Pols game for web sports bets

ALBANY — The odds are long on New Yorkers being able to make bets on pro and college sports from their smartphones anytime soon, but lawmakers are gambling on it anyway.

Legislators rolled the dice, hoping to get more support for online sports wagering by tweaking a bill to allow four private upstate casinos and those run by Native American tribes to get in on the action.

Representatives for professional sports leagues, gambling groups, commercial casinos and racing interests all gathered in the state capital Wednesday to weigh in on the possible online expansion as Sen. Joseph Addabbo (D-Queens) and Assemblyman Gary Pretlow (D-Mount Vernon) unveiled the amended measure with only 19 Legislative session days left.

Addabbo wants to see his colleagues act on mobile betting as soon as possible, arguing that New Jersey, which legalized online sports gambling earlier this year, is siphoning off tax revenue as New Yorkers cross into the neighboring state to place bets.

“We could sit and watch it go by, or we could do something about it,” he said as the hearing got underway Wednesday. “I’ll remain optimistic that we can do something about it this session.

“I think our state could do so much better. Being New York, I think we could do a far, far better job in terms of sports betting and again protecting all the concerns,” he added.

Advocates repeatedly noted that around 80% of the sports wagering revenue in New Jersey comes from mobile betting.

The bill would allow tribal and commercial casinos to offer sports betting statewide if they pony up for a license fee of $12 million. It also requires casinos to pay a state tax of 8.5% of gross sports wagering revenue and a 12% tax on mobile sports wagers.

NBA, PGA and other top sports officials echoed Addabbo’s concerns about New York losing out, adding that a growing underground black market means the state is losing out on millions in tax revenue as bettors turn to illegal sites.