Survey Shows New Yorkers Want Mobile Sports Betting

• Over half of the sports bettors polled in New York want to see legal sports betting through mobile devices.
• New York Senate Bill S17D is currently in the New York State Assembly and would legalize mobile gambling on sporting events for the Empire State.
• Millions are lost annually to New Jersey by gamblers from New York that use the Garden State’s mobile applications to wager on sports.

NEW YORK – Sen. Joseph Addabbo, a familiar face for New York mobile sports betting advocacy has said the people have spoken and want to see mobile applications for gambling on sports matchups in the Empire State.

New Yorkers can legally wager on sporting events by going to casinos upstate but if sports bettors want to conveniently bet with their phones, they need to cross the bridge into New Jersey to do so. Addabbo has said that he’s been on the receiving end for negative comments by sports fans because of this issue.

“I’m getting the complaints. I go to the coffee shop and I hear it from my people. They don’t want to go to Jersey. They don’t want to get in their car, or jump on the train and go to Jersey. They want to stay here,” said Addabbo.

A survey done by Anzalone Liszt Grove Research and The Parkside Group polled 800 New Yorkers and 61% of them want mobile sports betting legalized in the state. The poll was paid for by FanDuel and DraftKings in order to get the attention of Governor Andrew Cuomo to take action.

However, the Governor has not budged despite the information he’s been given. In the past, he has said that legalizing mobile and internet sports betting applications in New York would require an amendment to the state’s Constitution which is what causes his reluctance to move forward with it.

Mobile Betting For New Yorkers Now

In the meantime, New Jersey is profiting off of the sports betting activity of New Yorkers. If residents do not want to cross the bridge into the Garden State, they can simply call friends and family that live there who will place the online bets for them.

Another study showed that New York sports betting attributed to one-fifth of the total money wagered on sporting events in New Jersey for 2019. New Yorkers gambled $837 million on sports in New Jersey for the year.

“We’re New York. We’re Excelsior, right? We keep saying it,” said Addabbo. “We’re the ones who should be out front. Instead, we let Jersey do it. And we’re just sitting on the sidelines and watching Jersey basically take our money.”

Sen. Addabbo has sponsored New York Senate Bill S17D that would make mobile and internet sports betting legal in the Empire State. It’s his intention to help the state’s $6 billion budget deficit with the revenue from the market.

A 12.5% tax on all action from the mobile and online applications would be enforced under this bill. It would also stop New Yorkers from continuing to fund the economy in New Jersey rather than their own state by no longer needing to go there to place bets.

“We need revenue. And so, we stand to gain upwards of $200 million this year alone if we enact mobile sports betting. Industry regulations will say the number is much higher than that in the out years,” said Addabbo.

The people of New York have spoken and they want to legalize the mobile gambling on sporting events. Senator Addabbo is doing all he can to make this a reality. Millions could be gained for the economy of the Empire State if Cuomo decided to amend the Constitution to allow internet sportsbooks and mobile applications.

The legislative session for New York ends in June. The New York State Assembly has until that time to decide whether or not to move Addabbo’s Senate Bill to make mobile sports betting legal in the state. If they are in favor of the idea, it still needs to get passed Governor Cuomo to make it a reality. Until then, the state that will continue to profit from this issue is New Jersey.

News tags: Andrew Cuomo | Anzalone Liszt Grove Research | DraftKings | FanDuel | Joseph Addabbo | New Jersey | New York | New York Senate Bill S17D | The Parkside Group