Lawmakers in New York have been anxiously waiting for Spectrum Gaming Group to hand over its findings on how the state’s sports gambling market may, or may not, produce the revenue most people have predicted. The report was commissioned by the state and was to be delivered at the beginning of this month; however, COVID-19 has forced many schedules to be disrupted, and Spectrum was allowed to take more time to turn in its results. Despite no clear deadline for the report to be delivered, one of the main sports gambling proponents in the state, and a lawmaker behind its legislation, still believes something could happen this year.
Senator Joseph Addabbo Jr. isn’t giving up hope that New Yorkers will be able to place online sports wagers starting sometime in either 2021 or 2022. He spoke to Legal Sports Report (LSR), asserting that, when the results are finally submitted, he is “confident” that there will still be enough time to push for legalization before the end of 2020. The current economic situation caused by the coronavirus could actually give his efforts a boost.
Addabbo and Assembly Gary Pretlow have been the most vocal lawmakers on trying to bring sports gambling expansion, and, more specifically, online wagers, to the Empire State. Their efforts, however, have continuously met a brick wall in Governor Andrew Cuomo, who, for reasons that are not entirely clear, has tried to suppress sports gambling legislation. However, with the amount of economic destruction brought about by the coronavirus, he might have to change his tune.
Addabbo explained to LSR that the delay in Spectrum’s submission of the study could be a good thing. He explains, “The virus did affect our gaming statewide, there’s no question. Given that the global pandemic hampered our state for months now, it’s going to take a while for gaming entities to get back up and running. For the study to reflect that I think is the right thing to do.”
There’s another reason for the senator to be optimistic. New York State lawmakers were to pack up and head home this week as the legislative session drew to a close. However, COVID-19 is forcing the session into overtime, and it’s possible that it might not end until November. This would give lawmakers plenty of time to discuss online sports gambling, and Addabbo asserts, “That’s what makes me optimistic that we can use the study this session and do significant legislation to generate revenue with sports betting and possibly even revenue generate with the three licenses this year.”
Some reports indicate that New York is going to take a $15-billion hit as a result of the coronavirus. Legalized online sports gambling could help the state recover much quicker, especially given that states where online sports gambling is already legal have been able to muster some type of revenue during the lockdown. It might be necessary to implement changes to online sports gambling legislation in New York for a bill to be approved, but Addabbo is optimistic about the possibilities. He told LSR, “It all boils down to where we are economically, and we are suffering. No one wants to do close to a billion dollars in cuts to healthcare and hundreds of millions in education, especially in an election year. How can you cut healthcare in the midst of a pandemic? Tell your Senator or Assemblyman that we can cut healthcare or education, or we can do sports betting. We already have sports betting in our state, we’re just not maximizing its potential.”
