New York State Allows Online Sports Betting

 

Gambling has always been illegal in many states, yet online sports betting has continued to grow exponentially. Currently, it's up to 14 states plus the District of Columbia, but many officials are still awaiting the official introduction of gambling law in other areas. With the advent of state legalized sports gambling, several laws surrounding online sports betting have changed from their original implementations. This includes the use of banking identification numbers as verification of account balances, and the implementation of Sports betting into the larger world of online gaming and gambling. In the end, however, these changes are not without controversy.

Much of the controversy regarding online gambling stems from the fact that many individual states have attempted to pass concurrent legislation with varying levels of oversight from the federal government. This includes attempts to legalize sports gambling across multiple states by one specific operator or by regulating online gambling in a single state. While this type of cross-state cooperation has proven to be effective in the past, the trend has slowed in recent years. Despite the fact that some jurisdictions (like New Jersey) allow for regulated gambling, other jurisdictions (like California) have passed more restrictive laws which greatly affect online betting operations.

For instance, in February of 2021, the Maryland House of Representatives passed a bill legalizing online gambling in the state. As expected, this same day the Senate passed the same bill in the upper chamber. The lack of support for this legislation by Maryland's congressional delegation prompted Governor Hogan to veto the legislation, effectively killing the bill before it was ever presented for a vote by the General Assembly. Two days later, the legislature overrode the veto and voted to once again push for legalization of gambling in the state.

Less than two months later, in March, the California State Legislature passed a very similar bill. Proponents of legalized sports betting in California include the National Collegiate Athletic Association, which has threatened to punish any college or university that does not allow its athletes the ability to earn money through betting on their athletic events. More importantly, California is home to the NCAA's March Madness festivities, which generate millions of dollars for the state each year. In an effort to retain its hold on the rights to televise this event, the NCAA has threatened to punish any university that does not comply with its terms of participation.

The threat of stiff penalties is what has driven up the demand for upstate gambling. Although many cities in upstate New York offer sports wagering, only a small portion of these locations actually allow residents to use their facilities to place sports bets. New York City in particular is home to all the major sports teams and is one of the most popular places for people to go to when they are looking to place a sports bet. Unfortunately, because only a small percentage of upstate New York cities allow residents to engage in sports gambling, many residents look towards other states for a sports book.

Fortunately, there is another alternative for sports bettors in New York. Thanks to a recent decision by the state's highest court, online sports betting sites now have the right to run sports wagers in New York. Online sports betting sites will now be allowed to serve the same purposes that retail sportsbooks currently do. This opens new doors for upstate gambling owners and allows sports bettors the opportunity to profit from their wagers without having to travel across state lines.