March Madness has arrived, bringing new and seasoned bettors to sports betting apps in droves. With New York sports betting live and thriving, Empire State gamblers have more amazing wagering options than ever before.
There’s plenty to be enjoyed by New York bettors for March Madness. However, there are also a few key limitations to keep in mind as you anticipate the tournament’s tip-off later this week.
The sportsbooks will do all the work for you. They legally can’t offer any of the restricted bets described here, so you won’t even see those wagers listed on a New York sportsbook.
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New York March Madness Betting Restrictions
The first restriction to keep in mind applies to all New York sportsbooks: No wagers on in-state college games.
Luckily, the effect of this is minimal. The only New York team in the field of 68 is Colgate, which is located in Hamilton. The No. 14 seed Raiders take on No. 3 Wisconsin in the first round on Friday night, and as long as you’re inside the New York state lines, you won’t be able to bet on that game.
Previous gaming statutes in New York said New Yorkers also could not bet on games that were played in New York, regardless of what teams were involved. That is no longer the case with the passage of the new sports betting bill.
Four games will be played in Buffalo’s KeyBank Center on Thursday, and New York sports bettors will be allowed to wager on all of them. Those games are Providence vs. South Dakota State, Iowa vs. Richmond, UConn vs. New Mexico State, and Arkansas vs. Vermont.
The second restriction applies to every team in the tournament regardless of where the game is played. New York sportsbooks cannot offer player prop bets for any player in the tournament. For example, New York sports bettors will not be able to place any wagers on Kentucky’s Oscar Tshiebwe to score a certain number of points or to get a certain number of rebounds.
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Why The Restrictions?
Various states have similar college betting laws. New Jersey and Illinois are two prime examples. Lawmakers often push these limitations into legislation in the hopes of preventing foul play at the player, team, coaching, or organizational level.
However, public opinion seems to be in support of more college bets, and some states are working to lift their in-state betting restrictions. None of these changes will take effect by March Madness 2022, but for future tournaments, there’s still hope.