On Monday, the New York Senate passed a sports betting bill that would allow mobile wagering in the state. The bill must now be passed within the Assembly and then signed by Governor, Andrew Cuomo, to become law.

Overwhelming Senate Vote:

In the state Senate, the vote for the bill was quite high, at 57-5. While the support is strong in the Senate for mobile sports betting, the Assembly doesn’t even have to bring the bill to vote. Governor Cuomo has also stated that mobile betting may not be constitutional. So, there are still hurdles that must be overcome in order to see mobile sports wagering come to fruition in the state.

The timeline for passage is also short. The current session ends tomorrow. Unless an extension is granted, the Assembly and Governor would have to act very quickly regarding the measure.

According to the Action Network…

The bill’s main sponsor, Senator Joseph Addabbo, has pointed out that other states without a mobile option have been at a competitive disadvantage. The Senator stated: “Experiences in other states have demonstrated that implementing sports betting without a mobile component leaves those states where people cannot wager with their phones or other devices at a competitive disadvantage. Ultimately, I hope the Governor will choose to embrace the great benefits that sports betting, including the mobile component, will bring to New York in terms of employment, additional funding for education, addressing illegal gambling, and ensuring our competitiveness with other states.”

Moving Forward:

While the state waits to see if mobile sports betting will get full approval, the land-based option continues to move forward. Last week, the New York State Gaming Commission unanimously approved the rules and regulations for the industry. With the approval, the upstate commercial casinos as well as tribal casinos can now apply for licensing to operate on-site sportsbooks.

Now that the rules and regulations have been approved and licensing can begin, the state hopes to launch the new sports betting industry by August. This would be perfect timing as sportsbooks would be ready to go at the start of the upcoming National Football League season.