Bad actor clause added to New York State bill

John Bonacic’s Senate Bill S3898, recently approved by the New York Senate Finance Committee (see previous reports), has been amended to include a bad actor clause.

Enactment of S3898 would see certain types of poker classified and legalized as skill games, formalize a regulatory regime under the New York State Gaming Commission and levy a 15 percent tax on gross revenue.

The amendment introduces criteria for the suitability of online poker licensees primarily focusing on whether an applicant offered services, accepted or offered wagers in the US after 2006, without authorization.

“Senator Bonacic amended the online poker bill to provide the Gaming Commission with the opportunity to take into consideration an applicant’s prior bad acts in relation to determining suitability for a license,” a spokesperson for Bonacic said. “He is committed to moving the bill forward and looking forward to working with his colleagues in the Senate and Assembly to do so.”

The bill will be scheduled for its third and final reading before the full Senate.