The legalization of online gambling in New York has been a hot topic for years. Sen. Joseph Addabbo, one of the supporters of iGaming, has been pushing for its legalization since 2019. Despite his previous proposals which have not gained enough traction to be passed into law, earlier this year, he filed his latest proposal for iLottery and iGaming in New York. Introducing Senate Bill 8185 earlier this month, the Senator stayed true to his word after hinting about such plans last year.

The iGaming and iLottery proposal seeks to further expand the gambling options available for New Yorkers. Since the state legalized and launched its online sports betting market, it surpassed records that have taken years to set in other jurisdictions. In fact, January was another record-breaking month for online sports betting.

Just like online sports betting, Sen. Addabbo seeks to legalize iGaming with the state reaping all the benefits that come along. The legalization of the activity will not only generate tax revenue but provide New Yorkers with platforms that are licensed to offer such services thus reducing the share of the black market.

Despite the benefits, not everyone agrees with the proposed iGaming legalization. The initiative caught the attention of the Hotel & Gaming Trades Council union with workers from Resorts World casino voicing their concerns about the potential negative impact of online gambling.

iGaming Opponents Warn the Activity May Hurt Brick-and-Mortar Casinos

According to a report by the New York Post, close to 700 brick-and-mortar casino employees opposed the iGaming proposal, citing concerns about the future of their employment. “We find it appalling that you are pushing legislation that would hurt workers like us and our industry in order to benefit a handful of companies who are seeking massive profits at our expense,” reads a letter sent by the Hotel & Gaming Trades Council union.

In their letter, the workers spoke about the proceeds from gambling at retail casinos, saying that such activities help support not only dealers but hotel workers, cooks, servers, bartenders and more related jobs. The Hotel & Gaming Trades Council union’s letter explained that if New Yorkers can gamble from their smartphones, they won’t visit a brick-and-mortar casino, adding that the money gambled “would go straight into the pockets of gaming companies, rather than to support the livelihoods of thousands of New Yorkers who support the state’s gaming industry.”

But Sen. Addabbo disagreed with the workers’ concerns. He explained that the legalization of online gambling is only a matter of time highlighting that the legal iGaming market can generate between $800 million and $1 billion in revenue annually.

Moreover, Sen. Addabbo said that based on studies, the online gambling sector would not reduce the work for the retail casino industry. Finally, he said that an estimated $25 million per year would be dedicated toward protecting jobs in the casino industry while at the same time, iGaming dealers would be a part of the state’s union.

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Play’n GO, a developer of exciting casino experiences, announced that its best online slot, Book of Dead, will now be available at land-based casinos in the United Kingdom. The launch of the game’s retail edition comes thanks to a partnership agreement between the developer and William Hill.

As a result of the deal, players can now find Book of Dead at fixed odds betting terminals (FOBT) across William Hill’s brick-and-mortar casinos. The game is currently available at around 100 of the operator’s stores and will be launched in all of its venues in the coming weeks.

For reference, William Hill operates more than 5,800 FOBTs across its 1,450+ shops in the UK.

The retail launch was made possible by Play’n GO’s new framework, which will allow it to translate its digital slots to the retail space. This means that each title from the company’s extensive library of over 300 games can be potentially launched at a land-based casino.

UK players can expect to one day see new hits such as Boat Bonanza and Legion Gold hit the retail space.

William Hill and Play’n GO Are Excited to Innovate Safely

William Hill’s UK gaming director, Ian Millman, commented on the launch of Book of Dead at his company’s properties. He noted that William Hill is constantly looking to innovate and provide the best gaming experiences to its players.

Millman is certain that UK players will enjoy playing Book of Dead at the operator’s shops just as much as they’ve enjoyed playing it in the company’s online space for many years. He concluded that Play’n GO is one of the best possible partners for William Hill because of its passion for gaming.

We can think of no better partner than Play’n GO, who share our passion for responsible gaming and entertainment, to drive innovation through the gaming industry together.

Ian Millman, UK gaming director, William Hill

Play’n GO’s co-founder & chief executive officer, Johan Törnqvist, also commented on the launch, calling it a “significant day in the history of the company.” According to him, this attests to the hard work and expertise of the supplier’s team.

Törnqvist added that Play’n GO is excited to spearhead the convergence between iGaming and traditional casino gaming.

The convergence between the online and land-based gaming parts of our industry has been long overdue, and I’m excited to see the world’s most popular online slot game, Book of Dead, make its long-awaited UK land-based debut.

Johan Törnqvist, co-founder & CEO, Play’n GO

Törnqvist added that this is only the start, teasing that his company intends to further explore the translation of online slots into land-based setting. He concluded that his company will do so in a safe manner because it genuinely cares for safer gambling and the future of the industry.

William Hill believes just as strongly in this [in safer gambling] as we do, and I’m sure this land-based partnership will be a long and fruitful one.

Johan Törnqvist, co-founder & CEO, Play’n GO

This is notably the first time Play’n GO’s online slots have been available in a traditional casino. Some of the supplier’s latest games include Sweet Alchemy 2 and Rascal Riches.

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