ALBANY – The state Gaming Commission on Monday adopted rules that will pave the way for New York's four upstate casinos and its Native American casinos to soon start taking bets on sports in their facilities.

The approval of the rules sets the casinos on a path to likely getting the sports-betting licenses sometime this summer — in time for the biggest wagering period of the year when the NFL starts in September.

With the commission's approval Monday, the new regulations now need to be published in the State Register. Then the commission would have to approve the licenses for each casino.

Why the wait?

The commission's approval comes more than a year after the U.S. Supreme Court lifted a federal sports-betting ban and after New Jersey has lured some New York gamblers after it quickly adopted a sports-betting law last year.

New York has moved more slowly, though, and has debated whether it could expand its offerings beyond letting the four casinos in the Catskills, Southern Tier, Finger Lakes and Albany area take wagers solely in their facilities.

The casinos and the heads of the state Legislature's racing and wagering committees want the state to pass a law that would allow the casinos to offer online betting and potentially expand sports betting to Off-Track Betting operations and racetracks with video-lottery terminals.

But the expansion hasn't drawn support from Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who while saying recently he would be open to discussing the issue, had said earlier this year that his administration does not believe mobile betting is legal under the state constitution.

Why no mobile betting?

Gov. Andrew Cuomo said in his State of the State address Jan. 15, 2018, that upstate casinos should be authorized to add sports betting. Joseph Spector, Albany Bureau Chief
When New Yorkers approved the upstate casinos at a referendum in 2013, the state changed its constitution to allow private casinos to operate in New York, and the Legislature passed a law to allow for sports betting if the federal ban was lifted.

Cuomo's administration has maintained the law and the constitution only mean on-site sports betting could be allowed at the private casinos, as well as seven upstate ones run by tribes.

Casinos want a broader law, but it is uncertain whether lawmakers can strike a deal before the legislative session ends June 19.

Regardless, casinos are eager to at least allow sports betting in their facilities, which have all struggled to meet revenue projections since opening more than two years ago

Rivers Casino in Schenectady, del Lago in the Finger Lakes, Resorts World Catskills in Monticello and Tioga Downs in the Southern Tier have all reached partnership deals with betting companies to open sports-betting lounges when the final approvals come.

The regulations would bar betting on college sports teams in New York or any college contests played in the state.

JSPECTOR@Gannett.com

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