New York Sen. Joseph P. Addabbo Jr. plans to introduce a 2025 bill to legalize online casino, poker, and iLottery “early on” in the upcoming legislative session, he told Bonus in an Aug. 29 interview.
Addabbo, R-Woodhaven, sponsored his 2024 measure on Jan. 11, about a week after the New York State Senate convened. That quick introduction was designed to have Gov. Kathleen C. Hochul include SB8185 in her executive budget. However, the $232.7 billion budget she published on Jan. 16, 2024, didn’t include iGaming and iLottery.
The budget that state legislators later passed also didn’t add in Addabbo’s bill.
So, Addabbo will try again in 2025.
The chairman of the Senate Racing, Gaming, and Wagering Committee told Bonus the 2025 bill may help Hochul alleviate a projected $4 billion to $8 billion deficit. That may be especially true if she once again omits the congestion pricing plan from the budget and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) needs additional funding.
Addabbo told Bonus:
If there’s any kind of deficit … I have an answer.
He cited analyst estimates that New York online casino and poker room tax revenue could total “billions.”
I always enter the year with a sense of optimism.
SB8185 proposed a 30.5% tax rate on up to 20 operators who would’ve paid a $2 million license fee. Addabbo didn’t say on Aug. 29 what he would outline in his 2025 bill.
A spokesman from Hochul’s office responded on Aug. 29 to this question from Bonus about the Addabbo interview, “Will Gov. Hochul approve an iGaming, iLottery bill in 2025?”
John Lindsay, deputy communications director with the New York State Executive Chamber, told Bonus:
Governor Hochul will review any legislation that passes both houses of the legislature.
Meanwhile, Legal Sports Report says the nine mobile sportsbook operators have paid over $2.1 billion in taxes to New York since sports betting launched on Jan. 8, 2022. The tax rate is 51%.
Bonus and LSR are Catena Media publications.
2025 iGaming Bill Opposition May Remain
In 2024, the primary opponent of legalizing online casino and poker rooms was the retail casino workers union, the New York Hotel Trades Council (HTC).
Hochul, who would’ve needed to sign SB8185 for it to become law, tends to side with unions.
Addabbo told Bonus on Aug. 29:
There may be conversations along the way.
However, Addabbo told Bonus on Aug. 29 that he hadn’t yet met with Hochul.
HTC Political Director Bhav Tibrewal didn’t immediately return a request for comment from Bonus on Aug. 29.
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