Governor Kathy Hochul issued a direct mandate to the New York State Gaming Commission during her 2026 State of the State address, instructing the regulatory body to prevent young people from downloading betting apps, creating accounts, or accessing accounts belonging to others. The directive addresses growing concerns about the pervasive nature of mobile sports wagering and its impact on impressionable youth.
Gaming Commission Chair Brian O’Dwyer responded to the governor’s call, stating that no other form of gambling has pervaded consciousness like sports wagering, with impressionable kids constantly exposed to the practice. The commission moved swiftly to develop regulatory responses addressing the governor’s concerns.
Michelle Hadden, Executive Director of the New York Council on Problem Gambling, praised the rapid action, noting that the swift release of proposed measures demonstrates problem gambling being addressed as a serious issue in New York. State Senator Samra Brouk, Chair of the Senate Mental Health Committee, applauded the measures, particularly emphasizing youth mental health as an ongoing crisis in the state.
The Gaming Commission operates in conjunction with the Office of Addiction Services and Supports, with both agencies required to annually prepare reports for the Governor and Legislature analyzing mobile sports wagering’s impact on problem gamblers, including demographics disproportionately affected. OASAS Commissioner Dr. Chinazo Cunningham characterized problem gambling as a hidden addiction lacking outward physical signs but potentially as devastating as substance addiction.
The Gaming Commission plans to explore biometric verification methods, in particular facial recognition and thumbprint scanners, to prevent anyone under 21 from creating sportsbook accounts or accessing accounts belonging to others. These technological safeguards respond to an uptick in underage individuals gaining access to sports betting accounts, often through parents, relatives, or friends.
Geolocation technology stands as another critical component of the proposed New York sports betting safeguards. The software verifies customer locations to ensure products are purchased legally while blocking access from restricted regions. Anti-money laundering, anti-fraud, and location-spoofing capabilities represent major use cases for this technology. Location spoofing detectors identify VPNs through IP address analysis, detecting players claiming to be in one geographical location while logging on from restricted areas.
Age verification processes under the New York sports betting regulations require operators to verify user identity before playing, depositing, or accessing free-to-play versions. Document-based verification extracts data via OCR and performs biometric checks, including 1:1 Face Match and liveness detection to guarantee real presence. Anyone caught giving betting access to an underage person faces bans from sportsbook platforms.
The proposed measures establish multiple verification layers to address compliance requirements across the state’s mobile sports wagering ecosystem.
New York sports betting regulations include automated triggers designed to identify bettors displaying warning signs of gambling-related harm. The state’s Responsible Play Partnership, formed by the New York State Gaming Commission, the Office of Addiction Services and Supports, and the New York Council on Problem Gambling, unveiled measures to prevent problem gambling across the state’s mobile sports wagering ecosystem.
Starting November 12, players who self-excluded through the state’s voluntary program can opt-in to receive free and confidential calls from trained OASAS HOPEline staff. Meanwhile, the New York Council on Problem Gambling developed a training program enabling industry staff to identify symptoms, evidence, and warning signs of gambling-related harm and interact appropriately with players exhibiting these signs.
Sports betting operators face new data reporting requirements under the New York sports betting safeguards. Operators must provide detailed information including amounts wagered and bets placed, wins, sport-specific wagering, registered accounts, self-exclusions, account closures, player zip codes, total wagered amounts, bet counts, and wins or losses.
Gaming Commission Executive Director Robert Williams stated the partnership bridges gaps between stakeholders to address problem gambling, ensuring timely help reaches those in need while industry employees know how to address the issue. New York Council on Problem Gambling Executive Director Jim Maney noted casino industry staff serve as the front line for problem gambling identification.
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