As expected, New York Sen. John Bonacic has renewed efforts to legalize online poker within the state’s borders. A new bill, sponsored by the official, was presented to the state Legislature in late January and was referred for review to the Senate’s Racing, Gaming, and Wagering Committee. Here it is important to note that Sen. Bonacic himself chairs said committee.
Generally speaking, S 3898 re-interprets certain online poker formats as games of skill. If the bill is signed into law, it will allow for the provision of online variants of Texas Hold’em and Omaha to local gambling customers.
The legislative piece also contains information on how online poker operations will be regulated and taxed, if they are conducted within the state’s borders. The New York State Gaming Commission will be charged with monitoring the interactive provision of poker games. Interested operators will be able to apply for one of eleven licenses.
S 3898 provides the necessary eligibility terms, under which land-based casino operators and video lottery operators from the state as well as operators from states with similar regulatory frameworks will be allowed to apply for an online poker license. Approved applicants will have to pay the amount of $10 million to obtain a ten-year license.
It is also interesting to note that Sen. Bonacic’s bill provides for the establishment of shared liquidity agreements between New York and other US states where online poker operations are legal.
A new online poker bill was expected to be submitted with the beginning of the new legislative year. Last summer, a similar legislation, sponsored by Sen. Bonacic, passed a historic Senate vote with overwhelming support.
However, the bill failed in the State Assembly as its co-sponsor – Assemblyman Gary Pretlow – had a sudden change of mind, contradicting the main definitions in the bill, namely its interpretation of poker as a game of skill. It is believed that Sen. Bonacic’s revived effort will gain more support this year, although the Assembly may once again prove to be a bit of an obstacle.
Brick-and-Mortar Expansion
While lawmakers are considering the possibility to legalize some forms of online poker, New York is set to cut the ribbon of its second commercial casino. The $440-million del Lago Resort & Casino is slated to open doors today in Waterloo. The hotel and casino resort features a number of accommodation, dining, entertainment, and gaming options, including poker, table games, and slot machines.
Four licenses for the construction of full-scale commercial casinos in Upstate New York were granted by the local gambling regulator back in 2015. Tioga Downs Casino & Racing in Nichols was the first of those to be launched, followed by del Lago. The other two – Rivers Casino & Resort Schenectady and Montreign Resort Casino are, too, set to open doors in the first quarter of 2017.
According to gambling insiders, the land-based expansion and the potential demand for gambling offering may help lawmakers assume a more open-minded stance and possibly greenlight further expansion in the form of the legalization of online poker.
