Over the last few weeks, the state of New York has been rumoured to be approaching the time when online gambling will be legalised, along with a number of other US states, which have been put in the same situation for quite some time now. The New York Assemblyman Gary Pretlow has commented on the online gambling legislation trend pretty optimistic, projecting its online poker bill to be passed within 2017.
The Assemblyman, who is known for his previous sceptical commentary on the matter, now offered an undoubtedly positive outlook for his online poker bill in an interview for FiOS1.
At the beginning of February, the Bill A5250, which is sponsored by Pretlow, brought the online poker legislation matters on the agenda of the state’s authorities once again. Assemblyman Pretlow now explained that his concerns in regard to online poker have been put to rest. The major issues which have provoked his controversial attitude to online poker legislation were based on the categorisation of the game of poker, the fairness of the games and the efficiency of the geolocation technology.
In the interview for FiOS1, Pretlow now explained he was pretty satisfied in terms of the fairness of games and geolocation solutions’ work. When it comes to the categorisation of poker, the Assemblyman reminded that the same issue existed when the Daily Fantasy Sports were on the agenda.
Pretlow also explained that his colleagues at the New York Assembly also shared his opinion that online poker legislation was a good idea, so the Assembly no longer seems to be an obstacle for the bill. Still, he said that some members of the local administration who were opposing the idea. The Governor of the state, Andrew Cuomo, has not shared his opinion the the matter, too.
Online Poker Legislation in New York so Far
Up to date, apart from the Pretlow-sponsored Bill A5250, there is also the online gambling bill of Senator John Bonacic. The latter, called S3898, is pretty much the same as the one presented by Pretlow and was officially introduced last month.
There are many similarities between the the two bills, in terms of provisions that seek to categorise poker as a game of skill rather than a game of chance, implement a legal age of 21 years to gamble, require a licensing fee and tax rate for online poker operators in the state and authorise up to 11 operator licenses.
Of course, the fate of neither one of the bills is not yet clear, with every one of them being able to be pushed forward on its own. They could also be attached to the overall budget. The situation around online gambling legislation in New York is expected to get even more heated over the upcoming months, as the 2017 legislative session of the state is to end on June 21st.
If online gambling is finally legalised in New York, the state’s poker market is expected to be approximately estimated to $60 million, and it could also grow further over the next few years.
- Author
Daniel Williams
