SPORTS BETTING

US – New York mobile sports betting to launch this weekend

By Phil - 7 January 2022

The NYS Gaming Commission has confirmed that four licensed Mobile Sports Wagering Operators – Caesars Sportsbook, DraftKings, FanDuel, and Rush Street Interactive – have satisfied all statutory and regulatory requirements necessary to accept and process mobile sports wagering activity and have been approved to commence operations with launch effective no earlier than Saturday, 8 January 2022 at 9 a.m. Eastern Standard Time.

After that effective date, each licensee (Caesars Sportsbook, DraftKings, FanDuel, and Rush Street Interactive) will determine when to accept wagers, based upon its business capabilities and readiness.

The remaining five conditionally licensed Mobile Sports Wagering Operators continue to work towards satisfying statutory and regulatory requirements necessary to launch and will be approved on a rolling basis when requirements are met.

Richard Schwartz, Chief Executive Officer of Rush Street Interactive, said: “The long-awaited launch of online and mobile sports betting in New York – the largest online sports betting market by population in the United States – is here, and just in time. With the college football championship game on January 10th and NFL playoffs approaching, and the NBA and NHL seasons in full swing, in addition to countless other sports and betting options available for play, fans have endless entertainment at their fingertips at BetRivers.”

The BetRivers sportsbook features thousands of betting options on all major professional and collegiate leagues, games, and players, including spreads, moneylines, props, futures, same game parlays, and more. The website and app offer integrated betting content and live streaming on a wide variety of sports, numerous deposit and withdrawal methods, automated pay-out approvals for over 80 per cent of requests, and unique bonusing and rewards programs – including the industry’s fastest conversion of bonuses to cash. RSI’s sportsbook app was rated in the top 3 out of 35 mobile sportsbook apps in the United States market last quarter by independent gaming research firm Eilers & Krejcik.

Mr. Schwartz added: “Simply put, we focus on the player, so the player can focus on the game. This means delivering an innovative yet simple website and app experience, more and quicker ways to deposit and withdraw funds, all supported by best-in-class customer service that works hard every day to earn and retain player trust. We encourage New Yorkers to see for themselves why RSI and BetRivers have received numerous recognitions from the industry for the quality of our product and player experience.”

RSI has deep roots in New York and the broader tri-state region and is one of only three companies with online gaming market access in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut. In New York, RSI oversees the sports betting operations at the Rivers Casino & Resort Schenectady, which was the first retail sportsbook in New York history to accept a legalized sports bet and has been the leading commercial sportsbook in the state by revenue since its launch in 2019. RSI also operates real-money gaming in the neighboring state of Pennsylvania, as well as in Illinois, Indiana, and Colorado, where it was the first company to launch legal online sportsbooks in each state.

Mr. Schwartz added: “We are grateful for the trust of the New York State Gaming Commission and for its professional and efficient support while we worked diligently to satisfy all launch requirements. RSI is thrilled to build on our heritage as the operator of New York’s first and most successful retail sports betting destination by launching online sports betting in the Empire State on the first day it is available.”

Jason Robins, CEO, co-founder and chairman of the board, DraftKings, added: “As a longtime Boston sports fan, I can personally attest to countless fiery rivalries against various New York teams, and that passion is what makes these fanbases so special within this globally revered sports entertainment mecca. We are pleased to bring new levels of access and immersive engagement to New Yorkers with the arrival of mobile sports betting. A special thanks to Governor Hochul, Senator Addabbo, Assemblyman Pretlow, the New York Gaming Commission along with the tireless efforts of our dedicated DraftKings team.”

Home to 10 professional sports teams spanning six major leagues with an additional three teams located within 15 miles of New York City, the state boasts one of the strongest sports cultures in the world with millions of passionate sports fans. DraftKings customers ages 21 and over will be able to place bets on thousands of sporting events including pre-match and in-game markets. This includes same game parlays and micro-betting; a result of the completion of DraftKings’ migration to its in-house bet engine. New York sports betting regulations prohibit fans from betting on New York colleges in any sport.

“Growing up in New York and having spent the last 30-plus years in Las Vegas, I am thrilled that my worlds are finally set to collide,” said Johnny Avello, Director of Race and Sportsbook Operations, DraftKings and Poughkeepsie native. “Millions of New Yorkers will soon discover what we believe makes our DraftKings Sportsbook the very best in customer service and real-money gaming and entertainment.”

In August 2019, DraftKings opened a 6,000 square-foot retail sportsbook in Waterloo, NY at del Lago Resort and Casino. The retail space features LED video screens, a full-service bar and restaurant, ticket windows and 23 self-service betting kiosks that mimic the look and feel of the DraftKings Sportsbook app.