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Sen. Joseph Addabbo Wants Mobile Sports Betting In New York By 2021

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Two years ago this week, the Supreme Court opened the floodgates to allow sports betting on a state-by-state basis, and no state has rolled it out better than New Jersey.

Nearly 90% of the state's bets were made online.

On Saturday, Gov. Andrew Cuomo cleared New York race tracks to resume running on June 1, but it's still illegal in New York to place a sports wager on your phone.

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New York State Sen. Joe Addabbo is hoping to inspire the governor to sign the mobile betting bill into law by the end of the year.

The senator estimates New York could make up to $200 million a year.

"We do not as a state have the luxury of declining revenue at this point. We have a severe budget deficit. Even prior to the coronavirus we had it, so now there's a need for revenue," Addabbo told CBS2's Steve Overmyer. "I think we all share the concern for those who have an addiction, and right now, New Yorkers are going to Jersey to do mobile sports betting, they're doing it illegally, so we can't help them because we don't know who they are. So there are a number of issues that we address in our bill. That's why I had this 'Plan, Pass and Prepare' strategy for this year to try and get mobile sports betting done this year."

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