On Nov. 8, the New York State Gaming Commission approved sports betting licenses to nine applicants, including BetMGM, whose parent company is MGM Resorts International, the owner of MGM-Empire Casino, located in Yonkers
In addition to BetMGM, the winning bids went to DraftKings, Caesars, Rush Street Interactive (BetRivers), FanDuel, WynnBET, PointsBet, Bally Bet, and Resorts World.
According to the NYS Gaming Commission, “Winning bidders have to find a facility to house servers, with Commission retaining final approval of location as well as reasonable and actual costs. Each needs to build out server room, equipment has to be tested and approved by an independent testing laboratory.” After that, the apps can be open to the public, with the hope that New Yorkers can bet online by the time of the Super Bowl, Feb. 13, 2022.
But the recent approvals only mean that those of us interested in placing a bet on football, or some other sport, will be able do so on our phones, or in one of the 11 casinos in upstate New York that the state has granted a sports book license to. The other option is to go over the GW bridge and into NJ to place your bet.
Current New York Casinos that you can walk into and place a sports bet are:
Bridgeport: Point Place Casino (Caesars), Buffalo: Seneca Buffalo Creek Casino, Chittenango: Yellow Brick Road Casino (Caesars), Hogansburg: Akwesasne Mohawk Casino Resort (FOX Bet), Monticello: Resorts World Catskills (Bet365), Niagara Falls: Seneca Niagara Casino, Nichols: Tioga Downs (Betfair US/FanDuel), Salamanca: Seneca Allegany Resort & Casino, Schenectady: Rivers Casino (Rush Street and Kambi), Verona: Turning Stone Resort & Casino (Caesars), Waterloo: Del Lago Resort & Casino (DraftKings).
The sooner the sports betting apps are up and running, the quicker the revenues will begin to flow into New York State and not into New Jersey. Estimates have almost 25% of New Jersey’s sports betting revenues coming from New Yorkers. Revenues from NY Sports betting Apps will be taxed at 51%.
Adam Greenblatt, CEO of BetMGM, said “New York has the potential to be one of the largest sports betting markets in the U.S. and BetMGM is particularly well-positioned to become a leader in the state given the strength of the Mlife customer database, close proximity of Empire City Casino to support our omnichannel strategy, and parlaying our already leading positions in nearby states.”
Governor Kathy Hochul said, Sports wagering represents a significant potential income source for our state. The Legislature passed a law that required the Gaming Commission to undertake a competitive bid process to get mobile sports wagering up and running. The Commission undertook that process, and we look forward to creating opportunities for more people and for New York State.”
Many of our readers may be wondering why MGM Empire Casino in Yonkers has not been granted the same type of full casino license and sports book that has been open in other locations in upstate New York for some time.
In order for Westchester to have their own Casino, with table games and sports betting, the NY legislature must pass a bill directing the Gaming Commission to issue Requests for Proposals, RFP’s which will permit casinos like MGM-Empire City to apply.
The State Senate and Assembly must also come up with specific parameters for requirements and a timeline for when this will happen. At the end of the legislative session in 2021, state leaders were close to moving forward with these requirements, but it didn’t happen.
Existing legislation has already split New York State into two zones; Zone 1 downstate and Zone 2 upstate. And then each zone is split up into different regions, with Westchester, Putnam and Rockland Counties in one region. The hope, and expectation, is that the Westchester region will be granted one license, and that MGM will be able to show their ability to best provide the people in the region with the ability to enjoy a casino, while providing the State with the most revenues possible.
But as usual, it takes forever in New York to get anything done. Squabbling between different interests, including developers who want a casino in Manhattan, and elected officials who don’t want a casino in Manhattan, hasn’t helped move things along.
Governor Hochul is focused on economic recovery in New York State, and helping New Yorkers with jobs that can support a family, so there is no expected obstacles coming from her once the Senate and Assembly can agree.
Westchester State Senator, and Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins is working towards the goal of having a full gaming casino in Westchester, and in her home city of Yonkers. Stewart-Cousins also recently moved forward the mobile sports betting licenses.
But approving mobile sports licenses, and having New Yorkers bet on sports through their phones, while creating revenue for the state, will not create jobs. What will create jobs in Yonkers, and in Westchester, is a full gaming license for MGM-Empire Casino.
And that is why a press conference was held at MGM-Empire Casino Yonkers on Nov. 17 to call for just that, a full gaming license with a sports book in Westchester. Assemblymember Gary Pretlow, chair of the Racing and Wagering Committee, called on the Governor to support his legislation to accelerate the downstate casino licensing process. “We in this part of the state want this to happen, and we want it to happen now. This helps the Bronx, Westchester, Rockland County, and the state of New York. That’s what this is all about – helping the state of New York.”
“From a business standpoint, from a local government standpoint, this is a no brainer,” said Westchester County Executive George Latimer adding, “You have here already the infrastructure for the most successful casino you could imagine.”
Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano said, “Enough is enough. We don’t need to wait. We know that this will bring in hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue and thousands of jobs to this region.”
“I can’t think of a project more deserving of our collective attention than getting full gaming right now, this year for Yonkers and for downstate,” said State Senator Shelley Mayer. “We in the Senate majority under the leadership of Andrea Stewart-Cousins are totally committed to getting this done this year, no question, no excuses, no delay.”
“This is a renaissance moment for not only my city of Yonkers, but all of Westchester and the Bronx, and really the region,” said Assemblymember Nader Sayegh. “Let’s keep the revenue right here in New York State.”
Estimates have up to 2500 new direct jobs created at MGM and more than 10,000 indirect jobs around the casino in Yonkers, based on the $1 Billion in economic activity, once full gaming comes to MGM-Empire City.
So my yearly wager on the Super Bowl will have to be made on my phone, and perhaps next year, I can walk into MGM-Empire Casino, have an adult beverage, and watch all of the games and place my bet.
