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New York Assemblyman Gary Pretlow expects Gov. Andrew Cuomo to include Sports Betting in his budget proposal for the upcoming fiscal year, a move that will make legal bookmaking in the Empire State, in Pretlow’s words, “a done deal” in 2019.
“I think the governor wants to do this,” said the veteran Democratic lawmaker, who chairs the Committee on Racing and Wagering in the lower house and is one of the Legislature’s leading advocates for gaming expansion.
Up to now, Cuomo mostly has struck a cautious tone on the issue, but Pretlow believes New Jersey is proving the tipping point for the powers that be in Albany.
“New Jersey is doing even better than expected with Sports Betting because they’re getting all that New York action, which is what I said would happen and it’s happening. I read in New Jersey they brought in $24 million from Sports Betting in September, which is huge.”
New York’s experience would dwarf that, according to most experts, meaning Cuomo “will probably want to put some form of Sports Betting in the budget as revenue enhancement,” Pretlow said.
“There may be some tweaks in subsequent legislation, but if it’s in the governor’s budget then it’s a done deal.”
To help clear the political path he said he will forego any legislative attempt to get online poker on the books. online poker bills passed the Senate in 2016 and 2017, but Pretlow was never able to move them through the Assembly. Cuomo, moreover, is said to be cool to the idea.
“I would give up online poker for Sports Betting,” Pretlow said. “If I had to make a choice, I would choose this over online poker just because the revenue stream is so much better doing this than online poker.”
While he doesn’t expect any movement on Sports Betting before the governor unveils his budget in April, he plans to reintroduce unchanged his 2018 Sports Betting bill when the Legislature reconvenes in January. The measure would authorize the state’s casinos and racetracks to offer both land-based and mobile wagering with winnings taxed at 8.5 percent. It also provides for a royalty fee payable to the professional sports leagues of 0.2 percent of every bet, a contentious provision which the gaming industry opposes nationwide.
New York Assemblyman Gary Pretlow expects Gov. Andrew Cuomo to include Sports Betting in his budget proposal for the upcoming fiscal year, a move that will make legal bookmaking in the Empire State, in Pretlow’s words, “a done deal” in 2019.
“I think the governor wants to do this,” said the veteran Democratic lawmaker, who chairs the Committee on Racing and Wagering in the lower house and is one of the Legislature’s leading advocates for gaming expansion.
Up to now, Cuomo mostly has struck a cautious tone on the issue, but Pretlow believes New Jersey is proving the tipping point for the powers that be in Albany.
“New Jersey is doing even better than expected with Sports Betting because they’re getting all that New York action, which is what I said would happen and it’s happening. I read in New Jersey they brought in $24 million from Sports Betting in September, which is huge.”
New York’s experience would dwarf that, according to most experts, meaning Cuomo “will probably want to put some form of Sports Betting in the budget as revenue enhancement,” Pretlow said.
“There may be some tweaks in subsequent legislation, but if it’s in the governor’s budget then it’s a done deal.”
To help clear the political path he said he will forego any legislative attempt to get online poker on the books. online poker bills passed the Senate in 2016 and 2017, but Pretlow was never able to move them through the Assembly. Cuomo, moreover, is said to be cool to the idea.
“I would give up online poker for Sports Betting,” Pretlow said. “If I had to make a choice, I would choose this over online poker just because the revenue stream is so much better doing this than online poker.”
While he doesn’t expect any movement on Sports Betting before the governor unveils his budget in April, he plans to reintroduce unchanged his 2018 Sports Betting bill when the Legislature reconvenes in January. The measure would authorize the state’s casinos and racetracks to offer both land-based and mobile wagering with winnings taxed at 8.5 percent. It also provides for a royalty fee payable to the professional sports leagues of 0.2 percent of every bet, a contentious provision which the gaming industry opposes nationwide.
