New York’s Dream of Mobile Sports Betting Hits a Roadblock

New York’s Dream of Mobile Sports Betting Hits a Roadblock

The mobile sport betting legislative effort in the state of New York was recently paused as the State Gaming Commission extended its deadline for a gaming study. The study is being conducted by the Spectrum Gaming Group.

A study commissioned in November 2019

The New York State Gaming Commission (NYSGC) asked Spectrum Gaming Group to conduct a study in online sports betting last November. The state would not move ahead with its plans for mobile sports betting legalization until that study is complete. The debate over legalizing mobile betting in the state has been ongoing for more than a year. The results of the study were due this week but Spectrum will now get an unspecified amount of time to submit its finding. A new deadline for the study has not been announced yet, which reveals some uncertainty about when the market will be ready.

New York’s Dream of Mobile Sports Betting Hits a Roadblock

On Monday, the NYSGC cited the coronavirus as the reason why the study will be given some more time. The regulator explained that the pandemic could have a potential impact on the future of gaming as well as the future development of the industry. Therefore, they need to be considered before a final study is published. The extension was granted to Spectrum so it could measure the issue fully.

New York is in trouble

The US Supreme Court struck down PASPA about two years ago, which helped many states launch their own sports betting markets. New Jersey has been at the forefront of this revolution and has both land and mobile-based gambling. While other states suffered due to coronavirus related casino shutdowns, New Jersey still managed to get a multi-million-dollar sports betting handle due to its mobile gaming market. Last year, it generated $4.5 billion in the betting handle and received $300 million in revenue for the sportsbooks. The state earned $36 million out of it.

However, New York has consistently lagged behind in this case. Even Rhode Island and Pennsylvania have legalized sports betting and Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Vermont are also thinking about this option. The state allowed four upstate casinos to start providing on-site sports betting in 2019 but has not been able to bring mobile betting to reality. Senator Joseph Addabbo Jr. has pushed to make mobile betting legal but it appears that his efforts have been indefinitely delayed for now.

About sherlock

Sherlock Gomes loves to write and express his views on anything related to Gaming, Gambling, & Casino. He has been covering Gaming for more than two years now.