NY Sportsbook Ads Regulation Bill Passes Senate
Legislature Making Last-Minute Push on Gambling Ad Bill
The New York Legislature was rushing to get a gambling bill passed before the end of the 2024 session. The New York Senate passed bill A1118 last week by a vote of 57-0. It was sent back to the Assembly for any last-second modifications.
It would then would make its way to Gov. Kathy Hochul. The NY sportsbook ads regulation bill will require ads from sports betting companies to carry warnings about the “potentially harmful and addictive effects” of betting. The bill is sponsored by Assemblyman Clyde Vanel with Assemblyman Angelo Santabarbara acting as co-sponsor.
The NY sportsbook ads regulation bill would also have the New York State Gambling Commission post advertising guidelines on its website.
The state gambling commission would also be required to work with Chinazo Cunningham, head of the Office of Addiction Services and Supports to ensure all gambling ads featured a gambling hotline phone number.
Ad identical Senate Bill, SB1550, has already passed the Assembly. It should be a formality to get passed, but time is running out. The Senate bill included “justification” from sponsor Sen. Leroy Comrie.
“New York State residents have access to wagering at multiple casinos, racetracks, the lottery and other venues and means,” Comrie wrote.
“Gambling will be even more accessible. In New York State, gambling can be found everywhere from physical casinos to a multitude of online websites and apps. The advent of the internet has made gambling more accessible through online betting platform. As gambling becomes more easily accessed by more people, the number of lives negatively affected by gambling has also increased. This can lead to serious consequences for both the gambler and their family.”
Federal Lawsuit Still Active
The NY sportsbook ads regulation bill could have been prompted by Bronx resident Samantha Guery. She filed a federal lawsuit against DraftKings over its use of “risk-free” in a promotional bet.
The lawsuit claims DraftKings didn’t state the $1,000 Risk-Free Bet would be given as credits that had to be wagered. You could not cash out that amount of money. Nearly all of the sports betting apps have some sort of sign-up enticement. Most don’t use the ‘risk-free’ designation.
The growth of legalized sports betting has brought many newcomers into the arena. That means they may not be aware of all the rules and regulations that are involved.
They may simply look at the day’s betting schedule and be ready to wager. Those are the type of people the New York bill is trying to protect. The state does spell out the ‘risk-free concept on the New York Gaming Commission website.
“Risk-Free Bets are when a patron receives the amount of a wager in free bets or site credits if the wager loses,” the website states. “These promotions are typically used as sign-up offers and are designed to incentivize customers to an operator platform.
Bettors typically use a promotional code during sign up, place their first wager, and, if that wager loses, are refunded the amount in free bets or site credit.”
There are bound to be a few kinks with the number of novice bettors involved in sports wagering. Some think they just need to plug a few numbers into a betting odds calculator and they’ll be on their way to riches. Reality will soon set in and New York is trying to make it happen sooner than later with its advertising bill.
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