New York Lawmakers Pursuing New Sports Betting Advertising Requirements

The New York Legislature is pushing for stricter sports betting advertising requirements to bring awareness to the hazards of gambling while requiring advertisers to include the state’s problem gambling hotline number in ads.

New York Senate’s 1550 bill requires all sports betting advertisers to include language about the addictive effects of gambling

The New York Senate passed Sen. Leroy Comrie’s (D-14) bill by a vote of 57-0 to require all sports betting and gambling advertisements to include language warning about the harmful and addictive effects of gambling.

SB 1550 now heads to the House for approval.

Comrie’s bill will require that all sports betting and gambling advertisements in the state “include warnings about potential harmful and addictive effects of gambling.”

SB 1550 describes advertisement as “any notice or communication to the public or any information concerning the gaming-related business of a gaming facility licensee or applicant or a mobile sports wagering licensee through broadcasting, publication, or any other means of dissemination, including electronic dissemination.”

Any form of promotional activity is considered advertisement.

Additionally, it will be compulsory for advertisers to feature the toll-free OASAS HOPEline number (1-877-846-7369) in all sports betting advertisements. This is also known as the New York problem gambling hotline number.

Licensed operators have to make three features available on their website(s): information, technical support, and guidelines for any addiction services that are open to gamblers.

Sports wagering bill also amends the state’s racing, pari-mutuel betting and breeding law

Moreover, the bill also amends the state’s racing, pari-mutuel wagering and breeding law.

New York invests about $1 million a year for public service announcements regarding problem gambling, the bill notes.

“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,” co-sponsors wrote in the bill’s description.

“In the unprecedented growth of gambling, where it is easy to place bets with PayPal, credit cards, bitcoin, or money-transfer apps; it is also important as a state to be proactive identifying and preventing potential problems of gambling. If signed into law, this bill would require industries to include warnings about potential harmful and addictive effects of gambling.”

The bill will go into effect 60 days after it has been approved and signed into law.