NEW YORK (WBEN) — New York's new budget includes a measure to legalize online sports betting and the first wagers could come before the end of the year.
A full 25-percent of New Jersey's online sports bets came from New Yorkers who crossed the state line.
New Jersey led the nation last year with $6 billion in bets placed.
"The end game for New York is to have a premiere, respectable, credible product that will rival and maybe even surpass Jersey at some point," said State Sen. Joseph Addabbo.
Addabbo has been working for years to bring online sports betting to New York. It is included in the newly-passed budget.
"I am hopeful, certainly by the start roughly around the NFL football season, that we'll be able to accept our first mobile sports bet," he said.
There was considerable debate on the structure.
Addabbo and other lawmakers favored a free-market approach, leading to something like New Jersey's 17 operators.
Instead Gov. Andrew Cuomo insisted on keeping the operation state-run. The law calls for four providers, at a minimum.
"The majority of the money goes to education, and there's a $5 million per year funding for youth sports statewide," Addabbo said.
