New York assemblyman Clyde Vanel, the Chair of the Subcommittee on Internet and New Technology and Chairs the Committee on Oversight, Analysis, and Investigation, introduced new legislation at the end of July to amend the advertising laws pertaining to sportsbooks in the Empire State.
Assembly Bill A10658 requires mobile sports betting operators to abide by the same regulations as gaming facility licensees
Assembly Bill A10658 requires that mobile sports wagering licensees adhere to the same restrictions as gaming facility licensees and applicants. The “licensees” language refers to sportsbooks, while “gaming facility licensees” implies casinos. This proposal is currently in the Assembly’s Racing and Wagering Committee.
The bill will also enter a concurrent committee in the state Senate. If it passes through both committees, it will reach the floor for Assembly and Senate hearings. If the bill is successful there, it will then go to the desk of Gov. Kathy Hochul to sign into law.
Assembly Bill A10658 defines “advertisement” as any public notice or communication a company publishes relevant to its business. It includes advertisements from: Broadcasting Publications, printed or electronic Promotional activities and all other means of dissemination, such as email or social media.
The bill also provides guidelines for sportsbooks to follow with their advertising strategies. Licensees must use factual information without any type of misleading or deceptive elements.
This includes obscuring material facts through lighting, location, font size, color, etc. Plus, licensees cannot withhold information related to bonuses and promotions.
New York operators will face discipline for featuring underage gamblers, failing to provide the advertiser’s name and location
Additionally, operators are prohibited from showing or promoting anybody under the age of 21 engaging in gambling activities. Failing to provide the advertiser’s name and location is a penalty. However, gaming facilities can omit the location on billboard advertisements within 30 miles of the casino.
Furthermore, Vanel’s bill emphasizes responsible gambling in New York as well.
The bill mandates that every sports betting advertisement display a problem gambling hotline number in clear view during commercials and other forms of advertisements.
This measure is to protect bettors and promote responsible gambling practices. The state passed legislation in June requiring sportsbooks to include warnings on the “harmful and addictive effects of gambling in their advertisements.”
In 2023, New York outlawed “deceptive promotions” that used terms like “risk-free” to mislead gamblers.