New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo unveiled the state's budget plan, and it shows sports gambling "should be permitted at four upstate casinos," according to Tom Precious of the BUFFALO NEWS. Cuomo said, "It’s here and it’s a reality." If the four casinos get sports gambling, Native American tribes "believe they can -- because of language in compacts and federal law -- also offer sports betting at their casinos." However, sources for a couple weeks have said that Cuomo is "not yet interested in expanding sports gambling beyond in-person wagering at the four upstate casinos authorized under a constitutional amendment and statute passed" in '13. The state's Gaming Commission "needs to first issue regulations to govern the sports betting operations at those casinos." Gambling companies and others have been "pressing to permit sports gambling statewide via online platforms." But some sources believe a constitutional amendment "may be needed to go beyond in-person sports betting at the four casinos authorized" (BUFFALO NEWS, 1/16). New York Assembly member J. Gary Pretlow has said that he "plans to introduce new sports betting legislation, potentially including an online element, this year, and believes that it is '90 percent' likely that sports betting would be approved" during the '19 legislative session (ESPN.com, 1/15).
NEXT UP? In Maine, Scott Thistle noted there are "several bills to sanction and regulate sports betting" in the state that are "heading for debate in this session of the Legislature." Some of the bills would "give casinos in Bangor and Oxford permission to offer sports betting, while others would grant that permission to the state’s American Indian tribes." Other measures would "establish regulations for placing bets online." Maine state Sen. Troy Jackson is "sponsoring two bills to regulate online and mobile gaming." Jackson's Communications Dir Christine Kirby said that his legislation would "prohibit gambling on Maine collegiate teams, minor league teams, high school teams and certain other sporting events." Whatever law Maine passes would "almost certainly include a mechanism to pay for the regulatory system and generate revenue for the state through licensing fees or a tax." Maine state Rep. Benjamin Collins said that he "believes sports betting would be a multimillion-dollar market" in the state. Collins: "But probably not in the tens of millions" (Portland PRESS HERALD, 1/14).
ROAD BLOCK: The AP's Regina Garcia Cano noted a legal opinion from the U.S. Department of Justice made public Monday could "threaten the viability of online gambling that crosses state lines such as poker." The American Gaming Association lobbying group said that it is "reviewing the opinion and its implications on the industry, consumers and 'the eight states that currently offer legal, regulated sports gaming.'" Sources said that sports betting will "remain unaffected because the Wire Act already applied to that form of gambling under the previous interpretation" (AP, 1/15).
