January is turning out to be a very exciting month in New York for sports fans and bettors. With the NBA and NCAA basketball rolling along, lots of New York teams are making headlines. Add to that, the NHL’s New York Rangers and New York Islanders. There is no shortage of NY teams for local fans to wager on.

Of course, all of this action is currently taking a back seat to what is happening in the NFL. It’s playoff time with the Super Bowl fast approaching. Unfortunately for New York, the Giants and Jets are done for the season. The good news is the Buffalo Bills are still in the mix, and that is where New Yorkers are throwing their support.

 

Bills Now Top Dogs In AFC East

After a fine regular season that saw the Buffalo Bills win the AFC East with a record of 11-6, they crushed division rivals the New England Patriots 47-17 in a Wild Card game. On the eve of an AFC semi-final matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs (12-5), the Bills are hoping for a possible upset in a game that could feature a modern-day shootout between two very good offensive football teams.

One thing is for sure, New York sports bettors will be hitting their apps to back the Bills. They carry the last hope of an Empire State representative in the Super Bowl this season.

 

NY Online Sports Betting

New York bettors are indeed enjoying their newfound freedom to bet legally online. It’s only a couple of weeks since NY online sports betting launched and betting handle records are already being broken. The New York legislature and Gambling Commission, the bodies responsible for pushing through legal online wagering, will be eagerly awaiting the tax revenue figures when January is through.

The New York Gambling Commission approved two groups to lead the NY online gambling charge. The groups are led by Kambi and Fanduel, two of the biggest names in sports betting throughout the world. From within these two groups, nine top U.S. online bookmakers will be taking bets in New York.

Each operator must secure a license from the NYGC and share 51% of its online sports betting gross revenue with the state. While that number might seem excessive, this is New York and the state has its eye on the presumably monstrous sports betting handle/gross revenue. However, it remains to be seen whether this is the most effective approach. In other states, higher tax on sportsbooks has hampered growth.

Regardless, one thing is clear. New Yorkers no longer have to drive to New Jersey to place legal online bets on the Bills or any other New York sports team.

 

Caesars Sportsbook Partners With Bills

One of the first four sports betting operators to start taking mobile bets in New York on Day One was Caesars Sportsbook. They were joined by DraftKings, Fanduel and BetRivers with BetMGM launching a little over a week later. Four other operators are still in the process of putting the final touches on their own launches.

The Caesars presence in New York is of extra significance. Caesars Sportsbook has just announced a marketing partnership with none other than the Buffalo Bills. The gambling giant has been aggressively attaching its name to the world of sports and this new partnership with the Bills couldn’t have come at a better time.

For a very generous partnership fee, Caesars Sportsbook will get a basket full of benefits. Chief among those benefits will be an additional level of exposure to New York sports bettors who love the Bills. Of course there will be particular interest for those who live in the Buffalo area. Another of the perks will be Caesars Sportsbook getting naming rights to a new state-of-the-art premium club (sportsbook-style) located in the northwest corner tower of the current Business Class Club. They will also get access to using Buffalo Bills logos and corporate marks.

This is a major signing, coming right as the Bills make their name in the Super Bowl race. According to Chris Holdren, Co-President of Caesars Digital, “This partnership gives us the opportunity to connect with one of the most passionate fan bases in all of sports.” He would later add: “We’re ready to welcome Bills fans into the Caesars Empire and offer them access to best-in-class hospitality experiences through our Caesars Sportsbook app as we continue to expand our footprint across the state of New York and beyond.”