Addabbo pushes state to OK mobile sports betting

State Sen. Joseph Addabbo, Jr. is urging New York state to permit mobile sports betting. AP Photo/Mike Groll.

By Jonathan Sperling

It’s a tale of two states.

In October alone, New Jersey took in $46.4 million in sports wagers, up from $37.9 million in September. Just across the river, however, New York took in just $2.2 million through sports wagering in the same time period, down from the $2.3 million earned in September.

The reason for the difference between the two states, according to State Sen. Joseph Addabbo, Jr., lies in mobile sports betting. New Jersey allows mobile sports betting, while New York does not.

“It is beyond frustrating to see New Jersey and other neighboring states that allow mobile sports betting continue to pass us by as their revenue increases and knowing a portion of that revenue is from our residents using mobile devices to bet in those neighboring states,” said Addabbo, who serves as chairperson of the Senate Committee on Racing, Gaming and Wagering.

Addabo, whose district stretches from Maspeth through Woodhaven, Howard Beach and parts of the Rockaways, said that it’s “crystal clear” that New York’s disallowance of mobile sports wagering is costing the state tens of millions of dollars in tax revenue.

“Instead, we are allowing revenue to escape to other states, while barely matching our month-over-month numbers here. I hope to see New York adopt mobile sports betting in 2020 so we can get our fair share of this booming industry,” the senator added.