New York Senator Joseph Addabbo has filed almost a carbon copy of his 2024 bill in a bid to regulate online casino in the State.
Bill S2614 also seeks to legalize online lottery sales and games. The main difference between 2025’s attempt and 2024’s is a three-year timeout period for unregulated businesses offering sweepstakes. The bill guarantees $25 million of tax revenue annually for casino employee development and training.
Online sweepstakes casino legislation is becoming a hot topic. New Jersey Assemblyman Calabrese filed a proposed amendment to State legislation to regulate the products like other online gaming products.
Sweepstakes are in the firing line
Sen. Addabbo has also shown a willingness to curb the rise of sweepstakes casinos, either by regulation or prohibition. In a release, he said, “One of my primary objectives as Gaming chair is ensuring New Yorkers are protected from gambling operations that have the potential of becoming more problematic without proper legislative action, such as unregulated sweepstakes casinos operators.”
He continued, “Many sweepstakes’ operators are located offshore making enforcement limited or impossible, and our most vulnerable populations, youth and elderly are most often targeted which is why I want to act to address this existing loophole. The use of money to play a game and win more money is simple gambling and should be safely regulated.”
Addobbo is looking to states such as Michigan, Idaho, and Washington, which have already taken action, and is pushing for the legalization of iGaming “as a safe, effective alternative for online casino enthusiasts.” By regulating online sweepstakes casinos and pursuing iGaming, the Senator believes the State of New York is demonstrating its commitment to dealing with problems such as gaming addiction while increasing the tax purse.
He concluded, “Without an option for safe, regulated online gaming, many individuals will fall victim to sweepstakes casinos that entice customers through free play advertising with the potential for prizes through the purchase of gold coins. I encourage my colleagues and the Governor to take action against unregulated sweepstakes casinos while reconsidering the benefits of allowing legal iGaming operators to provide sanctioned services in a popular and ever-growing industry.”
Downtown and unions remain the biggest hurdles to NY iGaming
Industry analysts maintain that the legalization of online casino in New York has only a slim chance of passing. Historically, unions and downstate casinos have expressed vocal concerns about the cannibalization of brick-and-mortar casino revenue despite case studies suggesting this may not be the case.
