Just days after New York State Sen. Joseph Addabbo introduced iCasino legislation for the second year in a row, Gov. Kathy Hochul effectively put the kibosh on it for 2024.
In her annual budget, Hochul did not include any mention of online casino legalization or the potential $475 million in annual tax revenue Addabbo projects. By not including it in her budget, this sends a message to the legislature that the bill is not of prime importance.
Hochul’s budget, which comes in at $233 billion, does include some gambling news — all of it related to horse betting and none of it earth-shattering. The governor wants to extend the current parimutuel tax rates and simulcast revisions, as well as allow off-track betting parlors to have flexibility in how they spend their capital funds.
