New York Democrats stall on sports betting bill

While the state of New Jersey moved forward on sports betting on Thursday, the state of New York stalled.

Carl Heastie, a Democrat from the Bronx, claimed that there were those that had “significant issues” with sports bets taking place in New York casinos and on mobile devices.

Those concerns may take the wind of the sails of those that would like to see sports-betting legislation pass rapidly in New York state.

But New York is adjacent to New Jersey and the gambling-hub of Atlantic City is a popular destination with residents of New York City. For many that live in the large American city, a New Jersey casino where a punter could place a legal wager on sports wouldn’t be far away.

Motives for why there appears to be a stall in New York state are a matter of speculation. It could be that New York’s political powers would rather study what happens in other states that advance on sports betting before going forth themselves.

The parties that do want to see sports betting advanced, besides those that partake in gambling, are both companies that offer gambling products and the various sports leagues. The latter’s interest is that sports betting can increase interest in their sport.

New York City does have numerous sports teams at the highest level. The NBA has the New York Knicks while the NHL, the NFL, and Major League Baseball all feature two teams each (although the NFL’s New York Jets play their home games in New Jersey). The teams certainly aren’t contenders every year but sports betting helps keep fans interested in games, even ones where the participants aren’t necessarily playing for meaningful position in the standings.

If the stall does not resolve soon then it may be a full year before proponents of sports gambling have another chance to advance their agenda. There isn’t much time to debate the issue ahead before lawmakers move on.