New York Sports Betting Could Be In Play By Fall Without Legislature

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) - Sports betting, already a huge success in New Jersey, may have a future in New York before this fall even though state legislators failed to put into action anything since the U.S. Supreme Court made such gambling legal earlier this year.

It was a major piece of unfinished business in Albany, reports CBS2's Tony Aiello.

Lawmakers left for the year without voting on a sports betting bill that also would have authorized mobile wagering.

"We have to go to Jersey now," said Jim O'Mara of Yonkers. "Go down the shore, Monmouth, whatever, and do the betting. They missed the boat, Jersey's gonna open the Meadowlands, and Monmouth."

It turns out a 2013 bill already allows sports betting at the four Vegas-style casinos that have opened in New York, including Resorts World Catskills.

"There's no question it will drive revenue and visitation to our casino here," said Charlie Degliomini of Resorts World Catskills.

Degliomini says the casino was pre-wired to allow sports betting in anticipation of the Supreme Court's May decision legalizing it.

As soon as the state gaming commission issues regulatons, the Catskills casino is ready to take sports bets like Monmouth Park in New Jersey.

"I think we're more excited than anxious, but we know it's something that's going to happen, it's just a question of when," said Degliomini. "For us, sooner is better than later."

Next year, the legislature would be expected to expand sports betting to the slots-only casinos - Empire City here in Yonkers, Jake's 58 in Suffolk County and Resorts World in Queens.

That would be the jackpot for state revenue, but the ante comes this September when the New York State Gaming Commission is expected to issue regulations allowing New York's first four sports books to open.