What's happening
This bill legalizes and regulates sports betting, including mobile sports wagering, in New York State, establishing rules, taxes, integrity measures, and consumer protections.
Why it matters
Comprehensive Consumer Protections and Problem Gambling Measures. The bill establishes robust responsible gaming requirements for casinos and mobile sports betting operators, including mandatory self-exclusion options, deposit limits, clear odds disclosures, privacy protections, and prominent access to problem gambling resources. Operators must submit annual plans to address problem gambling, with special attention to persons under 30, and fund independent studies to assess impacts.
Strong Regulatory Oversight and Integrity Safeguards. The New York State Gaming Commission is given wide authority to regulate, audit, and monitor all sports wagering activities, with mandatory licensing, background checks, and ongoing reporting requirements for operators, agents, and vendors. There are explicit mechanisms to detect and report abnormal betting activity, match fixing, and other integrity threats, including cooperation with law enforcement and sports governing bodies.
Revenue Distribution and Taxation with Industry and Social Funding. The bill sets clear tax rates (8.5% for in-person, 12% for mobile) on sports wagering revenue and earmarks portions for state revenue, regulatory costs, and problem gambling treatment and education. It also introduces a royalty fee paid to sports governing bodies, linking their cooperation on integrity efforts to a direct revenue stream.
Inclusivity of Tribal Gaming and Local Stakeholders. The legislation allows New York Indian Tribes to participate directly in mobile sports wagering, provided they enter state agreements, waive certain exclusivity rights, and comply with state regulations. It also enables partnerships with racetracks, OTBs, and, eventually, professional sports stadiums, broadening access and economic opportunity while establishing conditions and timelines for these partnerships.
Data, Transparency, and Dispute Resolution. Operators must provide detailed annual reports on wagering activity, account numbers, and exclusion requests, improving public and legislative oversight. The use of official league data is mandated for certain bet types, and procedures are created for bettors to file complaints and dispute bet outcomes, with recourse to the commission and reliance on official data for resolution.
*Why it matters:** This bill not only legalizes sports betting in New York but does so with a detailed framework to maximize consumer safety, market integrity, and revenue transparency. It sets high standards for industry participants, builds in mechanisms to address gambling addiction, and ensures that sports leagues are partners in the regulatory process, all while expanding opportunities for local and tribal economic development.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Allow Mobile Sports Betting
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
History
- Reported and committed to finance
- Referred to racing, gaming and wagering
- Returned to senate
- Died in assembly
- Referred to codes
- Delivered to assembly
- Passed senateVote 57–5
- Ordered to third reading cal.1408
- Committee discharged and committed to rules
- Print number 17d
- Amend and recommit to finance
- Print number 17c
Show 7 earlier actions
- Amend and recommit to finance
- Print number 17b
- Amend and recommit to finance
- Reported and committed to finance
- Print number 17a
- Amend and recommit to racing, gaming and wagering
- Referred to racing, gaming 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.
Legalize Mobile Sports Betting
In Assembly Committee · Codes · Sponsor J. Gary Pretlow
Full text
18 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
17--D
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE (Prefiled)
January 9, 2019
Introduced by Sens. ADDABBO, CARLUCCI, FUNKE, RAMOS -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Racing, Gaming and Wagering -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said… Show allHide
Introduced by Sens. ADDABBO, CARLUCCI, FUNKE, RAMOS -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Racing, Gaming and Wagering -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee -reported favorably from said committee and committed to the Committee on Finance -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee
AN ACT to amend the racing, pari-mutuel wagering and breeding law, in relation to regulation of sports betting
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Section 1367 of the racing, pari-mutuel wagering and breeding law, as added by chapter 174 of the laws of 2013, is amended to read as follows:
§ 1367. Sports wagering. 1. As used in this section:
(a) "Affiliate" means any off-track betting corporation, franchised corporation, or race track licensed pursuant to this chapter, an operator of video lottery gaming at Aqueduct licensed pursuant to section sixteen hundred seventeen-a of the tax law, which has an affiliate agreement with a casino pursuant to section thirteen hundred sixty-seven-a of this title. Any professional sports stadium or arena may serve as an affiliate;
(b) "Agent" means an entity that is party to a contract with a casino authorized to operate a sports pool and is approved by the commission to operate a sports pool on behalf of such casino;
(c) "Authorized sports bettor" means an individual who is physically present in this state when placing a sports wager, who is not a prohib-
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD05498-18-9
S. 17--D 2
ited sports bettor, that participates in sports wagering offered by a casino. All sports wagers placed in accordance with this section are considered placed or otherwise made when received by the operator at the licensed gaming facility, regardless of the authorized sports bettor's physical location at the time the sports wager is initiated. The intermediate routing of electronic data in connection with mobile sports wagering shall not determine the location or locations in which a wager is initiated, received or otherwise made;
