On July 31, 2026, the state of New York filed a case against prediction market Kalshi, accusing the platform of running an illegal and unlicensed gambling operation and...
New York’s plans for new downstate casinos and allowing sports bets on individual player awards are likely to be delayed until early 2026.
With eight companies competing for three licenses to build the city’s first full-scale casinos, state Senator Joseph Addabbo said the awards probably won’t happen before January, because the state legislature won’t reconvene until then. This means legal betting on individual player awards will also be pushed back to the same time.
Joseph Addabbo shared with SportsBoom in a statement:
“My colleagues (in the state legislature) are sometimes apprehensive, but I mention that New Yorkers are already making these types of prop bets in neighbouring states such as New Jersey and Connecticut. Also, the governor needs to know that New York is viewed nationally as an expanding U.S. market. We are currently losing $1 billion per year, and we need the revenue.”
The legislature isn’t expected to take action on Senate Bill 2025/2616—which would allow bets on things like the Super Bowl MVP or NBA Rookie of the Year—until the budget process starts next year.
Meanwhile, Community Advisory Committees are still reviewing the casino proposals, with leading contenders including Empire City Casino in Yonkers and Resorts World New York at Aqueduct Racetrack in Queens. Other proposals cover locations in Times Square, Hudson Yards, Manhattan’s East Side, Citi Field in Queens, the Bronx, and Brooklyn.
Addabbo added:
“Even though we are doing $2.6 million in revenue, we’re never done. New Jersey does prop bets, we don’t. But New Yorkers are savvy, and they will go back to going out of state for these types of wagers.”
The winners were originally expected to be announced by December 1, but the date isn’t set in stone. The potential delay adds more uncertainty to a process that could significantly change New York’s gambling market.
