New York Sports Betting Restrictions Proposed

Well, that didn’t take long. New York sports betting is already facing some new restrictions barely a year into regulation. And those new restrictions have a lot to do with what This Week in Gambling has been warning folks about for the past several months… but we’re not gonna say “we told you so.”

First up, one lawmaker in the state is calling on gambling regulators to put an end to what they call predatory sportsbook bonuses. The terminology of their proposed legislation sounds like a page from the United Kingdom, where other politicians have expressed similar concerns over the past few years.

Specifically, the bill seeks to put rules in place to deal with so-called predatory sportsbook bonuses, including deposit and match bonuses. It would also place restrictions on (or eliminate) and risk-free betting, free money offers, free bets, and other offers they feel go too far.

A second and more recent proposed bill for New York sports betting has to do with advertising, which we also warned about. That legislation would apply to all forms of gambling advertisements, requiring them to include warnings on the potential of gambling addiction.

The exact wording of the bill would make it mandatory that ads contain warnings about the possibility of addiction, while the New York Gaming Commission would need to work with the commissioner of addiction services to help ensure all forms of advertising for gambling include a problem gambling hotline.

If passed, these new rules governing New York sports betting would apply to land based casinos, as well as both online and mobile operators.