Cuomo Blocks N.Y. Mobile Sports Betting Amid COVID-19 Pandemic

• Legislators attempted to add New York mobile sports betting to the state’s budget but were firmly denied by Governor Andrew Cuomo.
• With the coronavirus causing massive shutdowns across the state and multiple businesses suffering, the belief was that any form of new revenue would be beneficial.
• Mobile sports betting in NY has been denied by the local government on every occasion, making this most recent attempt a longshot.

ALBANY, N.Y. – State legislators have once again failed to bring mobile sports betting in New York as Governor Andrew Cuomo denied an attempt to include mobile betting in the state’s budget again.

Amid the coronavirus pandemic, NY businesses have suffered from closures and layoffs. This shut down has proven to be a financial crisis as the state must expect far less tax revenue this fiscal year.

Legislators’ idea was that now more than ever other sources of income were important, siting mobile sports betting as a way to increase revenue. Cuomo was not for it, however, blocking the attempted inclusion.

New York Says No, Again

Sports bettors in NY will have to continue to be patient if they are looking for state-sanctioned mobile sports betting. Gov. Cuomo continues to oppose any legislation that would bring online wagering on sports to the state’s residents.

There has been an expedited budget process amid the COVID-19 crisis, causing legislators to rush their NY mobile sports betting proposal. This can be viewed as a core reason the attempt was shot down so quickly, as other concerns in the state’s budget take precedent over potential gambling expansion.

With the coronavirus affected NY city heavily, online sportsbooks may be the furthest thing from Gov. Cuomo’s mind. The governor is looking to increase hospital space and stall the spreading throughout the state.

“The inescapable conclusion is that the rate of infection is going up,” said Cuomo of the coronavirus. “It is spiking. The apex is higher than we thought and the apex is sooner than we thought. That is a bad combination of facts.”

Even before the global pandemic, Cuomo has been opposed to mobile sports betting, making any attempt to bring mobile sportsbooks to NY a longshot.

News tags: Albany | Andrew Cuomo | Coronavirus | COVID-19 | Empire State | mobile sports betting | New York | NY