Proposed New York Bill Could Legalize Online Casinos

On Wednesday, New York State Senator Joseph Addabbo introduced a bill that would make online casino games legal in New York State.

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Roughly one year after New York State legalized online sports betting, Addabbo introduced a bill to legalize online casino games as well. It also comes about one month after New York State Assemblyman J. Gary Pretlow introduced a bill to reclassify poker as a game of skill, rather than a game of chance, opening the door for online poker to be legalized in New York State.

According to a report by Mark Saxon on USBets, experts project that legalizing iCasino in New York could produce $4 billion in gross gaming revenue in five years. And if the tax structure is similar to that of online sports betting, it could provide funding for a lot of useful programs and schools in New York State.

State Senator Addabbo's bill states "Interactive gaming is now legal in seven states, including the border states of New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Connecticut, while it is permitted only in person in New York at four upstate commercial gaming facilities and Native American Class II gaming facilities. The Legislature hereby finds and declares that an interactive gaming wager that is made through virtual or electronic means from a location within New York State and is transmitted and accepted by electronic equipment in the state would become legal."

The bill would legalize mobile casino games like slots, table games, and live dealer games. Licenses would be available to existing New York mobile sportsbook operators, casinos, tribes and racinos and three additional licenses would be available through a competitive bidding process.