On Monday the New York State Gaming Commission granted preliminary approval to regulations that would permit four casinos in upstate New York to offer sports betting.
This marks the first step in getting legal and regulated sports betting off the ground in the state of New York.
The proposed sports betting regulations will now enter 60-day long public comment period. Once the 60-day period is over the state regulator can give final approval to the regulations.
Once the regulations are given final approval, Tioga Downs in Tioga County, Rivers Casino in Schenectady County, Resorts World Catskills in Sullivan County and del Lago in Seneca County will be able to offer sports betting.
The regulations suggest the venues will need to have a sports betting lounge if they wish to accept sports wagers.
The proposed regulations say: “All wagers pursuant to this Part shall be placed within a sports wagering lounge with a wagering cashier at a wagering counter or at an automated ticket machine located within a sports wagering lounge or other location or other location within the gaming facility as approved by the commission.”
The sports betting regulations do not allow for mobile or online sports betting to take place in New York.
On top of this, the regulations do not include a ‘bad actor’ clause, which would exclude vendors from applying for sports betting licenses.
Although the sports betting regulations do not explicitly mention tribal casinos, through the tribal-state compacts, the tribal venues in the state will be able to offer sports betting.
This is because the tribal-state compacts in New York granted the tribal venues the right to offer any gambling option that is offered by the state’s commercial casinos.
Earlier this month the Oneida Indian Nation partnered with Caesars Entertainment to launch sports betting at the Turning Stone Resort Casino, Yellow Brick Road Casino and Point Place Casino later this year.
