New York sports bettors are rejoicing as their governor finally appears to be on board with mobile wagering, while Massachusetts bettors are lamenting their elected reps failing to achieve betting consensus. 

Late Tuesday, the New York Daily News reported that Gov. Andrew Cuomo would make a pitch for legalizing mobile sports betting when he delivers his annual State of the State address next week. Cuomo issued a statement saying legal online betting would “keep millions of dollars in tax revenue here at home” and help the state recover from pandemic-related economic carnage. 

New York legalized betting in 2019 but confined it to in-person wagering at four upstate commercial casinos and their tribal counterparts. Returns to date have been underwhelming, partly due to the distance between those casinos and the state’s major population centers. 

Cuomo, who’d long opposed mobile betting, signalled his change of heart shortly before Christmas, publicly musing about ways New York might offset reductions in its tax revenue following lengthy pandemic shutdowns. Cuomo said this week that he aimed to stop New York bettors from crossing over into New Jersey, where mobile betting is thriving (in part due to those New York bettors).