Senate's Antilottery Measure Clears New York Assembly by a Substantial Margin
Sweepstakes' Last Stand: New York on the Brink of Banning Sweepstakes Casinos
Get ready to bid adieu to those vibrant sweepstakes casinos in the Empire State! The New York State Assembly, in a unanimous decision, has passed a bill that aims to cancel the pleasant distraction in the state. As the matter now lies in the hands of Governor Kathy Hochul, sweepstakes proponents are slyly hoping for a veto.
SB 5935: The Anti-Sweepstakes Bill
New York's SB 5935 sailed through the Senate with a whopping 57-2 vote before finding approval in the Assembly. This ominous bill could leave sweepstakes operators feeling more uncomfortable than a good old-fashioned game of chance.
Sweepstakes, though somewhat dubious, are a form of gaming that use a dual-currency system and operate under a framework that doesn't require players to spend money to win. Due to these peculiar characteristics, sweepstakes have managed to sidestep the legal classification of gambling and, consequently, have been stumbling about in a gray area. Crimson-faced industry stakeholders have argued that the products should be considered illegal online gambling due to these murky waters.
Large-scale operators, state agencies, and industry advocates have vehemently opposed sweepstakes, claiming them to be a dark and illicit offering that needs to cease to exist. Senator Joseph Addabbo, a prominent defender of the regulated industry, is New York's primary crusader against the sector.
Addabbo has previously labelled sweepstakes a product that boasts being untaxed, unregulated, and unfairly races ahead of those who play by the rules.
Sweepstakes Lobbyists Nudge Governor Hochul
Lawmakers across the nation have been burning their coalition of wits to criminalize sweepstakes, with varying degrees of success. If SB 5935 manages to become law, New York will become the latest state to ban online sweepstakes betting. Violators would risk facing fines ranging from $10K to $100K, depending on the offense.
Needless to say, the sweepstakes sector is up in arms at the idea of seeing their beloved casinos shutter. Reps of the Social Gaming Leadership Alliance (SGLA) squashed SB 5935 as a hasty and problematic bill, pleading with Governor Hochul to veto it.
Meanwhile, the Social and Promotional Games Association (SPGA), an organization that supports a responsible sweepstakes sector and champions the rights of the sweepstakes industry, has previously advocated for regulation, not eradication.
Governor Hochul has yet to make her position on SB 5935 explicitly clear, but the fate of sweepstakes in the Empire State awaits a decisive blow in the coming weeks. Stay tuned, folks, 'cause the thrill is very much real!
The Social Gaming Leadership Alliance (SGLA) has expressed discontent towards the passage of New York's SB 5935, a bill aimed at banning sweepstakes casinos, and has urged Governor Kathy Hochul to veto it.
In the midst of politics and policy-and-legislation debates, Senator Joseph Addabbo, a defender of the regulated industry, continues to label sweepstakes as an untaxed, unregulated, and unfair form of online gambling.
