The New York Gaming Commission confirmed it will forgo hearing oral presentations for New York online sports betting license bidders, which could put the timeline slightly ahead of schedule.
Sen. Joseph A. Addabbo Jr. supported the Gaming Commission’s decision to forgo oral presentations. Anything, he said, that protects the integrity of the process and potentially helps New York reach its goal of having online sports betting at full capacity by the Super Bowl is appreciated.
New York Online Sports Betting The Super Bowl
With a little faith, and a little initiative from all parties involved, licenses can be awarded by the end of the year and the first sports bets will soon follow, he said.
“If the Gaming Commission in its professional opinion, and the bidders, knowing they’re professionals in the industry, are ok with this than full steam ahead,” Addabbo told ESNY. “If there’s any way we can protect the integrity of the process, and speed up the process to get it where we need to be before the Super Bowl, than let’s do it.”
Addabbo said he believes the state is on track to meet its goal of being fully operational by Sunday, Feb. 13, the date of Super Bowl LVI, and could perhaps even be slightly ahead of schedule.
The New York Gaming Commission has a deadline of Monday, Dec. 6, to award two online sports betting licenses. Six potential bidding groups submitted applications for the available licenses.
First Bets Should Be Taken By End of 2021, Early 2022
It’s crucial for the state to begin taking its first bets at the end of 2021, or very early in 2022, Addabbo said, to work out the inevitable problems the program may have.
“There will be issues, there will be problems. We have to take the volume that we expect to happen in New York, we have be ready for all the attention, all the focus that will be on New York entering the mobile sports betting arena, and we have to be ready. This is major league, it’s prime time. This is what we should be doing in New York,” he said.
Speed to market is something these sportsbook operators have in their corner, Addabbo noted.
“If you look at the bidders, these are all people with experience. Speed to market is right up their alley. This is what they do. This is their business. I think they could be ready tomorrow if we asked them to be.”
