The Saint Regis Mohawk Nation has become the second New York gaming tribe to enter the state’s sports betting fray.
The Mohawks are partnering with Toronto-based The Stars Group to develop a 5,200-square-foot venue called Stick’s Sports Bar & Sports Book at the tribe’s Akwesasne Mohawk Casino Resort in Hogansburg on the U.S. side of the St. Lawrence River about 70 miles south of Ottawa.
Stick’s is slated to open in the fall as New York’s third tribally owned book joining the Oneida Nation, which is developing books at its flagship Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona and its Point Place Casino in Bridgeport and will be the eighth overall as casinos rush to take advantage of new regulations that give effect to a sports betting waiver that was granted the state’s four commercial casinos when they were authorized in 2013 and, by dint of federal law, to the state’s Indian tribes.
The rules do not go as far as many of the state’s betting advocates would like. Opposition from Governor Andrew Cuomo and state Assembly leaders has meant that wagering online or by mobile phone remains illegal for the time being, so bets must be placed in-person on casino property.
Nonetheless, nearly all the participating operators to date are partnering with companies known for their significant online presence.
The Stars Group, which recently announced a hook-up with FOX Sports to form a sports betting arm called FOX Bet, owns the PokerStars brand. As Akwesasne General Manager Todd Papineau put it, “We believe The Stars Group is positioned to become a leader in the U.S. online betting and gaming industry, and our casino is excited to connect our sports enthusiasts with the next generation of interactive gaming.”
Likewise with the other casinos.
Resorts World Catskills in Sullivan County has contracted with U.K.-based bet365 to run its book; del Lago Resort & Casino in the Finger Lakes has joined with U.S. fantasy sports giant DraftKings; Tioga Downs Casino Resort near Binghamton is partnering with Britain’s Paddy Power Betfair and its U.S. fantasy sports arm, FanDuel Sports; and the Oneidas have contracted with Caesars Entertainment to develop and market their books.
Only Rivers Casino & Resort in Schenectady hasn’t gone in that direction, at least not yet. They will operate with Rush Street Gaming, their Chicago-based parent.
The Seneca Nation, the third tribe with a federally mandated gaming compact with the state, has yet to announce plans for its three casinos in Buffalo, Niagara Falls and Salamanca.
