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The New York Senate has unveiled its budget proposal for the upcoming fiscal year.
Included in the Senate’s $160 billion FY 2017/2018 budget is the legalization of online poker. This activity would bring in a large chunk of revenue in Year 1 thanks to the hefty upfront $10 million licensing fees.
Online poker’s inclusion in the Senate’s budget is the latest in a string of positive signals dating back to 2016:
However, the signal isn’t crystal clear. There is also some noise coming through:
The Senate is expected to pass its budget tomorrow. From there it will be a matter of convincing the Assembly to agree to add online poker to the budget over the next couple of weeks.
Based on the timeline, it’s safe to say the legislature is in the lightning round when it comes to passing a budget. Because of this, online poker could be a casualty of the legislature’s lack of time.
The good news is that even if online poker is out of the budget, legislation can be passed a standalone proposal down the road.
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