What's happening
This bill raises the legal gambling age in New York from eighteen to twenty-one for all forms of gaming activity.
Why it matters
Expanding the minimum gambling age to 21 aligns New York’s laws with those of other states and with alcohol and recreational cannabis regulations, potentially simplifying enforcement and reducing confusion for businesses and law enforcement.
Raising the age could help protect young adults (18-20), who research suggests are at higher risk for developing gambling problems, from early exposure to gambling and its associated harms, including addiction and financial instability.
By restricting all forms of gaming, including video lottery terminals and betting at racetracks, the law closes loopholes that might allow 18- to 20-year-olds to gamble in certain venues, creating a consistent standard across all gambling activities.
This change could impact revenue for certain gaming establishments by narrowing their customer base, but it may also reduce the social costs associated with underage gambling, such as problem gambling treatment and law enforcement resources.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Raise Gambling Age to 21
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
Assembly Member · Assembly District 23
History
- Referred to racing and wagering
- Referred to racing and wagering
Companion bill
The same bill in the other chamber. A bill becomes law when one version passes both houses and the governor signs it, so either number can carry it.
Raise Gambling Age to 21
In Senate Committee · Racing, Gaming And Wagering · Sponsor Joseph P. Addabbo Jr.
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
1682
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 16, 2019
Introduced by M. of A. PHEFFER AMATO, D'URSO, COLTON, ORTIZ, COOK, GALEF -- read once and referred to the Committee on Racing and Wagering
AN ACT to amend the racing, pari-mutuel wagering and breeding law and the tax law, in relation to prohibiting individuals under the age of twenty-one from gambling
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Subdivision 2 of section 108 of the racing, pari-mutuel wagering and breeding law, as added by section 1 of part A of chapter 60 of the laws of 2012, is amended to read as follows:
2. No corporation, association or person that holds a license, registration, franchise, certificate or permit issued by the commission shall permit any person who is actually or apparently under [eighteen] twenty-one years of age to bet on gaming activity, as defined in subdivision five of section one hundred one of this article.
§ 2. The opening paragraph of subdivision b of section 1617-a of the tax law, as amended by section 1 of part SS of chapter 60 of the laws of 2016, is amended to read as follows:
Such rules and regulations shall provide, as a condition of licensure, that racetracks to be licensed are certified to be in compliance with all state and local fire and safety codes, that no person who is actually and apparently under twenty-one years of age shall be permitted to participate in video lottery gaming, that the gaming commission is afforded adequate space, infrastructure, and amenities consistent with industry standards for such video lottery gaming operations as found at racetracks in other states, that racetrack employees involved in the operation of video lottery gaming pursuant to this section are licensed by the gaming commission and such other terms and conditions of licensure as the gaming commission may establish. Notwithstanding any inconsistent provision of law, video lottery gaming at a racetrack pursuant to this section shall be deemed an approved activity for such racetrack
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD03729-01-9
A. 1682 2
under the relevant city, county, town, or village land use or zoning ordinances, rules, or regulations. No entity licensed by the gaming commission operating video lottery gaming pursuant to this section may house such gaming activity in a structure deemed or approved by the division as "temporary" for a duration of longer than [eighteen-months] eighteen months. Nothing in this section shall prohibit the gaming commission from licensing an entity to operate video lottery gaming at an existing racetrack as authorized in this subdivision whether or not a different entity is licensed to conduct horse racing and pari-mutuel wagering at such racetrack pursuant to article two or three of the racing, pari-mutuel wagering and breeding law.
§ 3. This act shall take effect on the thirtieth day after it shall have become a law.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.