In a bill sponsored by New York state senator Joseph P. Addabbo, Jr., the committee voted Tuesday (11 February) to amend the racing, pari-mutuel wagering and breeding law. SB 2616 would allow for betting on season-long proposition and future award winners, such as the Heisman Trophy. It would also add betting on pre-game coin tosses.
The bill passed unanimously. From here, it will continue moving through the senate. It must pass the house and get Governor Kathy Hochul’s signature before it could become effective.
According to the text of the proposal, allowing for season-long proposition bets and predicted award winners would “expand on an already successful” online sports betting product.
The New York bill noted that the state was “quickly become the leading market for mobile sports”. Adding that this was bringing in revenue for education in the state.
Senator Joseph P. Addabbo, Jr. has had a significant impact on the gambling landscape of New York. He introduced igaming legislation in 2022 and advocating for legalising online sports betting in the state.
The New York State Senate also voted in favour of for S2613. That bill requires the state to keep lottery winners’ identities hidden. If the winner gives consent, their identities can be revealed to the public. New York lawmakers legalised digital sports betting in April 2021, and digital betting launched 8 January 2022.
Proposition bets face opposition
About 15 US states ban betting on some or all kinds of props. Among them, Arizona, Colorado, Massachusetts, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Virginia do not allow college player proposition bets.
National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) president Charlie Baker undertook a campaign last year to ban college proposition bets from all US markets.
“Sports betting issues are on the rise across the country with prop bets continuing to threaten the integrity of competition and leading to student-athletes and professional athletes getting harassed,” Baker said at the time.
Last year, North Carolina represenative Marcia Morey introduced HB 967. That bill that sought to outlaw college player proposition bets in the state. That bill did not make it through in the last legislative session.
NY one of few that bans sports awards betting
The proposal would also allow for betting on “awards or honors for an individual athlete or team performance during or throughout the entire season.” This would mean that bettors could wager on college football’s Heisman Trophy winner, Major League Baseball’s Cy Young Award winner or the NFL’s Most Valuable Player. But the bill limits awards betting to sports. Wagering on the Academy Awards, for example, would still be banned.
New York is currently among a handful of states, also including Colorado, Massachusetts and Virginia, where betting on sports awards is prohibited.
Original article: https://igamingbusiness.com/sports-betting/online-sports-betting/season-long-props-sports-awards-betting-approved-by-ny-senate-committee/