(d) "Brand" means the name and logo on the interface of a mobile application or internet website accessed via a mobile device or computer which authorized sports bettors use to access a sports betting platform;
(e) "Casino" means a licensed gaming facility at which gambling is conducted pursuant to the provisions of this article;
[(b)] (f) "Commission" means the commission established pursuant to section one hundred two of this chapter;
[(c)] (g) "Collegiate sport or athletic event" means a sport or athletic event offered or sponsored by or played in connection with a public or private institution that offers educational services beyond the secondary level;
[(d)] (h) "Covered persons" includes: athletes; players; umpires; referees; officials; personnel associated with players, clubs, teams, leagues, and athletic associations; medical professionals, including athletic trainers who provide services to athletes and players; and the family members and associates of these persons where required to serve the purposes of this title;
(i) "Exchange wagering" means a form of wagering in which an authorized sports bettor, on the one hand, and one or more authorized sports bettors, a casino or an agent or an operator, on the other hand place identically opposing sports wagers on an exchange operated by a casino or an agent or an operator;
(j) "Global risk management" means the direction, management, consultation and/or instruction for purposes of managing risks associated with sports wagering conducted pursuant to this section and includes the setting and adjustment of betting lines, point spreads, or odds and whether to place layoff bets as permitted by this section;
(k) "High school sport or athletic event" means a sport or athletic event offered or sponsored by or played in connection with a public or private institution that offers education services at the secondary level;
(l) "Horse racing event" means any sport or athletic event conducted in New York state subject to the provisions of articles two, three, four, five, six, nine, ten and eleven of this chapter, or any sport or athletic event conducted outside of New York state, which if conducted in New York state would be subject to the provisions of this chapter;
(m) "In-play sports wager" means a sports wager placed on a sports event after the sports event has begun and before it ends;
(n) "Layoff bet" means a sports wager placed by a casino sports pool with another casino sports pool;
(o) "Minor" means any person under the age of twenty-one years;
(p) "Mobile sports wagering platform" or "platform" means the combination of hardware, software, and data networks used to manage, administer, or control sports wagering and any associated wagers accessible by any electronic means including mobile applications and internet websites accessed via a mobile device or computer;
(q) "Official league data" means statistics, results, outcomes, and other data relating to a sporting event that have been obtained from the
S. 17--D 3
relevant sports governing body or an entity expressly authorized by the sports governing body to provide such information to casinos;
(r) "Operator" means a casino which has elected to operate a sports pool (or agent of such casino) or an Indian Tribe (or an agent of such Indian Tribe) that has entered into a tribal-state gaming compact in accordance with the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act 25 U.S.C. 2710, that is in effect and has been ratified by the state and has entered into a sports wagering agreement pursuant to section thirteen hundred sixtyseven-a of this title;
(s) "Persons who present sporting contests" includes sports governing bodies and associations, their members and affiliates, and other persons who present sporting contests to the public;
[(e)] (t) "Professional sport or athletic event" means an event at which two or more persons participate in sports or athletic events and receive compensation in excess of actual expenses for their participation in such event;
(u) "Prohibited conduct" means any statement, action, and other communication intended to influence, manipulate, or control a betting outcome of a sporting contest or of any individual occurrence or performance in a sporting contest in exchange for financial gain or to avoid financial or physical harm. "Prohibited conduct" includes statements, actions, and communications made to a covered person by a third party, such as a family member or through social media;
(v) "Professional sports stadium or arena" means a stadium, ballpark, or arena that is the permanent home of a professional sports team playing at the highest professional level in its sport and has a seating capacity for such contests exceeding fifteen thousand seats;
[(f)] (w) "Prohibited sports bettor" means:
(i) any officer or employee of the commission;
(ii) any principal or key employee of a casino or operator, except as may be permitted by the commission for good cause shown;
(iii) any casino gaming or non-gaming employee at the casino that employs such person and at any operator that has an agreement with that casino;
(iv) any contractor, subcontractor, or consultant, or officer or employee of a contractor, subcontractor, or consultant, of a casino if such person is directly involved in the operation or observation of sports wagering, or the processing of sports wagering claims or payments;
(v) Any person subject to a contract with the commission if such contract contains a provision prohibiting such person from participating in sports wagering;
(vi) Any spouse, child, brother, sister or parent residing as a member of the same household in the principal place of abode of any of the foregoing persons at the same casino where the foregoing person is prohibited from participating in sports wagering;
