Casino operator Caesars Entertainment Corp (CEC) has inked a New York sports betting partnership with tribal gaming operator Oneida Indian Nation.
On Wednesday, Caesars and the Oneidas announced their new “innovative alliance for sports betting and marketing” that will bring legal sports betting to the Oneidas’ three upstate New York casinos, including the Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, the Yellow Brick Road Casino and Point Place Casino.
The new partners say their licensing and branding arrangement will start with the launch of “The Lounge with Caesars Sports” at Turning Stone later this year, pending a review of the partnership by the National Indian Gaming Commission and the New York State Gaming Commission issuing new sports betting regulations.
Oneida Nation representative Ray Halbritter said his group was pleased to be teaming up with Caesars, which he claimed was “in a class of its own” when it comes to sports betting. Caesars’ exec VP of gaming Christian Stuart claimed that the Oneidas “share our commitment to exceeding guest expectations” and predicted great things for the Turning Stone’s new sports lounge.
New York’s commercial casino operators have also been busy inking their own sports betting partnerships despite the state having failed to approve sports betting legislation last year. However, the 2013 law that permitted those commercial casinos allowed operators to commence wagering pending (a) a change in federal betting law and (b) approval of new betting regulations.
Last summer, the Oneidas announced that its 1993 gaming compact with the state allows the tribe to “adopt any gaming specification that is permitted in New York, without any further approvals by the state.” The state’s other gaming tribes – the Seneca and Mohawk nations – have yet to publicly announce their sports wagering plans.
The state’s 2013 casino law was mum on the potential for online and mobile sports wagering, making it unclear as to whether the state’s gaming regulators have the authority to approve anything but land-based betting. New York’s constitution requires voter approval of any gambling expansion.
