What's happening
This bill establishes a legislative task force to develop and recommend policies for responsible gaming and problem gambling prevention in New York.
Why it matters
Addresses the social risks of expanded gambling. By focusing specifically on problem gambling and responsible gaming, the task force aims to minimize potential negative impacts of legalized casino gaming on individuals and communities, such as addiction and related harms.
Brings together diverse expertise and oversight. The task force includes members with backgrounds in prevention, treatment, and gaming administration, along with key state officials, making its recommendations more likely to be practical, comprehensive, and grounded in real-world experience.
Could influence future gaming regulations and legislation. The task force’s findings and recommendations may lead to new rules, enforcement mechanisms, or even changes in enabling legislation, shaping how gambling is regulated and managed in New York for years to come.
Promotes accountability and evidence-based policy. By requiring methods to measure the effectiveness of responsible gaming policies and specifying a final report to state leaders, the bill ensures public transparency and sets the stage for data-driven improvements in gaming oversight.
Albany, before your first meeting.
Every bill that moved yesterday, summarized in a sentence and ranked by impact. The Albany Scorecard follows on Sundays.
Free. Unsubscribe in one click. Want alerts on specific bills? Create an account.
Who cares
Headline styles
Create Responsible Gaming Task Force
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
1 Co-sponsor
History
- Vetoed memo.158
- Delivered to governor
- Returned to senate
- Passed assembly
- Ordered to third reading cal.401
- Substituted for A3477A
- Referred to ways and means
- Returned to assembly
- Repassed senate
- Amended on third reading 1978a
- Vote reconsidered - restored to third reading
- Returned to senate
Show 8 earlier actions
- Recalled from assembly
- Referred to racing and wagering
- Delivered to assembly
- Passed senateVote 60–1
- Advanced to third reading
- 2nd report cal.
- 1st report cal.63
- 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.
Create Responsible Gaming Task Force
Assembly Floor Calendar · Sponsor Steven Cymbrowitz
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
1978--A Cal. No. 63
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
January 18, 2019
Introduced by Sen. ADDABBO -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Racing, Gaming and Wagering -- reported favorably from said committee, ordered to first and second report, ordered to a third reading, passed by Senate and delivered to the Assembly, recalled, vote reconsidered, restored to third reading, amended and ordered reprinted, retaining its place in the order of third reading
AN ACT in relation to establishing the legislative task force on responsible gaming
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Legislative findings. a. The legislature hereby finds that the 2012-2013 New York state budget amended the state constitution to allow for non-tribal casino gaming in New York. It also included provisions to create a New York state gaming commission, as a result of the merger between the division of lottery and the racing and wagering board. The commission is charged with oversight of the division of lottery, the division of charitable gaming, the division of gaming, and the division of horse racing and pari-mutuel wagering. This legislative action consolidated the state's gaming regulatory functions under a single oversight body.
b. The legislature further finds that the development of policies and procedures that foster responsible gaming practices by gaming facilities licensed or enfranchised by the New York state gaming commission or its divisions is necessary to mitigate the risks or consequences associated with problem gambling. The legislature concludes that this can be best accomplished by the creation of a task force on responsible gaming.
§ 2. Legislative task force on responsible gaming. A legislative task force on responsible gaming is hereby established to:
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD06783-03-9
S. 1978--A 2
(a) Identify policies and programs that mitigate the risks and consequences associated with compulsive gambling and promote responsible gaming practices for all gaming activities authorized in New York state.
(b) Recommend policies and procedures to be promulgated in regulations by the New York state gaming commission and its divisions to ensure responsible gaming in all facilities licensed or enfranchised by such commission or divisions.
(c) Recommend a structure by which all responsible gaming regulations promulgated by the commission or its divisions shall be enforced, including but not limited to penalties for violations of regulatory standards and corrective action.
(d) Identifying methods to measure effectiveness of any responsible gaming procedures implemented.
(e) Identify and recommend provisions necessary to ensure responsible gaming practices to be included in enabling legislation authorizing casino style gaming facilities in New York state.
§ 3. Composition. The task force shall consist of eleven members. Task force members appointed or designated shall have experience and expertise in one or more of the following areas:
1) the prevention of problem gambling;
2) the treatment of problem gambling;
3) administration of problem gambling programs within a gaming facility.
The task force shall consist of eleven members to be appointed as follows: two members to be appointed by the speaker of the assembly, one member to be appointed by the minority leader of the assembly, two members to be appointed by the temporary president of the senate, and one member to be appointed by the minority leader of the senate. The task force shall also include the commissioner of the office of alcoholism and substance abuse services or his or her designee, the executive director of the New York state gaming commission or his or her designee, the director of the division of lottery or his or her designee, the director of the division of gaming or his or her designee, the director of the division of horse racing and pari-mutuel wagering or his or her designee. The chair shall be designated by a simple majority vote of all members of the task force.
§ 4. Compensation. Members shall receive no compensation for their services but shall be reimbursed for their expenses actually and necessarily incurred in the performance of any of their duties.
§ 5. Report. The task force shall create a final report regarding all findings and recommendations to be delivered upon completion of all objectives described herein, but in no event later than December 1, 2020, to the governor, the speaker of the assembly and the temporary president of the senate. At the completion of all duties described herein the legislative task force shall be dissolved.
§ 6. This act shall take effect immediately.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Purpose
To promote responsible gaming and mitigate risks and consequences asso- ciated with problem gambling
Summary of specific provisions
This legislation will establish the New York State Legislative Task Force on responsible gaming which will provide recommendations to the New York State Gaming Commission and each Division on issues related to the prevention and treatment of problem gambling
Justification
The 2012-2013 New York State budget amended the state Constitution to allow for non-tribal casino gaming in New York and also included provisions to merge the Division of Lottery and the Racing and Wagering Board creating the New York State Gaming Commission.
The Commission will be comprised of an Executive Director and seven members that must have no less than five years administrative experience in public or business administration and one or more qualifications in the following areas: (1) significant service as a certified public accountant; (2) knowledge of corporate finance and securities; (3) professional experience in gaming regulation administration or manage- ment; and (4) experience in fields of criminal investigation, law, or law enforcement.
While New York State appears to have the necessary structure in place to ensure casino gaming will be properly regulated, be profitable finan- cially, and maintain integrity and fairness with all gaming activity, there remains no internal controls to make certain that gaming policies which promote responsible gaming practices exist. This bill will estab- lish a legislative taskforce on responsible gaming. This task force will provide the knowledge and expertise to assist the New York State Gaming Commission and its divisions to develop policies and procedures that foster responsible gaming practices by gaming facilities and mitigate the risks or consequences associated with problem gambling.
Prior legislative history
2017:S. 3067A - Passed Senate. 2018:S. 3067A - Passed Senate.
Fiscal implications
Undetermined.
Effective date
This act shall take effect immediately.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.