As New York grapples with its fiscal challenges, State Senator Joe Addabbo is spearheading the charge towards iGaming in an effort to tap new financial streams. Addabbo, revered chair of the Committee on Racing, Gaming, and Wagering, steers the legislative campaign right from the heart of Queens, where the Resorts World racino operates. In a bold political maneuver, he has reintroduced Senate Bill 856—a move that was met with marked resistance last year.
The reemergence of this bill has stirred considerable unrest among employees of Resorts World New York. A staggering number of nearly 700 workers passionately voiced their concerns, trenchantly critiquing the legislation as a potential threat to their livelihoods. In a poignant correspondence crafted by the Hotel & Gaming Trades Council union, the collective expressed their profound dismay.
“We find it appalling that you are pushing legislation that would hurt workers like us and our industry in order to benefit a handful of companies who are seeking massive profits at our expense,” they declared, channeling the collective angst of one of New York’s formidable labor organizations.
Bhav Tibrewal, the union’s political director, bolstered this sentiment. With unwavering resolve, he articulated the union’s firm stance against iGaming initiatives to media outlets, emphasizing the urgency for Senator Addabbo and fellow lawmakers to retreat from the internet casino prospect.
The underlying motive for New York’s intensified focus on gaming comes in the wake of dire economic circumstances. Following the implementation of stringent COVID-19 containment policies, the state experienced a considerable exodus of wealth, with significant taxpayers and corporations seeking refuge elsewhere. Confronted with a pressing need to salvage and innovate within its revenue model, the state has positioned gaming as the lynchpin of its economic revival. The success of mobile sports betting, which took off in early 2022, serves as a testament to the potential of gaming to rejuvenate state finances—a trend New York is keen to build upon with the issuance of three coveted casino licenses in the near future.
Amid such developments, the opposition from Resorts World New York casts a shadow over the iGaming proposition. The union’s outcry encapsulates the concerns of innumerable New Yorkers dependent on the gaming industry for their sustenance, highlighting the stark contrast between online gaming profits for companies and the economic well-being of gaming employees.
The duel between Addabbo’s iGaming advocacy and the gaming employees’ resistance is further complicated by financial influences at play. iGaming giants like DraftKings and FanDuel have contributed a considerable sum to Addabbo’s campaign coffers, bringing into question the levers of political support.
Despite the controversy, Addabbo remains staunch in his vision, foreseeing iGaming in New York as an inevitable progression, and anchors his confidence in the examples set by neighboring states where online casinos are already operational. He projects a windfall, an annual revenue boost of hundreds of millions for the state, thanks to iGaming.
Interestingly, the discourse surrounding the potential for a new brick-and-mortar casino in Queens has scarcely witnessed any public dissent from Resorts World New York workers, a striking contrast to their vocal resistance to online gaming.
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