New York online sports betting bonuses and their regulations turn one on Jan. 8.
State Sen. Peter B. Harckham wants to enhance regulations on them now.
So today, state Sen. Joseph P. Addabbo Jr. told NY Sports Day that he’s looking forward to discussing sports betting’s progress with Harckham, who just proposed a bill to enhance regulation on sports betting bonuses.
On Wednesday, Harckham sponsored S9605 to amend the “racing, pari-mutuel wagering and breeding law.”
The proposed New York online sports betting legislation now sitting in the Senate Rules Committee calls for the New York State Gaming Commission (NYSGC) “to promulgate rules and regulations regarding predatory NY sportsbook bonuses, .” These include references to bets being without risk and the use of similar terminology.
Harckham, D-Lewisboro, reveals in the bill’s justification that he put forward the 1-page proposal due to Nov. 20 coverage of the US online gambling industry by The New York Times.
While New York already regulates online sportsbook bonuses, Addabbo told NY Sports Day today that he welcomes Harckham’s questions.
Addabbo, D-Ozone Park, said:
In my opinion, it raises awareness.
He’d like to see that added public awareness translate to his peers putting more money toward problem gambling prevention.
As it is, the New York sports betting law only allocates $6 million to prevent and treat gambling addiction. Addabbo said the online casino legislation he’s proposing “upped it” to $11 million for that proposed law.
Meanwhile, Gov. Kathy C. Hochul vetoed S409, which would’ve created the Problem Gambling Advisory Council (PGAC). Both branches of the New York State Legislature approved the bill on June 2. Former state Sen. Alessandra Biaggi, D-Bronx, sponsored the measure that will likely return in 2023.
Addabbo Press Secretary Anthony Giudice told NY Sports Day today:
The first preference to reintroduce the bill next year will be given to that district’s new Senator, Nathalia Fernandez.
New York Online Sports Betting Bonuses ‘Predatory’
New York online sports betting bonuses are already regulated and are far from unique to the Empire State.
That’s something that Harckham noted on Wednesday in the justification for S9605:
Other countries, such as the United Kingdom, have limitations upon when [certain] advertisements… or other predatory sports betting tactics can be aired, and Canada has prohibited them all together.
Across the country, the enforcement of mobile sports betting rules and regulations has been haphazard, with punishments often light or nonexistent, according to a NY Times survey of dozens of state gambling regulators. In New York, gambling companies accepted thousands of bets on lower-division football and basketball games, even though they were supposed to be off-limits.
Addabbo says he wants to sit down with Harckham and talk about how well New York sportsbooks are performing. Then he wants to work with Harckham and other lawmakers to discuss how to improve the law.
Today, Addabbo told NY Sports Day:
Let’s make sure that it’s being implemented correctly.
Then Addabbo envisions working with fellow legislators – including Assemblyman J. Gary Pretlow, D-Mount Vernon – to legalize online casino and poker gambling in 2023.
He said he doesn’t believe Harckham’s bill and Times coverage hurts iGaming legalization’s chances.
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