Forest Hills Addabbo Named ‘Policymaker Of The Year’ By Gambling Group

FOREST HILLS, QUEENS – A New York State Senator that represents Forest Hills was accoladed by big players in the gambling industry for his efforts in implementing mobile sports wagering in New York.

Sen. Joseph Addabbo, Jr. was named “Policymaker of the Year” in the 2022 American Gambling Awards, hosted by Gambling.com Group Limited. Mobile sports wagering became available in New York in January and collected $542 million in taxes through October 30.

“With the pending three downstate gaming licenses and the effort to consider entry into the iGaming market for our residents, the future is bright for New York, and I will continue to work on safely expanding gaming in our state,” said Addabbo in a statement.

Other awards include “Online Casino of the Year,” “Fantasy Sports Site of the Year,” and “Regulator of the Year.”

Sen. Eric Lesser (MA), Sen. Jeff Longbine (KS), Sen. Jim Perry (NC), and Rep. Jason Saine (NC) of Massachusetts, Kansas, and North Carolina, respectively were among the finalists for the policymaker award.