Casinos want single-skin system for NY online sports betting

There’s optimism that New York will legalize online sports betting in 2020, but how many skins are given out to casinos is still a question.

The push for online sports betting in New York is moving forward, but there are still some details to work out. There is hope that a mobile sports betting bill will pass this year. After all, sports betting is legal in New York State, but online sports betting is not.

Perhaps the biggest question surrounds how many skins there will be in New York. Single skin essentially means that each casino can only partner with one online sportsbook. That would limit New York’s action to one skin for the four upstate casinos and three tribal operators.

What does this mean for New York sports bettors? Well, the good news is that some of the biggest sportsbooks around will still be in the mix in a single-skin system. DraftKings Sportsbook and FanDuel Sportsbook have partnerships with del Lago and Tioga Downs, respectively.

FOX Bet, William Hill, and Bet365 also have partnerships with New York Casinos so they will be up and running whenever New York finally passes online sports betting. Rivers and Seneca casinos are going with in-house options for online sports betting. As of right now, they haven’t partnered with anyone.

• Tioga Downs – FanDuel Sportsbook
• del Lago – DraftKings Sportsbook
• Resorts World Catskills – Bet365
• Mohawk – FOX Bet
• Oneida – Caesars Entertainment/William Hill

New York State Senator Joseph Addabbo Jr. tells ESNY that single skin is a “starting point” for mobile sports betting.

“We understand that to make more money for the state there may be a consideration for additional skins,” Sen. Addabbo told ESNY. “We look at other states and we look at Jersey which has maybe too many skins because obviously, they have open slots. But nevertheless, it is a conversation.

“I started off our bill with one skin because it’s where we start. It’s a starting point and I’ve always said that the first variation when we implement mobile sports betting in New York State may not be the final one. It’ll evolve, it’ll grow, and hopefully expand.”

More skins mean more options for bettors and more tax revenue for the state. As Sen. Addabbo notes, getting the bill passed is of the utmost importance. Once that happens, tweaks and changes can be made to the legislation to improve it, including adding more skins.

Putting the single-skin issue aside for a moment, there is still a ton of optimism that mobile sports betting will get done in 2020. It doesn’t sound likely to happen before the November election, but there is optimism that it will happen by the end of 2020. That means that a mobile sports betting launch date by the Super Bowl or March Madness is still possible.