We may know Monday January 11. There is a billion dollar (maybe more) question that has been on the minds of all New Yorkers, especially now that the state budget needs the money.
When is the Empire State finally going to join half the country and allow sports bettors to place wagers online?
Well, if reports are to be believed, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo could try to legalize online betting in the very near future. He is going to give his State of the State address next week, and we should know more about his plans. But it is looking very promising right now, which could be massive news for America’s fourth most populous state and its nearly 20 million citizens.
“New York has the potential to be the largest sports wagering market in the United States, and by legalizing online sports betting we aim to keep millions of dollars in tax revenue here at home, which will only strengthen our ability to rebuild from the COVID-19 crisis,” Cuomo said in a statement. “At a time when New York faces a historic budget deficit due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the current online sports wagering structure incentivizes a large segment of New York residents to travel out of state to make online sports wagers or continue to patronize black markets.”
While New York State does have some physical locations to place sports bets in the Central New York Region, nearly 64 percent, or almost 13 million, live in the New York City metropolitan area or in the city itself. The nearest casinos in the state with sports betting are almost 250 miles away, and nearly four hours in a car. Resorts World Casino New York City does not yet have sports betting, so bettors have to go across to New Jersey, which is raking in record numbers each month.
So when can bettors find out just what Governor Cuomo is going to say? He will speak virtually on January 11 (time tbd.), and you can watch the speech here.
