A Casino for NYC? Plus, Online Gambling May be Legalized

Governor Andrew Cuomo said he supports the idea of a bringing a casino New York City's way, according to a year's end interview with the Daily News. The governor will call on the legislature in his State of the State address, scheduled for January 4. 

“Do I support casino gaming at a New York City location?...Yes,” he told the paper.

The Daily News reports that Cuomo does not want to see a casino in a densely populated part of the city, but would be open to (they have a virtual casino).

In other gaming news, on Friday, the Justice Department reversed it’s opposition to most Internet gambling, paving the way for states (like New York) to legalize online gambling as a means to help fix budget deficits, reports the New York Times.

New York and Illinois sought clarity on the Wire Act of 1961, which “prohibits wagering over telecommunications systems that cross state or national borders,” according to the Times, wondering whether the act prohibited lottery tickets from being sold to adults within state borders. It didn't, decided the Justice Department, and for the first time, New York residents will be able to buy single-draw tickets online, reports the Times.

The Times says that the Justice Department decision has now "opened the door for states to allow Internet poker and other forms of online betting that do not involve sports.”