PGA Cancels Open Championship, No Plans for Mobile Sports Betting in New York
Open Championship Canceled
The 149th Open Championship was canceled by the Pro Golfers Association. It was scheduled to be played at Royal St. George in Sandwich, England from July 16-19.
The Open Championship is the ninth PGA Tour event canceled or postponed due to the coronavirus. The Masters was supposed to take place this week but is now expected to be pushed back until November. The PGA is also expected to make an announcement regarding the Ryder Cup, U.S. Open, and other PGA Tour events later this week.
Cuomo Says No To Mobile Sports Betting
There's bad news for New Yorkers looking to gamble on sports from their phones in 2021. Governor Andrew Cuomo and Empire State lawmakers finalized the state budget and left out any revenue from mobile sports gambling.
Sports gambling is legal in New York, but only at designated sites like casinos. According to Legal Sports Report, New York Senator Joseph Addabbo, a primary advocate of mobile sports betting, says the Governor was being irresponsible by not embracing new revenue streams. New York recently cut $10 billion in operational spending due to the coronavirus.
In 2019, mobile sportsbooks in New Jersey saw $4.5 billion in action, which accounted for about 87% of all total wagers. That $4.5 billion netted gaming operators $300 million in revenue, which resulted in $36 million in taxes for the Garden State.
Coronavirus Case Update
There are more than 1.2 million cases of the virus worldwide, with over 70,000 deaths. There are over 270,000 fully recovered cases. The U.S. has the highest number of cases, with over 337,000. Spain has the second-highest amount of cases with 135,000. Italy has more than 128,000 cases. Italy has the highest death toll, nearing 16,000. Spain has over 13,000 deaths.
These next 7-10 days are expected to be hard for many Americans as we could see a spike in deaths, according to many experts.
In an odd turn of events, a Bronx Zoo tiger has tested positive for the coronavirus. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, this is the first case of a tiger being infected with the coronavirus. Other lions and tigers are also showing signs of a respiratory illness. The USDA and the CDC have said that they’re actively monitoring this situation and learning how the coronavirus spreads.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General released a report on hospitals’ experiences in responding to the coronavirus pandemic. The survey included administrators from over 323 hospitals across 46 states—as well as D.C. —and was conducted from March 23 to March 27. The report's key takeaway was that hospitals are facing challenges in both testing and caring for patients who have the virus, something that is backed up by reporting from journalists all around the country. The report also noted the difficulty that a lot of hospitals are having with personal protective gear (PPE). Hospitals are also apparently facing issues maintaining adequate staffing and support staffing. And, of course, there’s the looming threat of increased costs with decreased revenue for many hospitals.
TheStreet's Daniel Kuhn and Katherine Ross contributed to writing this report.
