The New York Senate pushed forward a critical bill that might end up legalizing online poker in the state by the end of 2017. It is the first major push towards iGaming legislation in the state since last year’s efforts crashed and burned in the Assembly of New York State.
The bill, also known as S 3898A, passed on the Senate floor by a vote of 54-8 earlier this week and now heads back to the Assembly for review. This bill’s predecessor, simply known as S3898, got through a similar stage in 2016 before it seemingly disappeared from most legal radars shortly thereafter.
The bill’s sponsor, Senator John Bocacic, along with many legal professionals, believe the bill could get stalled yet again due to the bad actor language associated with the bill. The bad actor language is mainly aimed at PokerStars/Amaya Gaming (now, the Stars Group) and their presence in New York.
Many believe that because PokerStars continued to operate in the United States after the passing of UIGEA, they should not be allowed to participate in any legalized online gaming laws that get approved on a state to state basis.
This has affected PokerStars from entering markets in Nevada and Delaware, and it has been one of the main reasons why California iGaming bills have been shelved over the last few years.
It is estimated that first year forecasts for online poker revenue in New York could potentially reach $120 million.
4Flush.com will keep our readers updated on the situation going on in New York as soon as we get more information from other newswires and sources.
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