Online gambling insiders expect New York online casino to be the next legal jurisdiction. In order for that to happen, state legislators need to vote. Before that occurs, New York voters have to decide today whether they plan to keep state Sen. Joseph Addabbo.
Addabbo is facing two opponents in today’s Democratic primary. Candidates Albert Baldeo and Japneet Singh told Hannah Vanbiber of NY Sports Day that they’re in favor of legalizing online casino gambling. However, they didn’t provide her with an action plan.
Addabbo’s the chairman of the Senate’s Standing Committee on Racing, Gaming, and Wagering and has sponsored numerous bills relating to online gambling. He also tells Bonus.com that he plans to reintroduce legislation in 2023 that will propose a New York online casino framework.
As of 3 p.m. ET, no results were in.
UPDATE: 08/23/2022
Polls closed in New York at 9 p.m. About 20 minutes later, it was clear Addabbo won.
While numbers kept changing, the incumbent state senator continued to hold the majority of the votes.
By 9:45 p.m., 45 minutes after polls closed, Addabbo possessed 56% of the ballots cast, according to the unofficial election results. That’s a nearly 28% victory over his nearest competitor, Singh.
Addabbo received 3,858 votes out of 6,858 cast, with 154 of 154 election districts reporting.
The elections board counted 29%, or 1,969 electors, voting for Singh.
The final competitor, Alberto Baldeo, listed on the site as Albert, got 954 votes. His portion of District 15’s primary voters was nearly 14%.
Blank, void, and write-in candidates received the remaining 1% or 77 ballots cast.
The election results are unofficial until the elections board certifies them, which is expected to occur within 15 days of this primary.
Voters Are Confused About Today’s Primary
Today’s primary election is the second New York’s seen this summer.
It’s the result of redistricting efforts that even have voters who cast ballots in one location on June 28 doing so at another polling location today.
On top of that, Addabbo moved in with his mother in order to stay within his district. His home in Howard Beach is no longer within District 15.
As a result, The City reports that half of the 12.3% of eligible voters who cast ballots on June 28 are doing so today.
In the District 15 race, the New York State Board of Elections tallies 93,092 “active, enrolled Democrats.”
US Online Casino Goes 10 Months With No New Launch
If New York’s confused voters forego today’s election because they believe one vote won’t matter, they can just look to Illinois. There, pro-gaming state Rep. Michael J. Zalewski lost his seat in June. Zalewski was defeated in the Democratic primary by Abdelnasser Rashid by 323 votes.
Illinois and New York are perhaps the most likely states to next legalize online casino gambling.
The most recent US online casino launch happened in Connecticut on Oct. 19, 2021.
That Connecticut online gambling debut brought the US to six legal online casino states – to learn more follow the links below.
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Michigan Online Casinos
- New Jersey Online Casinos
- Pennsylvania Online Casinos
- West Virginia Online Casinos
Outside of Illinois and New York, the path to continued US online casino legalization zigzags as much as the redistricting lines New York voters are navigating during Primary Day, Part 2. Indiana, Kentucky, and Massachusetts are on that wish list.
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