Fantasy sports bill debated

Lawmakers expressed confidence Wednesday that legislation will pass to legalize daily fantasy sports in New York. On the other hand, legalizing online poker faces long odds.

With just two days left in the legislative session for the year, key lawmakers were working with Gov. Andrew Cuomo on a final deal to allow online daily fantasy sports in New York. The popular games are currently on hold amid a fight over their legality.

"I think there is a three-way agreement," said Senate Racing Committee chairman John Bonacic, R-Mount Hope, Orange County.

He said it was important to have an agreement before the session ends Thursday.

"It’s very popular with New Yorkers. There are 3 million people who play fantasy sports," he said. "They’ve been doing it for 10 years; why not let them continue?"

Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, however, told reporters Tuesday that the measure faces an uncertain future in the Democratic-led Assembly, saying some lawmakers view it as merely "another form of gambling." There has also been opposition from some Senate Republicans.

The industry has been making an all-out push to get the games legalized in advance of the football season this fall.

DraftKings and FanDuel halted their contests in New York earlier this year in a deal to get state Attorney General Eric Schneiderman to pause his lawsuit that contended they were illegal operations.

At issue in a final deal is how revenue that goes to the state from the games would be distributed.

Some lawmakers want the money to go to education, like lottery revenue does. Others have proposed the money should go to the state's general fund, as does revenue from other gambling operations, such as horse racing.

Also, Bonacic said, the sides are debating whether smaller daily fantasy sports sites would face the same regulatory guidelines as the industry's giants. Bonacic said he's concerned that the same rules for all companies would put the small companies out of business.

The bill would require companies to give 15 percent of their gross revenues to the state.The bill to legalize online poker passed the Republican-led Senate on Tuesday, but it's not likely to pass the Assembly.

The measure would allow the state's racetracks with video lottery terminals and private casinos to run online poker games.

But Assembly Racing Committee chairman Gary Pretlow, D-Mount Vernon, told reporters Tuesday there's not enough support for the bill in his house.

"It’s not there," Pretlow said of bill, calling the odds of passage "rather long."

Bonacic said people enjoy online poker, and the games should be regulated in New York with the revenue going to the state's existing gambling facilities.

"These are policy decisions. I was trying to help the racinos and the casinos," Bonacic said. "Had that been approved, it would have been private-job creation. I thought it was a good thing for New York."




Fantasy sports bill debated, but online poker goes bust

Why not legalizing it in all states😟

Why not legalizing it in all states😟


I think that would be a great move!

All games are fantasy. fantasy to winning something. Because anything can happen in a single night (and truly anyone can win). If you are new to the game of real money fantasy, you'll need practice. Like anything else, the more you play, the more you learn. You'll get better over time.......