New York Online Casino Bill Stalls Again — Sen. Addabbo Says iGaming Needs Governor Hochul Before It Can Happen

New York state Sen. Joseph Addabbo, the sponsor of the state’s online casino legalization bill and chairman of the Senate Racing and Gaming Committee, confirmed this week that iGaming legislation is unlikely to reach a floor vote in the current legislative session. The senator cited three interrelated obstacles: a state budget that is more than a month overdue, a compressed remaining session calendar with approximately 16 days of floor time left, and Governor Kathy Hochul’s continued reluctance to engage on gaming expansion.

“I can’t get the governor of New York to engage,” Addabbo said in a recent interview. “Without a fiscal need, my governor at this point is hesitant to do gaming.” He described the governor as an essential ingredient to any successful push, noting that passing the Senate and Assembly without knowing whether Hochul would sign the bill would be an exercise he was not willing to undertake.

The Case for New York Online Casinos

Addabbo has championed iGaming legalization for years, consistently arguing that every year New York operates without licensed online casino gaming costs the state approximately one billion dollars in revenue that flows instead to neighboring state platforms or offshore operators. New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Michigan, West Virginia, and Connecticut all offer legal online casino gaming. Residents of New York who want to play real-money online slots or table games either travel to New Jersey or use platforms operating outside the state’s regulatory framework.

The senator’s argument is fundamentally economic: New York has the infrastructure, the regulatory framework from its existing sports betting market, and the player base to generate substantial tax revenue from online casino gaming. The state already demonstrates what a competitive online gaming market can look like through its sports betting landscape, which has generated more annual sports betting revenue than any other state since launching in January 2022.

But the economics have not been sufficient to move Governor Hochul. Addabbo acknowledged that the governor’s position is tied to a lack of immediate fiscal pressure. New York’s budget, though late, is not in a crisis that requires new gambling revenue as an emergency fix. Without that urgency, Hochul has stayed on the sidelines.

What Would Need to Change

Addabbo was frank about what the path forward looks like. “I need to have some consensus,” he said, indicating that the governor’s engagement is the missing piece rather than legislative support within the chambers. He expressed confidence that New York would eventually authorize online casino gaming, framing it as a question of timing rather than a question of whether it would happen.

One scenario that could accelerate Hochul’s engagement is a shift in fiscal conditions. If the federal government reduces aid to states or if New York’s budget situation deteriorates, the revenue argument for iGaming becomes more urgent. Several gaming operators, including Rush Street Interactive, have identified New York as one of their highest-priority expansion targets and are actively lobbying for legalization.

Another factor is competitive pressure from neighboring states. New Jersey’s online casino market consistently generates over 200 million dollars per month in gross gaming revenue, much of which comes from New York residents crossing the border to play. Every month that figure grows reinforces the economic argument that Addabbo has been making for years.

The Prediction Market Complication

New York’s gaming landscape has been further complicated by the rise of prediction markets. The state’s gaming commission has warned residents about prediction market platforms, and Attorney General Letitia James has pursued legal action against operators including Kalshi. Addabbo has a separate prediction market regulation bill, S9414, which he acknowledged may not advance to a floor vote this session either.

The prediction market situation creates a parallel set of consumer protection concerns that compete for attention with the iGaming legalization debate. Regulators and lawmakers are simultaneously trying to address the status of existing prediction market operators, develop frameworks for new regulation, and advance iGaming legislation, all with a compressed session calendar and a governor who is hesitant to engage on gaming topics broadly.

For sports bettors in New York, the legal landscape remains sports betting only, through the licensed platforms available via the state’s competitive sportsbook market. Players can explore their options through New York sports betting guides covering the available sportsbooks, current promotions, and how to open accounts. Online casino gaming appears to be a 2027 or later prospect, barring an unexpected shift in the governor’s position before the current session ends.