New York iGaming Bill Unlikely to Advance This Session, State Senator Addabbo Says

New York state Sen. Joseph Addabbo, the leading proponent of online casino legalization in the state, confirmed this week that iGaming legislation is unlikely to advance to the Senate floor before the current legislative session ends. The acknowledgment reflects a familiar pattern in New York, where Addabbo has championed online casino legalization for years without securing the executive branch backing necessary to push it through both chambers and to the governor’s desk.

Addabbo, who chairs the Senate Racing and Gaming Committee, cited a late state budget and limited floor time as the primary obstacles. He also referenced Governor Kathy Hochul’s continued reluctance to engage on gaming expansion as a central barrier, noting that passing the Senate and Assembly simultaneously without the governor’s support is an exercise that he does not want to repeat.

The Governor Remains the Deciding Factor

“I can’t get the governor of New York, Governor Hochul, to engage,” Addabbo said in a recent interview. “Without a fiscal need, my governor at this point is hesitant to do gaming.” He added that the state did not have the same urgency that has driven iGaming expansion in other states because New York’s budget situation had not deteriorated to the point where gambling revenue was seen as a necessary fix.

Addabbo was frank about the legislative math. “We could pass it in the Senate. We could pass it in the Assembly and then the governor would probably not sign it. So I’m not going to waste anyone’s time,” he said. His position is that meaningful progress requires the governor to take ownership of the issue rather than leaving it as a legislative initiative without executive support.

The senator framed the question as one of timing rather than principle. “It’s not a question of if we’re ever going to do it. It’s a question of when,” he said, expressing confidence that New York would eventually authorize online casino gambling. He estimated that every year without regulation costs the state approximately one billion dollars in gaming revenue that flows to offshore or neighboring state platforms instead.

What the Late Budget Means for Remaining Session Time

New York’s state budget was more than a month late as of mid-May, creating a compressed timeline for non-budget legislation. Addabbo estimated that the legislature had approximately 16 days of session time remaining. Under those conditions, complex legislation like an iGaming framework faces long odds of advancing, even if there were strong support on both sides of the aisle.

His prediction market bill, S9414, is in a similar position. Addabbo said he might be able to move it out of committee but acknowledged he was not optimistic about floor votes in either chamber before the session concludes. He suggested that legal action by the state attorney general and potential executive action by the governor might move faster than the legislative process when it comes to prediction market regulation.

The Broader iGaming Picture for New York

New York represents one of the largest potential iGaming markets in the country. The state already generates more annual online sports betting revenue than any other state, having launched mobile wagering in January 2022 under a competitive license model. That framework has produced billions of dollars in annual handle, but the state’s 51 percent tax rate on online sports betting revenue also represents a caution flag for operators considering the economics of a potential iGaming market.

Rush Street Interactive president Kyle Sauers recently described New York as one of the key targets for future online casino expansion, alongside Illinois. Both states have large, established sports betting markets and significant populations that would drive iGaming volume. But both also face political barriers similar to what Addabbo described in New York, including ambivalent or skeptical governors and competing fiscal priorities.

Players in New York who want access to legal sports betting in New York have options through the state’s licensed platforms, but online casino gaming remains off the table for now. That could change in a future legislative session, particularly if fiscal pressures increase or neighboring states like New Jersey and Pennsylvania continue demonstrating strong casino revenue.