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New York Can Expect Sports Betting Instead of Online Poker in 2019

We all know that Pennsylvania will be launching online poker and other forms of online gambling sometime in 2019. Many assumed that New York would be one of the next states to regulate online poker, especially now that multiple neighbors have legalized the activity.

Not so fast, one of the state’s biggest supporters for online poker has stated that they would gladly give up online poker regulation if it means that sports betting gets legalized This revelation isn’t exactly earth-shattering, but it also appears that sports betting is the only priority on lawmaker’s list in 2019 – at least for now.

Pretlow Would Pass on Online Poker for Sports Betting

Last week, Online Poker Report revealed that NY Assemblyman Gary Pretlow has admitted that his priorities for 2019 will focus on sports betting. In a statement to the site, he told them that he would “give up online poker for sports betting” if he were pressed to choose between the two. He said he would do so because “the revenue stream is so much better” than online poker.

On the surface, this would not seem like that big of a revelation considering that sports betting is the hot ticket right now for iGaming expansion. After the Supreme Court struck down the ban on sports betting, many states have acted quickly to enact online gambling legislation. The fact that New York would do the same isn’t exactly news.

New York is “90 percent” likely to approve sports betting next year, said Gary Pretlow, a Democrat and the Assembly’s long-time point man on gaming matters. #sportsbetting @GamblingComp https://t.co/3kJDK32fLP

— Chris Sieroty (@sierotyfeatures) November 28, 2018

However, the fact that Pretlow is willing to pass entirely on iPoker is a little surprising considering that he has been the primary supporter of the cause, filing bills annually since 2016. None of the proposals have made it further than the Senate, but some assumed that New York would move forward with online poker at some point.

The other fact that’s surprising is that Prelow does not appear to be interested in adding online poker to a sports betting bill. One would assume it would be easier to pass iPoker as part of an omnibus bill, but Prelow has stated that he will “prioritize things and do one at a time,” meaning he will not try and get them both passed at the same time. He will submit a bill in 2019 for online poker, or so he stated, but it will take a backseat to sports betting.

Does Online Poker in New York Have a Chance in 2019?

The question now remains whether New York has any chance of passing online poker legislation in 2019. At this point, I’d put the odds at about 30% or less depending on the speed at which the legislature addresses sports betting.

The reality of things is that Pretlow is absolutely correct about the potential revenue behind sports betting. All you have to do is take a look at the three states that have regulated online poker to get a realistic idea of the revenue the state can expect. Even if New York became part of the interstate online poker network, the revenue would still pale in comparison to sports betting.

Now if the NY legislature were to address sports betting expediently and pass it early in session, there is an outside chance that we could see lawmakers warm up to the prospect. However, what I expect to happen is that they will pass sports betting and take a wait and see approach on other forms of gambling.

They may even wait and see how Pennsylvania fares after launching online poker and general iGaming in 2019. If the numbers look favorable, then we may see action taken sometime in 2020. For now, New Yorkers can expect 2019 to be all about sports betting, so start making plans for your side trips over to Pennsylvania if you want to play regulated online poker in 2019.

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