You betcha N.Y.’s No. 1 state in sports betting, sez report

Nevada may be the king of casinos, but no state does sports betting quite like New York.

The Empire State, which legalized sports betting a decade ago and only fully launched online wagering in 2022, was the runaway U.S. leader in sports betting revenue last year, according to a report released Tuesday.

The American Gaming Association, a trade group, said in the report that sports betting revenue in New York hit nearly $1.7 billion in 2023.

New Jersey, which finished with about $1 billion in sports betting revenue, was in second place, according to the report.

In casino gambling, the Las Vegas Strip remained the top commercial market last year, according to the association, raking in nearly $9 billion in revenue.

The New York City-area casino market pulled in about $1.5 billion in revenue in 2023, the report said. The market is set to soon grow with the planned introduction of three state licenses for full-scale downstate casinos.

Two licenses are expected to go to existing so-called racinos in Yonkers and southeast Queens with horse racing and digital betting; the third license may go to a brand-new outfit.

The racino in southeast Queens, Resorts World New York City, had a banner year in 2023. With more than $900 million in revenue, Resorts World New York City was America’s top-grossing commercial casino property outside Nevada in 2023, the American Gaming Association said.

State Sen. Joseph Addabbo Jr., chairman of the Racing, Gaming and Wagering Committee, described Resorts World’s performance as “incredible” given that the Queens gambling center lacks live dealers.

He said the numbers underscore that New York has much to gain when it “finally” deals out the three downstate licenses.

“The potential is significant,” said Addabbo, a Queens Democrat.

All told, the U.S. commercial gambling industry grossed almost $67 billion over the calendar year, a 10% increase compared with 2022, the American Gaming Association report said.

The association said the inclusion of revenue from tribal-owned gambling centers would likely push overall U.S. gaming revenue for 2023 to about $110 billion.

Outside the Las Vegas Strip, Atlantic City accounted for the top commercial casino market by revenue last year, according to the report.