Can you believe mobile New York sports betting is here?
In less than 24 hours, New York mobile sports betting will be live and operational for four mobile sports betting platforms, making it the largest legalized online sports betting market in the nation.
The four operators ready to go live Saturday morning are: Caesars Sportsbook NY, FanDuel NY, DraftKings NY and Rush Street Interactive, the parent company of BetRivers.
The four companies all have satisfied statutory and regulatory requirements necessary and have been approved to begin operations as soon as Saturday, Jan. 8, at 9 a.m.
The news came suddenly on Thursday, in a release by the New York State Gaming Commission (NYSGC).
Still Much Work to Be Done
So, what comes next?
After Saturday’s start time, each of the four licensees will determine when to accept wagers, based upon their readiness and business capabilities.
The operators that got the green light also will be announcing in the coming days numerous New York sports betting bonuses and promotions to attract new customers and to create new accounts.
Some examples:
FanDuel NY said it will provide $100 in FanDuel Sportsbook site credit when a customer activates their FanDuel Sportsbook account. This is for new users in New York only.
Meanwhile, DraftKings NY will reward new users who register on DraftKings Sportsbook account $100 in free bets. The promo ends when DraftKings Sportsbook goes live.
And don’t forget that there were nine operators granted licenses on Nov. 8. The remaining five, BetMGM NY, Bally Bet, WynnBET NY, Resorts World and PointsBet, are continuing to work towards satisfying statutory and regulatory requirements. The NYGSC will approve them to launch on a rolling basis when those requirements are met.
One more thing: With no set soft launch testing period, all of the mobile sports betting providers could see some technical glitches, overloading of platform servers and account deposit issues as they go live during the weekend.
All nine approved mobile sportsbooks will pay a 51% tax rate, tied for highest in the U.S. market, along with New Hampshire.
What Are the Bettors Saying?
How enthusiastic are New York bettors for mobile wagering? Take a look at this survey on EmpireStakes.com.
The hunger for mobile sports betting coming to the Empire State comes through in many ways. Even the playoff-bound Buffalo Bills got into the mix on Thursday afternoon and signed a multi-year partnership with FanDuel for the operator to be the team’s official mobile sports betting partner.
“The Bills take pride in being a culture that is built on genuine connection with their fans, and we are absurdly fan-focused at FanDuel, making this a natural collaboration,” Mike Raffensperger, CMO of FanDuel Group, said in a announcement. “As we prepare to bring America’s No. 1 sportsbook to New York state, we will collaborate with the Bills to bring unique content and experiences to one of the most loyal fanbases in sports.”
It’s an all-New York battle Sunday at 4:25 when the Bills (10-6) host their downstate and AFC East rival, the New York Jets (4-12).
And, really, who would have guessed you would be able to make an online bet on that game, or when the Giants close out the season by hosting the soon-to-be-nicknamed Washington Football Team?
Ahead of NFL Playoffs
Thursday’s sudden action comes more than a week before the NFL playoffs, which was a hoped-for target expressed by lawmakers such as state Sen. Joseph Addabbo Jr. The playoffs seemed to be wishful thinking and the Super Bowl more realistic.
With the launch during the final week of the NFL regular season (including two games on Saturday), this is a perfect time to test and work out any issues before the NFL Playoffs on Saturday, Jan. 15.
Folks, we are more than a month before the Super Bowl goes off at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif. on Feb. 13.
What a weekend it will be in New York!
