At least four online NY sports betting platforms can launch at 9 a.m. Saturday, according to New York gaming regulators.
Four of the nine licensed operators have “satisfied all statutory and regulatory requirements” for launch:
It will be up to each sportsbook to determine when it will start taking bets, though all four have confirmed they will be live Saturday.
The timeline means at least four mobile New York sportsbooks will be live for NFL betting for the entirety of the playoffs.
What about other NY sports betting apps?
The remaining five sportsbooks will be approved on a rolling basis as their requirements are met:
- Bally Bet
- BetMGM
- PointsBet
- Resorts World (with PointsBet as platform provider)
- WynnBET
That means whether those launches come in time for Super Bowl betting or not will be up to each individual operator.
Timeline a bit quicker than expected
The Saturday launch is a bit ahead of schedule, according to what Sen. Joe Addabbo Jr. told LSR earlier this week.
He assumed sports betting would be live for “most” of the NFL playoffs but said in a statement he appreciated the quick work:
“I want to thank the Gaming Commission for their efficiency in ensuring that these operators met all of the requirements to bring their mobile sports betting product to the people of New York ahead of the NFL playoffs.”
Assemblyman Gary Pretlow was “thrilled and appreciative” of the regulatory efforts to get the market launched, a spokesperson said.
Will late movers take a hit in market share?
While New York is technically getting its single start date Addabbo and Pretlow wanted, it feels a bit off with fewer than half of the sportsbooks ready to go.
Instead, four of the top US sports betting brands will get a head start on the final weekend of the NFL regular season.
That could be pretty significant, especially in a state that taxes sports betting revenue at 51%. It could prove too costly for some to market their way back into the conversation once bettors are comfortable with the brands available.
WynnBET, we know, certainly will not be trying to catch up to the pack. Wynn Interactive CEO Craig Billings said the company would pivot to a targeted ROI-focused marketing approach.
