New York opening lauded as ‘huge moment’ and ‘significant milestone’ by European suppliers

Legalised mobile sports betting in the state of New York is due to commence tomorrow (8 January), as the New York State Gambling Commission (NYSGC) approved licences for four operators. 

Issuing an update this morning, the state regulatory body advised that each of the four licence holders had satisfied all necessary statutory and regulatory requirements for mobile sports betting. 

Furthermore, each licensee will determine when to accept wagers after the start date, which the NYSGC says will be based upon its business capabilities and readiness.

Caesars, DraftKings, FanDuel, and Rush Street Interactive (RSI), are the first of nine to enter the Empire State, and can start operations no earlier than 9pm on Saturday. 

US operators are not the only firms to have claimed a slice of the pie, however, as European companies such as Better Collective and Kambi are also eagerly awaiting the opening of the state’s online market. 

Danish sports betting media group Better Collective will be highly active in New York, having secured agreements with three of the four operators, whilst maintaining dialogue with the fourth. 

The Nasdaq-listed company has outlined plans to provide its sports information, statistics and betting lines to New Yorkers via its Action Network and Vegasinsider proprietary platforms, in addition to other offerings.

The most significant change for the firm is that the 500,000 monthly New York-based visitors to its sports media sites will now be able to access betting-related content, boosting its foothold in what it cited as “the biggest sports betting market in the US”.

“Unlocking the fourth most populous state in the United States to mobile sports betting is a huge moment for Better Collective and our growing portfolio of US assets,” remarked CEO Marc Pedersen.

“We are strongly positioned and excited to continue delivering sports betting content to the many thousand sports enthusiasts from New York that visit our sites daily.”

Commenting on developments, Kambi CEO Kristian Nylén described the launch as a ‘significant milestone’ for the growth of the Nasdaq Stockholm-listed B2B sports betting services supplier, which first partnered with RSI in 2018.

He noted: “Being selected to operate in New York by the New York State Gaming Commission underlines the high quality, integrity and reliability of Kambi’s sports betting technology and I’m delighted that Kambi will be up and running on day one of the market, in time for the business end of the NFL season. 

“New York is among the most populated and sports passionate states in the US and will no doubt be one of the largest regulated wagering markets in North America, one we are both excited and honoured to be playing a leading role in.”

The remaining five licensees – BetMGM, Bally’s, Wynn, Resorts World, and PointsBet – will continue to work towards satisfying statutory and regulatory requirements necessary to launch and will be approved on a rolling basis when they are met.