Will Coronavirus Make Cuomo Approve NY Mobile Sportsbook?

On March 25, Governor Andrew Cuomo left the NY mobile sportsbook out of the state budget. During that time, lawmakers pushed for mobile sports betting for the 2020 fiscal year. However, the governor wasn’t swayed even if the state had a $6 billion deficit.

Since then, New York had more significant issues to deal with due to the coronavirus pandemic, and mobile sports betting took a back seat. At present, the state has the virus under control. Also, sports leagues across the nation are preparing for their return.

Senator Joseph Addabbo Jr. believes the state lost $15 billion in revenue due to the pandemic. It would make life more difficult for the state since it is already in a deficit. There’s a strong probability that the state could lose more in revenue if it delays its reopening.

NY Mobile Sportsbook

There are still 1,500 cases of coronavirus infection in the state on May 20. As a result, New York is far from reopening. It will be hard for the state to earn revenue. New York City canceled all nonessential events up to June. Also, there’s a chance that summer events will not take place. When that happens, the state will look for another source of income.

According to a political forum, there’s a chance that the governor might reconsider mobile sports betting. With the state’s budget deficit in the millions, mobile gambling can reduce some of that. It can earn around $50 million in revenue from gambling based on pay per head reports.

In New Jersey, the sports betting handle for February was $495 million. Eighty-eight percent of the handle came from mobile sports betting. In Pennsylvania, 90 percent of its January sports betting handle came from mobile wagering.

Based on reports from pay per head reviews and news sites, mobile gaming can help New York earn more money during the coronavirus pandemic. With the numbers from neighboring states, Cuomo might want to rethink his stance on mobile gambling to solve the deficit problem.