Online poker is back on the table in New York in the form of a legalization bill introduced in the Senate by Joseph Addabbo, the Queens Democrat who also is sponsoring a bill to regulate sports betting in the state.
With sports betting expected to dominate the gaming conversation in Albany this year, it’s not certain whether a poker measure, which has failed in the Legislature over several tries dating back to 2013, will be allowed to interfere with the discussion.
The Senate under Republican control was able to pass bills in 2016 and 2017 with large majorities, as well as include it in the past three years’ state budgets. But the Democratic-controlled Assembly has consistently been cool to the idea.
It’s not clear how this might change with the Democrats in charge of both houses. Gary Pretlow, who chairs the Racing and Wagering Committee in the Assembly, has backed the Senate’s efforts in the past but has never been able to muster more than tepid support for the legislation in his own chamber, where online poker has never even made it to a vote.
Pretlow has since said he still supports legalization, but with legal bookmaking all the rage nationwide, he’s prepared to fold for the sake of getting sports betting on the books.
Addabbo’s bill is similar in substance to past Senate efforts. It provides for 11 initial licenses to casinos and racinos, which would pay a $10 million one-time fee and a tax of 15 percent on their winnings.
The bill has been referred to the Senate’s Racing, Gaming and Wagering Committee, which Addabbo now chairs.
