The New York State Gaming Commission announced Thursday that four of the nine licensed mobile sports betting operators, Caesars Sportsbook, DraftKings, FanDuel, and Rush Street Interactive (BetRivers), have met all needed requirements to start taking mobile bets as of Saturday, January 8, at 9 am EST.
The regulator explained in a press release that after that effective date, each licensee will determine when to accept wagers, “based upon its business capabilities and readiness.” The remaining five conditionally licensed operators (PointsBet, BetMGM, Resorts World, BallyBet, WynnBet) “continue to work towards satisfying statutory and regulatory requirements necessary to launch and will be approved on a rolling basis when requirements are met.”
The four sportsbooks launching Saturday already have partnerships with New York casinos. The operators must house their servers at casinos in the state.
This announcement means that bettors could place bets for the last week of regular season games for the National Football League and the upcoming playoffs and Super Bowl.
New York expects $10 billion in sports betting next year, with the nearly $1 billion in expected profits split between the state and the operators. The state has already received $200 million in license fees from mobile sports operators and the companies have agreed to pay a 51% tax on gross revenues, the highest in the US.
“This is great timing. It’s a win for the state of New York,” said state Sen. Joseph Addabbo Jr. (D-Queens), chairman of the Racing, Gaming and Wagering Committee, who had anticipated the launch this week. “Mobile sports betting will generate additional revenue for the state including for education and it will create jobs.”
He also said there will be $6 million in annual funding for gambling addiction programs. “We’re going to need some time, but I believe we have the capacity to surpass New Jersey in handle,” he told The Action Network after the announcement.
“This is good news. It’s definitely good timing. We said we wanted mobile sports betting to start before the Super Bowl. We’re ahead of schedule,” said Assembly Gaming and Wagering Committee Chairman Gary Pretlow.
Caesars has bankrolled a TV ad blitz to alert New Yorkers it is primed to play mobile sports bookie, as reported by the New York Post.
“We are excited to finally be able to offer millions of passionate New York sports fans the top rated DraftKings mobile and online Sportsbook,” said Jason Robins, CEO, co-founder and chairman of DraftKings board, in a press release. “We want to extend a special thanks to Governor Hochul, Senator Addabbo, Assemblyman Pretlow, the New York Gaming Commission along with the tireless efforts of our dedicated DraftKings team for making this a reality.”
Richard Schwartz, Chief Executive Officer of Rush Street Interactive, said in a release Thursday: “The long-awaited launch of online and mobile sports betting in New York – the largest online sports betting market by population in the United States – is here, and just in time. With the college football championship game on January 10th and NFL playoffs approaching, and the NBA and NHL seasons in full swing, in addition to countless other sports and betting options available for play, fans have endless entertainment at their fingertips at BetRivers.”
RSI is one of only three companies with online gaming market access in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut. In New York, RSI oversees the sports betting operations at the Rivers Casino & Resort Schenectady, which was the first retail sportsbook in New York history to accept a legalized sports bet and has been the leading commercial sportsbook in the state by revenue since its launch in 2019.
Schwartz concluded: “We are grateful for the trust of the New York State Gaming Commission and for its professional and efficient support while we worked diligently to satisfy all launch requirements. RSI is thrilled to build on our heritage as the operator of New York’s first and most successful retail sports betting destination by launching online sports betting in the Empire State on the first day it is available.”
Neale Deeley, Sportradar’s Managing Director, US Betting, stated: “As the fuel that powers US sportsbooks, we’re very excited about the New York market opening up for mobile wagering. This decision allows our operator partners to offer in-play sports betting on mobile phones across the great state of New York.”
“With more than 20 million residents, New York is the largest state to launch online sports betting since PASPA was overturned, so this is a massive opportunity for all stakeholders within the ecosystem and will open up new possibilities for further innovations in betting,” he added. “New York is the media capital of the world. We’ve seen the rapid convergence of media and betting across the country, and this development is going to take the real-time fan experience to a whole new level.”