(vii) any individual with access to non-public confidential information about sports wagering;
(viii) any amateur or professional athlete if the sports wager is based on any sport or athletic event overseen by the athlete's sports governing body;
(ix) any sports agent, owner or employee of a team, player and umpire union personnel, and employee referee, coach or official of a sports governing body, if the sports wager is based on any sport or athletic event overseen by the individual's sports governing body;
S. 17--D 4
(x) any individual placing a wager as an agent or proxy for an otherwise prohibited sports bettor; or
(xi) any minor;
(x) "Prohibited sports event" means any collegiate sport or athletic event that takes place in New York or a sport or athletic event in which any New York college team participates regardless of where the event takes place, or high school sport or athletic event;
[(g)] (y) "Registered sports governing body" means a sports governing body that is headquartered in the United States and who has registered with the commission to receive royalty fee revenue in such form as the commission may require;
(z) "Sports event" means any professional sport or athletic event and any collegiate sport or athletic event, except a prohibited sports event or a horse racing event;
[(h)] (aa) "Sports governing body" means the organization that prescribes final rules and enforces codes of conduct with respect to a sporting event and participants therein;
(bb) "Sports pool" means the business of accepting wagers on any sports event by any system or method of wagering; [and
(i)] (cc) "Sports wager" means cash or cash equivalent that is paid by an authorized sports bettor to a casino to participate in sports wagering offered by such casino;
(dd) "Sports wagering" means wagering on sporting events or any portion thereof, or on the individual performance statistics of athletes participating in a sporting event, or combination of sporting events, by any system or method of wagering, including, but not limited to, in-person communication and electronic communication through internet websites accessed via a mobile device or computer and mobile device applications. Any wager through electronic communication shall be deemed to take place at the physical location of the server or other equipment used by an operator to accept mobile sports wagering, regardless of the authorized sports bettor's physical location within the state at the time the wager is initiated. The term "sports wagering" shall include, but is not limited to, single-game bets, teaser bets, parlays, over-under bets, money line, pools, exchange wagering, in-game wagering, in-play bets, proposition bets and straight bets;
(ee) "Sports wagering gross revenue" means: (i) the amount equal to the total of all sports wagers not attributable to prohibited sports events that an operator collects from all players, less the total of all sums not attributable to prohibited sports events paid out as winnings to all sports bettors, however, that the total of all sums paid out as winnings to sports bettors shall not include the cash equivalent value of any merchandise or thing of value awarded as a prize, or (ii) in the case of exchange wagering pursuant to this section, the commission on winning sports wagers by authorized sports bettors retained by the operator. The issuance to or wagering by authorized sports bettors at a casino of any promotional gaming credit shall not be taxable for the purposes of determining sports wagering gross revenue;
(ff) "Sports wagering lounge" means an area wherein a sports pool is operated;
(gg) "Tier one sports wager" means a sports wager that is determined solely by the final score or final outcome of the sports event;
(hh) "Tier two sports wager" means an in-play sports wager that is not a tier one sports wager;
(ii) "Tier three sports wager" means a sports wager that is neither a tier one nor a tier two sports wager; and
S. 17--D 5
(jj) "Indian Tribe" means an Indian Tribe (or an agent of such tribe) that has entered into a tribal-state gaming compact in accordance with the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act of 1988 (18 U.S.C. Sec. 1166 to 1168, inclusive, and 25 U.S.C. Sec. 2701 et seq.) which has been ratified by the state.
2. [No gaming facility may conduct sports wagering until such time as there has been a change in federal law authorizing such or upon a ruling of a court of competent jurisdiction that such activity is lawful.
3.] (a) In addition to authorized gaming activities, a [licensed gaming facility] casino may [when authorized by subdivision two of this section] operate a sports pool upon the approval of the commission and in accordance with the provisions of this section and applicable regulations promulgated pursuant to this article. The commission shall hear and decide promptly and in reasonable order all applications for a license to operate a sports pool, shall have the general responsibility for the implementation of this section and shall have all other duties specified in this section with regard to the operation of a sports pool. The license to operate a sports pool shall be in addition to any other license required to be issued to operate a [gaming facility] casino. No license to operate a sports pool shall be issued by the commission to any entity unless it has established its financial stability, integrity and responsibility and its good character, honesty and integrity.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the racing, pari-mutuel wagering and breeding law, in relation to regulation of sports betting
Purpose
To update the existing provisions of law which allow the four upstate casino gaming resorts to conduct sports betting in the event of a change in the federal law which currently prohibits it.
