The New York State Restaurant Association (NYSRA) has called on lawmakers to expand gaming licenses in New York State to include restaurants.
In a press statement, the trade group said the inclusion of on-premises betting “will expand the economic arsenal available to restaurants as they continue to struggle with the harsh economic environment.” NYSRA added that restaurants in the District of Columbia, Maryland, Ohio and several Canadian provinces have successfully incorporated on-premises betting to help revive their revenue streams.
“New York must capture this economic opportunity and expand the type of licenses available to restaurants and meet consumer demand,” said NYSRA President and CEO Melissa Fleischut. “The restaurant industry is well positioned to take advantage of this burgeoning marketplace and grow New York”™s sports betting footprint. We understand sports betting terminals and kiosks might not have a place in every restaurant and expanding available licenses may not be a silver bullet for the industry. However, for those where this is a fit, the additional revenue from on-premises sports betting could mean the difference between closing and survival.”
