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Odds Are New York Will Allow Mobile Sports Betting In Time For NFL Season, Experts Say

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Odds are dramatically improving that New York will allow mobile sports betting in time for the fall NFL season.

State lawmakers have settled on a plan that would license more than a dozen sports wagering apps to sign up customers.

"This will be the year that mobile sports betting is enacted in New York," said attorney Daniel Wallach, a leading expert on gaming issues with Wallach Legal LLC.

He says with both houses of the legislature including mobile sports betting in their budget proposals, apps such as FanDuel could be available for New York bettors by the fall.

"We hear stories all the time about people driving their cars across the border to New Jersey, placing their bets and coming back across, so these are New Yorkers' dollars that are going out of state. If they're going to do it anyway, we might as well realize the revenue," said State Sen. Michael Gianaris.

"Now the debate is centered on what type of economic model the state will approve for sports betting," Wallach told CBS2's Tony Aiello.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo had proposed putting the New York Lottery in charge.

"I don't think the state should be in the business of being a bookie for its residents," Gianaris said.

Lawmakers, increasingly willing to challenge a scandal-weakened Cuomo, have settled on a plan that will allow casinos and racetracks to cut deals with betting apps, known as "skins," which could mean up to 20 skins in New York.

"It seems like it's more appealing to the consumer to have many skins competing," Aiello said.

"Many sports bettors, experienced sports bettors, like to comparison shop," Wallach said. "Odds, pricing and promotional discounts and deposit bonuses may vary slightly from operator to operator."

The expectation in Albany is to wrap a deal in the next few weeks and have mobile sports betting in New York by September.

One proposed part of the deal would allow sports betting kiosks at venues such as Madison Square Garden and Citi Field.

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