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A new bill authored by the Chair of the New York Assembly Committee on Racing and Wagering would limit how the state’s online Sportsbooks can provide problem gambling support.
The act would expressly ban mobile Sportsbooks from providing counseling, therapy or other treatment services for bettors in New York via any avenue other than directing them straight to the state Office of Addiction Services and Supports (OASAS). “The mobile sports wagering operator shall not advertise or promote any other organization or entity that provides counseling, therapy or treatment services for compulsive play,” reads the text of Woerner’s bill.
OASAS is the designated New York agency for addiction services, including problem gambling. The office told SBC Americas that all of its operated and certified services are available to all New Yorkers regardless of their ability to pay or where in the state they live.
It oversees more than 1,700 prevention, treatment and recovery programs for Empire State residents and has certified 51 outpatient providers and more than 100 private practitioners to offer outpatient treatment for problem gambling. The office said that online Sports Betting has been the number one reason for people contacting OASAS services since it was legalized in 2022.
“We know from the statistics that in New York, more people are seeking help for problem gambling,” Woerner told SBC Americas. “But, really, only the platforms themselves know how many people are requesting their provider. We’ve got no real visibility into the prevalence of the problem, and I think it’s important for us to have that visibility into not only how many people are raising their hands and saying, ‘I need help,’ but also what has led them to that.”
Current New York law requires Sportsbooks to provide links to and contact information for OASAS on their websites and platforms, but allows them to direct users to treatment from other organizations. Several Sportsbooks operating in New York such as DraftKings and BetMGM work with third-party providers like Kindbridge Behavioral Health to offer problem gambling support.
What Assembly Bill 9146 would not do is prevent Sportsbooks from offering in-app responsible gambling tools on their platforms, such as deposit limits, wager limits, time limits and voluntary self-exclusion.
A new bill authored by the Chair of the New York Assembly Committee on Racing and Wagering would limit how the state’s online Sportsbooks can provide problem gambling support.
The act would expressly ban mobile Sportsbooks from providing counseling, therapy or other treatment services for bettors in New York via any avenue other than directing them straight to the state Office of Addiction Services and Supports (OASAS). “The mobile sports wagering operator shall not advertise or promote any other organization or entity that provides counseling, therapy or treatment services for compulsive play,” reads the text of Woerner’s bill.
OASAS is the designated New York agency for addiction services, including problem gambling. The office told SBC Americas that all of its operated and certified services are available to all New Yorkers regardless of their ability to pay or where in the state they live.
It oversees more than 1,700 prevention, treatment and recovery programs for Empire State residents and has certified 51 outpatient providers and more than 100 private practitioners to offer outpatient treatment for problem gambling. The office said that online Sports Betting has been the number one reason for people contacting OASAS services since it was legalized in 2022.
“We know from the statistics that in New York, more people are seeking help for problem gambling,” Woerner told SBC Americas. “But, really, only the platforms themselves know how many people are requesting their provider. We’ve got no real visibility into the prevalence of the problem, and I think it’s important for us to have that visibility into not only how many people are raising their hands and saying, ‘I need help,’ but also what has led them to that.”
Current New York law requires Sportsbooks to provide links to and contact information for OASAS on their websites and platforms, but allows them to direct users to treatment from other organizations. Several Sportsbooks operating in New York such as DraftKings and BetMGM work with third-party providers like Kindbridge Behavioral Health to offer problem gambling support.
What Assembly Bill 9146 would not do is prevent Sportsbooks from offering in-app responsible gambling tools on their platforms, such as deposit limits, wager limits, time limits and voluntary self-exclusion.
