Get those New York sports betting apps plans going. It won’t be long now.
Four licensed mobile sports wagering operators (Caesars Sportsbook, DraftKings NY, FanDuel, and Rush Street Interactive, parent company of BetRivers) have satisfied all statutory and regulatory requirements necessary to accept and process mobile sports wagering activity.
All four companies have been approved to begin New York betting operations as soon as Saturday, Jan. 8, at 9 a.m.
That announcement came Thursday from the New York State Gaming Commission (NYSGC).
Addabbo Talks to NewYorkBets.com
State Senator Joseph Addabbo Jr., chairman of the Senate Committee on Racing, Gaming and Wagering, spoke via phone with NewYorkBets.com early Thursday afternoon.
“The NYSGC today gave an opportunity and authority for those four operators to start,” Addabbo said. “If they are able and ready to accept bets, they are looking to take customers immediately. It’s a great credit to the gaming commission for getting this done and in a time even prior to the NFL Playoffs starting next week to work out any glitches, issues, etc.”
Later in the day, in a statement, Addabbo added: “Today’s announcement by the New York State Gaming Commission that four of the nine licensed mobile sports wagering operators have been approved to begin operations starting on Saturday, January 8, 2022, is great news for New York in terms of revenue, new funding for education, addiction programs and youth sports, as well as new jobs.”
The four licensees will determine when to accept wagers, based upon its readiness and business capabilities after Saturday.
BallyBet, BetMGM NY, PointsBet, Resorts World and WynnBET, the remaining five conditionally licensed operators, are still working toward satisfying the necessary requirements by law to launch. When those operators meet that criteria, the state will approve them to begin on a rolling basis.
Who Are the 4 Approved?
Caesars Sportsbook operates the most retail sportsbooks in the United States and can be found in 20 states, including 14 which have mobile sports betting.
“We at Caesars Sportsbook couldn’t be more thrilled to be one of the first operators to receive a license for mobile sports wagering operations in the state,” said Chris Holdren, co-president of Caesars Digital. "From Buffalo to the Bronx, New York is a special place and we’re grateful for the chance to show the Empire State what it’s like to be a part of the Caesars Empire. We know many New Yorkers have already played with us at one of our more than 50 destinations across the country, and Caesars Sportsbook will put the thrill of sports betting into the palm of their hands as the only app in the market that will reward them with every bet they place through our Caesars Rewards program.”FanDuel, which just entered Maryland, now has live retail sportsbooks in 11 states. FanDuel is one of four operators with a retail sportsbook in upstate New York at Tioga Downs Casino in Nichols. FanDuel offered this statement: “We are delighted the FanDuel Sportsbook has received approval from the New York State Gaming Commission to be live on Saturday bringing the excitement of America’s #1 Sportsbook to the passionate fans of New York.”
DraftKings launched in 2012 and now enters its largest market so far. New York joins the wide-ranging DraftKings live mobile and/or retail betting operations already in place in Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia and Wyoming. DraftKings also operates a retail sportsbook upstate in Waterloo, at the Del Lago Casino & Resort.
Johnny Avello is a native of Poughkeepsie and now the director of race and sportsbook operations at DraftKings.
“Growing up in New York and having spent the last 30-plus years in Las Vegas, I am thrilled that my worlds are finally set to collide,” he said. “Millions of New Yorkers will soon discover what we believe makes our DraftKings Sportsbook the very best in customer service and real-money gaming and entertainment.”
BetRivers will make New York the 12th state where it is eligible to operate via mobile since it started in 2018. RSI, which also operates PlaySugarHouse.com, is live online in 12 states: Pennsylvania, Illinois, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Michigan, Indiana, Virginia, Colorado, Iowa, West Virginia and Arizona.
Richard Schwartz, CEO of RSI, said: "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.”
’Two Years of Effort’
Addabbo, who spoke more extensively in a NewYorkBets.com story earlier this week, expressed relief and pride Thursday.
“The ball has finally crossed the goal line,” Addabbo said. “This has been two years of effort and a dedicated team to getting this going. However, the work just begins because now you can evaluate and move ahead to bigger events like March Madness and the potential for New York to really do well here in all aspects is all beneficial to people in this state.”
