IT'S A SAFE BET IN NY
Assembly and Senate in sports-gambling deal
ALBANY — The odds of New York legalizing sports betting shot up on Monday when the prime backer in the Assembly announced an agreement with the state Senate.
“We should have a bill number tomorrow,” Democratic Assemblyman Gary Pretlow, of Mount Vernon.
He has been working with Sen. John Bonacic, a Republican from the mid-Hudson Valley, for weeks to hammer out details of a bill that both chambers can pass.
The deal — spurred by a May US Supreme Court decision that lifted state bans on sports betting — was put into a draft on Monday.
The plan would allow betting on mobile platforms and in-person and require casinos to pay the state an 8.5 percent tax on their gross revenue from sports wagering.
It also provides for the collection of a .25 percent integrity fee, or royalty, which would go to sports leagues to help them adhere to rules, including those prohibiting their players, coaches and managers from wagering.
Former Yankees manager Joe Torre had gone to Albany earlier in the day to talk to lawmakers about just such a fee.
“I’ve been in baseball almost 60 years,” said Torre, a representative of Major League Baseball. “It’s been my life. It’s very important to me and my family. The only thing I ask is that we be engaged,” he said.
“I’m not trying to lobby on one side or the other. I’m just trying to take care of our game.”
Under the proposed legislation, the state Gaming Commission would set aside 5 percent of any penalties for violations into a fund for problem-gambling education and treatment.
The commission would issue regulations for sports betting and would oversee casinos and sports entities to ensure they’re stable and acting with integrity.
The measure would also allow for mobile sports betting kiosks at regional off-track betting sites.
Any sports governing body can request that the Gaming Commission exclude or limit betting on its games.
The legislation calls for the State Police to investigate match fixing, corruption and suspicious gambling activities.
Bonacic’s bill is expected to move through the state Senate Finance Committee this week. The chamber, which broke a nearly monthlong stalemate on Monday, could vote on the bill as early as next week.
The legislative session ends on June 20.
After talking up an MLB gambling fee, Torre, who is is Major League Baseball’s Chief Baseball Office, was honored in the state capital as Italian-American of the Year by the New York Conference of Italian-American Legislators.
Although Torre said he’s enjoyed Las Vegas at times, he’s never been tempted to bet on baseball and said those who play the game should not be able to wager on it.
“Definitely not,” he said. “No betting.”