Picente & McMahon Joint Statement on CNY’s Exclusion from Mobile Sports Betting

Oneida County Executive Anthony J. Picente Jr. and Onondaga County Executive J. Ryan McMahon II have released the following statement regarding Central New York’s exclusion from mobile sports betting legislation:

“Excluding large parts of Upstate New York from participating in mobile sports betting is not acceptable. Our region, which consists of two of the 10 largest cities in New York State – Syracuse and Utica – would not be able to participate in mobile sports betting if the Oneida Indian Nation is not included in the legislation. Having a statewide policy that cuts out Central New York is unfair and must be fixed. As Albany leaders like to say, ‘we are one state’ – that means we need policies that every New Yorker can benefit from, not polices that cut out our constituents.”

Under the Oneida Indian Nation’s settlement agreement with Oneida County, Madison County and New York State, non-Oneida gaming is prohibited in the following 10 counties: Cayuga, Chenango, Cortland, Herkimer, Lewis, Madison, Oneida, Onondaga, Oswego and Otsego. These counties represent more than a million New Yorkers.