we had a need for revenue before the virus crisis, and we’re still being asked to make cuts to health care. Unbelievable. Totally irresponsible.”

However, he and other supporters of the bill suggest that there is no need to lose hope on the bill completely. He said that the lawmakers can still examine all credible revenue options, without giving much heed to their apprehensions. It is expected that some lawmakers may start a three-year process to create a constitutional amendment for legalizing mobile sports betting to gain the favors of the governor.