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Nov. 8 (UPI) -- A roster of nine sports betting platforms including DraftKings and FanDuel have won the first licenses to run mobile wagering sites in New York, the state's gaming commission announced Monday. The temporary licensees for what is expected to be one of the most lucrative sports betting markets in the world included some of the biggest names in the industry, the New York State Gaming Commission announced.
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The licenses went to two groups operating a total of nine online betting platforms.
They included Betfair Interactive US LLC, encompassing the FanDuel, BallyBet, BetMGM and DraftKings platforms, and Sports Information Services, which includes the Caesars Sportsbook, Resorts World, PointsBet, Rush Street (BetRivers) and WynnBET platforms.
Not making the initial cut was a third group of sportsbook operators whose offerings included rapper Jay-Z's Fanatics platform.
The decision came after years of lobbying by casinos and mobile sports betting companies to legalize their operations in New York. Ethics data showed that FanDuel and DraftKings spent almost $370,000 combined on New York lobbying efforts last year, Casino.org reported.
The operators have agreed to pay a 51% state tax rate for 10 years, which State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli has estimated could bring in nearly $500 million by 2025.
