JASON SZENES FOR THE NEW YORK POST
New Yorkers wanting to bet on Iron Mike’s return to the ring will have to get creative.
The Empire State is one of a handful of states that will not allow wagering on Friday’s anticipated Mike Tyson vs. Jake Paul Netflix fight at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
Seven of the 38 states with legalized gambling have banned wagers on the fight, per ESPN.
“The New York State Gaming Commission has discretion regarding whether specific sports events are eligible for wagering. Wagering on this fight is not permitted in New York State. While the fight has been sanctioned as a pro bout by the State of Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (which regulates combat sports in Texas), the bout has non-traditional rules, including two-minute rounds and 14-ounce gloves rather than the standard three-minute rounds and 10-ounce gloves,” the New York State Gaming Commission said in a statement, via communicators director Brad Maione.
“Boxing matches approved for wagering in New York must follow Unified Rules as set by the Association of Boxing Commissions and Combative Sports, which call for three-minute rounds and 10-ounce gloves.”
There is plenty of interest in Tyson’s first match in 19 years when he battles the YouTuber-turned-boxer, with BetMGM telling The Post in July it expected the bout to be the most bet-on fight in its history.
Despite the interest, some states are preferring to stay away due to some deviations from standard operating procedure for boxing matches.
The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulations sanctioned this as an official heavyweight fight in April, with the bout to consist of eight two-minute rounds and the boxers using 14-ounce gloves.
Championship boxing matches usually consist of 12 rounds, each lasting three minutes, while heavyweight fights in Texas are assigned 10-once gloves, per the regulations.
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Other states not allowing action echoed similar sentiments to New York.
A Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board spokesperson told USA Today that they felt this fight is “more of an exhibition” and a Colorado Department of Revenue spokesperson telling the outlet this fight “does not meet the minimum requirements for the industry in the state.”
This fight is not the only area where New York is restrictive with wagering.
Sports bettors cannot gamble on certain events, including sporting drafts, along with college games and props involving New York-based teams, like St. John’s basketball.
For those looking to venture outside of New York to wager, Paul is a -210 favorite and Tyson has +170 odds as the underdog, per BetMGM.
Paul is -190 on the three-way moneyline, with Tyson at +188 odds and a tie at +900.
Tyson last fought a sanctioned match in 2005 and last stepped in the ring in 2020 for an exhibition fight against Roy Jones Jr.
This fight had originally been scheduled for July but had to be postponed after Tyson suffered a medical emergency in which he threw up blood.
Why Trust New York Post Betting
Matt Ehalt has been picking against the spread since his childhood days when he entered his father’s newspaper pool and even took the top prize on more than one occasion. He specializes in NFL wagers and is quite successful with NCAA brackets.