Online gaming bill in New York includes poker only

An online gaming bill that was introduced in the state of New York has been stripped down to only include online poker.

The bill sponsored by Senator Joseph Addabbo originally called for the legalization of online poker and online casino games in the state. Addabbo said that due to a lack of support for the more expansive bill online casino gaming was cut out.

“Not only this will help New York regulate an industry that is presently operating without oversight in New York State, but also generate additional revenue from taxes and licenses fees associated with a licensed online poker system in New York State,” said Addabbo

That wasn’t the only change to the bill. The original bill called for a 30% tax on all gross gaming revenue. That has been reduced to 15% for online poker operators. The bill would allow as many as 10 online poker licenses in the state and each operator would need to pay a $10 million license fee.

A piece of the bill that is important to other states that are already allowing online poker is that it would authorize New York to enter into interstate agreements to share player liquidity. If New York were to launch online poker and join the Multi-State Internet Gaming Agreement (MSIGA) it would provide a significant boost to the player pool. The states that are currently part of the MISGA include New Jersey, Michigan, Nevada, and Delaware. West Virginia has also signed onto the MISGA but has not yet launched online poker in the state.