Just weeks after the New York Times published a story questioning how much promotional credit is used by US sportsbook, a New York state lawmaker is trying to take action on the issue.
State Sen. Pete Harckham introduced a bill that would give power to the New York Gaming Commission to (NYGC) to create rules limiting how much promotional credit sportsbooks can offer bettors. In the justification for the bill, Harckham referenced the NYT story and also said the following:
“The mobile sports betting industry is utilizing targeted advertising that is personally tailored to lure in new customers from right within their homes. This means that following legal sports betting in New York State, multitudes of people who were not formerly presented with these predatory practices will fall susceptible to gambling addiction that could have otherwise been avoided.”
The bill does not advocate for what kinds of rules the NYGC can create. It only gives the regulators the jurisdiction to address the issue. When online sports betting first launched, some operators offered first-time user deposit bonuses of upwards of $3,000. Operators offered these high-value bonuses despite the fact that the state does not allow for promo credit deductions as many other states do.
When the legislative session begins on Jan. 4, the bill will be assigned to the Rules Committee. The 20-member committee includes Sen. Joseph Addabbo, a staunch advocate for both gambling expansion and responsible gambling.
Harckham was first elected to the NY Senate in 2018. He currently serves as the Chairman of the Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Committee and the Co-Chair of the Joint Senate Task Force on Opioids, Addiction, and Overdose Prevention, which would help explain his interest in responsible gambling.
