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New York regulator to begin sports betting talks

| By iGB Editorial Team
The New York State Gaming Commission will meet to discuss sports betting regulations for the state's land-based casinos early next week.

The New York State Gaming Commission will meet to discuss sports betting regulations for the state's land-based casinos on Monday (January 28).

An agenda published ahead of the meeting states that the Commission will look at proposed rules for sports betting.

The Commission did not go into detail as to what it will specifically focus on at the meeting, but it will be the first time that the regulatory body will officially discuss potential rules and regulations for the vertical.

A 2013 constitutional amendment gave the state's casinos the right to launch sports betting should the Professional and Amateur Sports Act (PASPA) be repealed. After the law was struck down by the Supreme Court in May last year, the only hurdle to lauching legal betting has been the need for the Commission to devise a regulatory framework for the vertical. 

This amendment was approved by voters in November 2013, as part of a broader gambling expansion bill that paves the way for up to seven additional casinos to be constructed in the state, in a bid to bring jobs to upstate regions. 

However the legislation only allows in-person wagering, with no provision for any form of sports betting outside casino walls, prompting lawmakers to push for a wider roll-out. 

Last month, Senator Joseph Addabbo pre-filed a bill setting out a regulatory framework for land-based, online and mobile sports betting across the state.  S00017 proposes a tax of 8.5% of sports betting gross revenue, as well as a royalty fee of 0.2% of each operator’s sports betting handle, to be paid to the Commission each quarter.

The state’s casinos, which would be the only entities eligible for sports betting licences under Addabbo's bill, would also be restricted to using official league data for wagering.

The bill, along with a separate bill from Addabbo to legalise online poker, have been allocated to the Racing, Gaming and Wagering Committee for debate in the 2019 legislative session, which began on January 9.

Assemblymember Gary Pretlow, who submitted the sports betting amendment to the 2013 bill, has also said he will introduce a proposal.

This month, it was also revealed that the iconic Madison Square Garden (MSG) in New York could be one of the first venues to take advantage of legalised sports betting in the state after its parent company applied to trademark its MSG brand for use in sports wagering.

Madison Square Garden Company has filed an application with the United States Patent and Trademark Office referencing the use of the MSG brand across online, mobile and social media.

Image: Sam valadi

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