New York legislators meet to formulate sports betting bill

New York legislators are conducting hurried discussions for approving a   bill before the end of the ongoing session on June 20.

Several sports betting advocates met the state’s politicians. One of them, Joe Girardi, Major League Baseball lobbyist and former Yankees manager, said that he had urged legislators to “get something passed that protects the integrity of the game – this session.”

On Wednesday, legislator Gary Pretlow introduced a modified version of a previous bill  introduced by state Sen. John Bonacic, which features a controversial clause of sports betting handle for the sports leagues on whose games New Yorkers will wager.

The bill allows for “up to” 0.25 per cent of sports wagers to be paid to the leagues, provided the total sum paid to the leagues doesn’t exceed 2 per cent of an operator’s sports betting revenue. The bill also attempts to keep the leagues honest by classifying their desired “integrity” fee as a “sports wagering royalty,” effectively calling the leagues out for dressing up their shameless cash grab as a matter of principle.

Both Bonacic and Pretlow believe there’s enough support in their respective chambers to pass a betting bill by June 20, although Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie sounded a more skeptical tone on Wednesday, saying he wasn’t “a big fan of gambling” and claiming that Assembly Democrats had yet to signal a consensus opinion.

The Buffalo News quoted Bonacic saying Gov. Andrew Cuomo was the wild card. Cuomo has suggested he wants to move slowly on legal wagering to ensure the issue undergoes proper study but Bonacic noted that the state previously approved gun control legislation under even tighter time frames.

PENNSYLVANIA PUBLISHES DRAFT SPORTS BETTING REGULATIONS

Just across the state line, the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) released its temporary regulations governing land-based and online sports betting. The document (viewable here) is narrow in scope, essentially governing rules that the state’s 13 casino operators will have to follow if they wish to apply for sports betting licenses.

The PGCB will continue to work on its permanent betting regs over the next few months, but there’s no timetable for completion. The PGCB is scheduled to meet next on June 27 and again on July 18.

Earlier this month, spokesman Doug Harbach said the PGCB had its hands full preparing for the launch of intrastate online gambling and sports betting was just another element of the state’s massive gambling expansion.

Harbach reiterated that stance on Wednesday, saying the PGCB was more concerned with getting it right than getting it done quickly. However, Harbach told the Bucks County Courier Times that casino operators’ license applications could be approved before the final regs are in place.

Source: CalvinAyre.com