BetMGM cleared to launch online betting in New York

BetMGM, a joint venture between MGM Resorts International and Entain, will join Caesars Sportsbook, DraftKings, FanDuel and Rush Street Interactive, which began operations in New York last weekend. BetMGM thanked the New York Gaming Commission for progressing its licence application, although the regulator has not yet confirmed the award publicly.

BetMGM’s integration with MGM Resorts’ M Life Rewards programme gives New York’s BetMGM customers the ability to redeem their gameplay for experiences at MGM Resorts properties including Empire City Casino in Yonkers and Borgata in New Jersey. As an official sports betting partner of Madison Square Garden Arena, BetMGM also will be able to reward its customers with VIP experiences involving the New York Knicks NBA team and New York Rangers NHL team.

Adam Greenblatt, BetMGM’s chief executive, said: “With today’s monumental news, we’ll now be able to fully activate our relationships with MGM Resorts’ Empire City Casino and Madison Square Garden.

“We look forward to offering customers in New York unique experiences that they can’t access on any other platform.

“A huge thank you to the New York Gaming Commission as well as to our entire BetMGM team who have worked tirelessly to bring this to fruition.”

Online sports betting in New York launched on Monday, though operators are required to pay a 51% tax rate after a bidding process to select operators.

Nine betting operators were recommended for licences following the conclusion of the state’s tender process. New York Gaming Commission last week cleared the initial four operators to accept mobile sports bets, while the regulator said that the other five operators – PointsBet, Resorts World, BetMGM, Bally’s Corporation and Wynn Bet – “continue to work towards satisfying statutory and regulatory requirements necessary to launch”, with approval expected on a rolling basis.

BetMGM already operates in 13 states and the District of Columbia, and is due to launch in Louisiana in the first quarter of this year.