‘Game’ the system
N.Y. seeks way to OK sports bets even without law
ALBANY – New York casinos may still get the chance to offer online sports wagering — even though the state Legislature failed to pass legislation officially authorizing it.
State gaming officials are currently working on regulations that would allow New York's four commercial casinos to take sports bets and are examining the “thorny” issue of whether mobile platforms could be allowed under existing law, Ron Ochrym, acting executive director of the state Gaming Commission, said Monday.
“Commission staff continues to work on regulations that would effectuate sports gambling under existing statutory language,” Ochrym said at the commission's monthly meeting, adding that the one issue being reviewed is whether “existing law can be read so as to authorize mobile wagering without new statutory enactments.”
Under New York's 2013 gaming law, the state's four commercial casinos were allowed to offer on-site sports gambling once a federal ban on it was lifted and the Gaming Commission drafted regulations to govern the betting operations. The law states that “an operator shall accept wagers on sports events only from persons physically present in the sports wagering lounge.”
After the Supreme Court struck down the federal ban this spring, state lawmakers considered – but failed to adopt — legislation that would have allowed the casinos to offer online platforms and betting kiosks at racetracks and other venues.
Assembly Racing and Wagering Committee Chairman Gary Pretlow (D-Westchester County), who sponsored the online sports gambling legislation, said he believes the Gaming Commission had the power to authorize online gambling.
“The Gaming Commission has the authority to interpret the laws as they see fit,” Pretlow said.
Ochrym said commission staff planned to meet with stakeholders in the industry to discuss the matter but did not offer a timetable on when the new regulations would be completed and released for public review.