Summary of provisions
Section 1: Amends section 1367 of the Racing, Pari-Mutuel Wagering and Breeding Law as follows:
Read the full memo (974 words)
* Expands and clarifies definitions;
* Prohibits sports betting on high school athletic events;
* Provides a listing of the individuals who are prohibited from partic- ipating in sports betting;
* Clarifies that mobile sports wagers are made and take place upon acceptance at the location of the server, regardless of the physical location of the individual placing a wager;
* Clarifies the ability of casinos to place layoff bets and the authori- ty of the Gaming Commission to regulate how they are placed;
* Requires registration and reporting of mobile sports wagering licen- sees.
* Requires license fee of $12 million for each agent authorized to conduct mobile sports wagering.
* Requires the casinos to pay a royalty fee of .n of handle to the state for sports governing bodies;
* Requires the casinos to pay a state tax of 8.52, of gross sports wagering revenue, not including mobile sports wagering revenue, which will be subject to a 12,5 tax on gross revenue from mobile sports wagers;
* Clarifies that interactive fantasy sports are not included in the provisions regulating sports betting conducted by casinos;
* Provides the ability for sports governing bodies to petition the Gaming Commission to restrict certain wagers on sports events;
* Requires sports body governing authorities to have procedures with respect to the protection of players;
* Requires the Gaming Commission to promulgate rules mandating that operators implement responsible gaming programs, including programs to address potential problem gambling for individuals under the age of thirty;
* Provides a structure for investigations and data sharing between the casinos, Gaming Commission and sports governing bodies;
* provides authority for Gaming Commission to enter into agreements with other states to share information for integrity monitoring purposes;
* Provides Gaming Commission to implement grievance procedure regu- lations for sports bettors who allege a casino has not properly paid their bet;
* Provides the ability for sports governing bodies to require the use of official league data for certain wagers on sports events; and
* provides for a civil penalty for violations of this section.
Section 2: Amends the Racing, Pari-Mutuel Wagering and Breeding Law by adding a new section 1367-a which authorizes and regulates mobile sports wagering as follows:
* Requires a casino offering a mobile sports betting platform to regis- ter with the Gaming Commission;
* Requires any outside vendor offering a mobile sports betting platform for a casino to be licensed as a casino vendor enterprise;
* Requires any sports bettor to be located in the State of New York when placing a sports wager;
* Requires mobile sports betting platform operators to conform to a series of safeguards similar to those required of interactive fantasy sports operators;
* Authorizes sports bettors to sign up for their mobile sports betting account in person at a casino or online;
* Requires that the Gaming Commission promulgate regulations with respect to compulsive play safeguards for fair play;
* Requires certain minimum information to be included in an initial form of application for registration;
* Requires the server used by a mobile sports wagering operator to be located in the casino;
* Clarifies that mobile sports wagers are made and take place upon acceptance at the location of the server, regardless of the physical location of the individual placing a wager;
* Allows Native American Nations to voluntarily opt-in to participate in mobile sports wagering, with such opt-in subject to a limited waiver of sovereign immunity solely with respect to mobile sports wagering. Such mobile sports wagering revenues will be subject to New York State taxa- tion at the same rate as the State's licensed casinos. Native American Nations can still conduct sports wagering for individuals physically present at a Native American casino, if such Native American Nation does not opt-in to a mobile sports wagering platform;
* Allows affiliates to enter into agreements with casinos to host mobile sports wagering kiosks at their affiliate facilities.
Section 3: Clarifies the authority of the Gaming Commission to regulate sports wagering.
Section 4: Severability clause.
Section 5: Effective date.
Justification
As part of the 2013 Upstate New York Gaming Economic Development Act, the four upstate casino gaming resorts were granted the ability to conduct sports betting should there be a change in federal law prohibit- ing sports betting outside of certain states. On May 14, 2018 the United States Supreme Court ruled the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection act unconstitutional in Murphy v. National Collegiate Athlet- ic Association which resulted in the federal prohibition being over- turned. In preparation for such a situation, the Senate Committee on Racing, Gaming and Wagering held a hearing in January on the topic of sports betting which has led to the introduction of this legislation to address a number of outstanding issues that are not addressed by the current statute.
Legislative history
2018: S. 7900-C - Senate Rules Committee,
Fiscal implications
Between 810 million and $30 million annually to New York State for education based upon conservative market estimates. New York State could receive a one-time increase in State revenue of $48 million in licensing fees from operators.
Effective date
This act shall take effect on the same date and in the same manner as section 1387 of the racing, pari-mutuel wagering and breeding law pursu- ant to subdivision (c) of section 52 of chapter 174 of the laws of 2013.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.