Schenectady’s Rivers Casino to be first in NYS to offer sports betting
SCHENECTADY, N.Y. (NEWS10) — NEWS10 ABC received a sneak peek of the new sports betting lounge scheduled to open Tuesday at Rivers Casino in Schenectady. If everything goes as planned, the casino in Schenectady will be the first in New York State to offer sports betting.
The Rivers Sportsbook may be small by Vegas standards, but the idea is an exciting one for Rivers Casino patrons.
As of Monday, the New York State Gaming Commission has not yet signed off on the casino’s license for sports betting. But Acting General Manager/Vice President Justin Moore says he is very optimistic that it will happen before Tuesday morning’s scheduled grand opening. A Commission spokesperson would not officially comment on the matter, only to say that “Commission officials will be on hand at tomorrow’s event.”
New York is joining more than a dozen other states allowing sports betting after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a law excluding sports betting everywhere except in Nevada. Online sports gambling is currently illegal in New York.
The Rivers Sportsbook will allow for betting on events like UFC, professional football, baseball, basketball as well as non-NY college sports. So if the Syracuse basketball team is playing against Duke, even if it’s an out of state event, you cannot bet on the game.
The casino is also offering more than a dozen kiosks for sports gaming.