Both del Lago Resort & Casino in Seneca County and Tioga Downs Casino Resort in Tioga County want to add sports betting to their respective gaming and entertainment options for customers. The state-licensed casinos have each teamed up with major wagering partners and are now waiting for the New York State Gaming Commission to finalize […]
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Both del Lago Resort & Casino in Seneca County and Tioga Downs Casino Resort in Tioga County want to add sports betting to their respective gaming and entertainment options for customers.
The state-licensed casinos have each teamed up with major wagering partners and are now waiting for the New York State Gaming Commission to finalize and approve the regulations that will allow them to offer betting on sports games.
“As stated by acting executive director Ron Ochrym in July, Commission staff continues to work on regulations that would effectuate sports gambling under existing statutory language,” Brad Maione, director of communications for the New York State Gaming Commission, told CNYBJ in an Oct. 9 email.
The Tioga Downs announcement about its involvement with New York City–based FanDuel on July 16 was issued a few hours after del Lago Resort & Casino had reached an agreement with Boston, Massachusetts–based DraftKings to provide a sportsbook at the casino once New York approves regulations to allow sports betting.
Both companies made headlines in New York when former New York State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman in November 2015 ordered both DraftKings and FanDuel to stop accepting online, daily fantasy sport bets inside New York.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo in August 2016 signed a bill that requires fantasy-sports companies to register with and operate under the regulations of the New York State Gaming Commission.
Del Lago and DraftKings
Del Lago Resort & Casino reached an agreement with DraftKings to provide a sportsbook at the casino located in the town of Tyre. The agreement also enables the creation of a mobile and online sports-wagering option, once the state authorizes it, according to a joint news release.
“New York is one of the largest revenue opportunities for future sports wagering operators and we are thrilled to partner with del Lago Resort & Casino to offer sports fans a unique and novel sports betting experience, both at a physical sportsbook and on mobile when permitted,” Jason Robins, CEO and co-founder of DraftKings, said.
A sportsbook is an establishment that takes bets on sporting events and pays out winnings.
DraftKings contends it is “well positioned” to capitalize on the New York market through its technology platform and more than 10 million customers. It began work on its sportsbook product a year ago following the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to consider New Jersey’s challenge to the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act.
New Jersey won that case in May of this year in a ruling that allows states to decide if they want to allow gamblers to place bets on individual games.
Pending the approval of state regulations, DraftKings plans to “leverage its experience” in developing daily fantasy sports contests to launch a sports-betting app along with a web-based platform in New York.
“We see DraftKings as a fantastic and strategic partner in our sportsbook operation at del Lago Resort & Casino, and this deal represents a tremendous move forward for our property in general,” Brent Stevens, co-chairman of del Lago and CEO of Peninsula Pacific, said in the release.
Los Angeles, California–based Peninsula Pacific is del Lago’s development partner.
This is the second sports-wagering partnership DraftKings has secured, having announced a similar deal with Resorts Casino Hotel in Atlantic City, N.J., as its licensing partner for online sports betting in that state.
DraftKings was founded in 2012 by Matt Kalish, Paul Liberman, and Jason Robins. It offers sports games across 11 professional sports in the U.S., Canada, United Kingdom, Malta, Germany, Ireland, Austria, and Australia.
Tioga Downs and FanDuel
Jeff Gural, owner of Tioga Downs Casino Resort in Nichols, hopes to bring a FanDuel Sportsbook for sports wagering to the venue, as soon as New York regulators give the OK.
FanDuel Group has announced the grand opening of a Sportsbook location at the Meadowlands Racetrack in New Jersey, which Gural also owns, Tioga Downs said in a July 16 news release. It opened to the public following New Jersey’s legalization of sports wagering.
“Partnering with FanDuel Group and our proximity to New York City puts us in prime position to capitalize on the seemingly endless opportunities around sports betting,” Gural said.
Gural is chairman & CEO of Meadowlands Racing and Entertainment and serves in the same role for American Racing & Entertainment, which operates Tioga Downs.
The FanDuel Sportsbook will feature bets on all major U.S. sports, including professional baseball, soccer, football, basketball, golf, boxing, and motorsports racing, according to the release.
FanDuel Group focuses on fantasy sports, online gaming, and television content. The group includes FanDuel, Betfair US, DRAFT, and TVG. FanDuel Group has a presence across 45 states and 8 million customers. Besides its New York City headquarters, the company has offices in California, New Jersey, Florida, Oregon, and Scotland.
FanDuel Group is a subsidiary of Paddy Power Betfair plc, an international sports betting and gaming operator.
