BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — It looks like Buffalo Bills fans will be able to place a bet on them in Western New York if and when they make the NFL playoffs. Seneca Resorts and Casinos says work on Sports Lounges inside their casinos in Buffalo, Niagara Falls and Salamanca is almost complete.
Seneca Resorts and Casinos is adding electronic kiosk stations and in-person windows to take bets. Seneca Gaming CEO Holly Gagnon said in-play betting will also be available.
"Who's going to make the next basket, who's going to make the next goal, and that's very engaging and interactive, which is very different than how the old sports books used to run in Las Vegas," Gagnon said.
The book's technology platform is provided by Kambi, the platform for many sports books in the United States. On Twitter, one viewer wanted to know will there be an app? The answer is yes.
You can use the app to model bets, but you have to place the bet at the casino.
New York State passed a law that allows in-person sports betting earlier this year. Bets began at several casinos in upstate New York in July, but the closest establishment to Western New York was the Del Lago Casino in Waterloo.
Monday's announcement is a part of the growing partnership between the Seneca Nation and Pegula Sports and Entertainment. Seneca Resorts and Casinos announced they are the exclusive sportsbook partner of the Buffalo Sabres.
"To have the Buffalo Sabres playing right in the center of our city, not everybody's got an NHL team," Gagnon said. "So I think having the Sabres as our official partner is a real statement about the quality of the book that we're going to provide."
A spokesperson for Seneca Resorts and Casinos says the sports lounges should be open by the end of 2019. Once the Sports Lounges are open, all sports fans will be able to bet on professional football, hockey, basketball, soccer and more with betting kiosks available 24 hours, 7 days a week.
